Tupperware parties were very popular in 1974, and Susan was busy getting ready to host her first one when the phone rang, it was her sister saying she couldn’t make it tonight. Susan had planned on her helping to keep an eye on her son and getting him ready for bed, while she attended to her party guests. It was already 5:30, Susan did not have time to give her son a bath before her guests arrived. Because the party was going to go on past his bedtime, she would just have to do it during the party. “Tommy, Aunt Carol isn’t coming tonight, so you will need to be on your best behavior while we have guests”, she told her son as she finished setting up for the party. “I will be good”, he replied.
A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door and Susan’s best friend, Shelly, let herself in through the side door. “I am so glad you will be here tonight” Susan told her friend. “My sister isn’t coming tonight so I will have to get Tommy ready for bed while the party is still going. He has homework to keep him busy for a while, but I will need to look it over and help him with his bath before his bedtime”, she continued. “How much homework does a first grader have?” Shelly asked. “Unfortunately, not enough to keep him busy all night” Susan said with a smile.
Susan set Tommy up with his writing assignment at the kitchen table, as Shelly greeted guests. The Tupperware party was going well with only a couple small interruptions from Tommy. Susan was very pleased as she excused herself to start Tommy’s bath. “Let’s get you a bath and ready for bed, little man”, Susan said as she gathered up Tommy’s school work. “We will get your bath out of the way now and you can watch a little TV in my bedroom until your bedtime. Your bath water is ready, so go get undressed and hop in the tub”.
Susan was in Tommy’s bedroom getting his pajamas when Shelly called her from the living room. “Hey Susan, can you come in here for a minute, someone has a question about prices”? “Yep, be right there” Susan replied, retrieving the pajamas from Tommy’s dresser, and grabbing a diaper from the purple box of Toddler Size Pampers on top of the dresser.
Susan entered the living room with Tommy’s pajamas and diaper in hand. “Who’s the diaper for?” asked Mary, one of her guests. “Do you have a baby we didn’t know about?”, asked another quest. “No babies in this house, just a 6-year-old who hasn’t had a dry night in his life, so he still wears diapers to bed”. “I am surprised they still fit” Mary added. “They fit him well and I am glad” Susan told her. I’m not sure what I’ll do if he doesn’t outgrow bedwetting before he outgrows these Pampers”, Susan said waving the large, plastic-backed diaper in the air. “It’s not that uncommon” added another guest, “Both of my sister’s kids still wet the bed, they are 4 and 6 and she puts them both in cloth diapers and plastic pants every night.
After answering the Tupperware pricing question, Susan excused herself again to get Tommy out of the bathtub. Tommy was playing with his boats in the tub when Susan came into the bathroom. “OK sailor let’s get you dried off and ready for bed”, Susan told her son. “Mom, you’re not going to make me wear a diaper with all those ladies still here, are you?” Tommy asked in protest.
Tommy has always worn diapers at night and never been concerned about it before, Susan thought to herself, wishing she hadn’t carried his diaper into the living room and openly discussed his bedwetting. “It’s no big deal sweetie, there are plenty of kids your age who still wear a diaper at night. Besides, no one will even know you are wearing one under your pajamas. Now let’s get you out of that water before you turn into a prune”.
After drying him off, Susan had Tommy lay down on the bathroom floor and unfolded the Pamper. She grabbed his ankles, raising his butt off the ground and slid the fanned-out diaper under him. After applying some baby powder, she pulled the front of the diaper up between his legs, taping it securely around his waist. “OK, brush your teeth”, Susan told her son as he stood up and waddled to the sink with the thick diaper between his legs. Once he was done, Susan pulled his pajama top over his head and held the bottoms for him as he stepped in with one leg and then the other. “Now, lets go say good night”, Susan told him as she playful swatted his diapered bottom.
As Tommy walked into the living room to say good night, Susan could hear the crinkle and see the obvious outline of the thick Toddler Size Pamper beneath Tommy’s pajamas. Tommy was politely saying good night to each of the quests when Shelly picked him up to give him a hug, causing the top of his diaper to stick out above his waistline. Fortunately, Tommy did not hear the “He looks so cute in his diaper” comment from one of the older ladies in the room.
Susan put Tommy into bed a kissed him goodnight, the rustle of Tommy’s diaper could be heard as he wiggled around under his covers. Susan knew that in the morning Tommy’s sheets would be dry but probably not his diaper.