Now, how do you convince your partner, spouse, significant other, childcare facility, and others to make this commitment with you? After all, you don’t plan on changing ALL those diapers by yourself do you?
5 Tips for Gaining Support with Cloth Diapering
1. Determine what motivates others. While your spouse might be motivated by the cost savings your childcare provider might be motivated by ease of use. Let that motivator be your focus when explaining to them why you are choosing cloth diapers on your baby.
2. Consider a name change. Call them reusable diapers, modern cloth diapers, or call them by brand name (i.e. Soft Bums) when introducing them to others.
3. Show them off. Having a sample diaper on hand to explain how they work can help ease most people’s fears about cloth diapers. Remember that most people still haven’t seen all the new varieties of cloth diapers that are available.
4. Remember to talk about how easy they are to use. They are just as easy as disposable diapers. Debunk the common myths like having to swish them in the toilet.
5. Ask them to consider a trial period. If you are approaching a childcare facility or caregiver about cloth diapering and you receive any hesitations have them consider a trial period. Chances are that after they see how easy they are to use they won’t object.
Whatever you do, remember to make things easy for everyone involved. If you are going to be putting your baby in day care you probably don’t want to use pre-fold’s with snappis and covers when you can use Soft Bums all-in-two system instead. If your husband is going to be responsible for changing a majority of the diapers (in our dreams right!) you probably don’t want to give him a diaper with 30 snaps on it when you could give him one with Velcro.
My personal story:
When I told my husband I wanted to use cloth diapers he looked at me like I had 6 eyes. He felt a little better once I bought one diaper and showed him how they worked. After a year of cloth diapering he has accepted them as well as can be expected. I have to keep reminding him how much money we've saved this year and that usually brings a smile back to his face.
When we were interviewing caregivers we had a few diapers available with us and explained how they worked. Here is a sample of the conversation with them: “We use modern cloth diapers like this on our baby, are your familiar with them? Let me show you how similar they are to disposable diapers.”
Don’t get frustrated, stay positive and try not to get defensive. People just want their concerns to be heard before they make the commitment with you.
Want additional support? The Real Diaper Association has several pamphlets developed that you can use when introducing cloth diapers to your friends, family and caregivers.
Consider Cloth Pamphlet
Day Care Tip Sheet
This is a guest post by Calley Pate, author and owner of The Eco Chic blog. Calley is an environmental consultant by profession and eco-mommy blogger. She has been cloth diapering her daughter for just over a year.
Thanks!
ReplyDeletethanks! I am getting a ton of resistance from family and I will try these tips!
ReplyDeletegreat post with great tips!
ReplyDeleteAs much as I love my BG 3.0′s (and I haven’t even reviewed them – I’m just a tried and true fan), I still fall back on my good old prefolds and covers when we’re around the house. They’re so easy – just fold, cover and be done. In fact, despite my drawer overflowing with all-in-one’s, Adam always always always chooses prefolds and covers when it’s his turn to change the baby.
ReplyDeleteI own a couple dozen Indian prefolds, and while they work, they’re not exactly the softest or most form-fitting of diapers. I need new covers desperately (Adam is still squeezing my 18lb 7 month old into Thirsties x-smalls despite the fact that I own 4 other covers that fit her perfectly).
After our All-In-One Cloth Diaper showdown in April, Johanna at Bumkins contacted me about trying one of their new contour diapers and their unique cover. Of course, I’m up for trying any new diapers so said yahoo!
ReplyDeleteThe contour diaper is different than a prefold, but you use it in the same way. It’s two layers of either cotton or bamboo with a microfleece liner sewn between them, then cut into the ‘contour’ of your baby. Wide on each end and narrow in the middle. The liner is only sewn in between the legs where it’s needed, so it wraps around the baby really comfortably. The leg gussets are elastic, so when fitted into the cover, they create a little ‘bowl,’ to help contain their contents. Lastly, they are one-size so will last until potty-training – making them a wise investment.
The diaper I tried is bamboo and I really recommend it because it is soooo soft, even after drying on the line which makes my prefolds feel like cardboard. It’s just as absorbent, if not more so, than a prefold. The bamboo is $2 more than the cotton, but again, I’d go for it.
Diapers and inserts are very absorbent, and they will hold moisture and often take multiple rounds in the drier to be dry enough for use. By line drying diapers, you can easily save energy. You can hang diapers over a doorway on plastic hangers or put up a clothes line. If you have diapers such as prefolds that get a little “crunchy” when line drying, partially dry them in the dryer on low and then line dry them the rest of the way to maintain softness. If you must use the dryer, use it in the evening when temperatures outside begin to drop.
ReplyDeleteAs a mother of 1, and an online worker I don't know if cloth vs. disposable make any difference, but when you start putting, I would recommend going straight to underwear w/plastic covers rather than pull ups. Pull ups are a lot like diapers and only a few children figure out they aren't a diaper, esp. if they use disposable. Also, a child going from cloth diaper to pull up realizes they don't feel as uncomfortable if they have an accident. It's a drag washing out 20 pairs of underwear a day, but if you're going to commit to toilet training, you're committing to the hassle as well.
ReplyDeleteYou may think of cloth diapers as those square cotton fabrics which our grandparents and even some of our parents used with pins and rubber pants, and always had to hang out to dry.
ReplyDeleteThat is the fitting weblog for anyone who desires to search out out about this topic. You understand a lot its nearly arduous to argue with you. You positively put a brand new spin on a subject thats been written about for years. Nice stuff, simply great!
ReplyDeleteI believe cloth diapers are much more comfortable for the infants. Thank you for so much information. I can feel how much you are so happy while using cloth diapers to your baby while reading your post. More power to your blogging!
ReplyDeleteI agree that cloth diapers is cost saving, environment friendly and most comfortable to use.Babies in disposable diapers may experience more diaper rash; because the diapers feel dry, parents tend to change them as infrequently as every four to five hours.Cloth diapering is the best.
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It's hard to maintain such cloth diapers when you know that from time to time you have to change it whenever your baby pees. But the good thing about it is that it does not cause rashes like those of synthetic ones. Babies have more advantages when using these lovely diapers. Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteNice post! Tips are great and useful to all the mothers who used a cloth diaper. Cloth diapers are good and money saving than to a disposable. You could only used disposable when you’re on the go or in travelling. But, still the cloth diaper is best because it can’t give rushes to the kids. Thank you.
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Start simple, start small – many parents start our their cloth diapering journey by trying to pick one brand and style that they feel will be perfect from birth to potty training. While there is no wrong or right way to start, it is less stressful to start with a sampling of different styles and types to find out which diaper is right for your baby and your lifestyle. What works for the mom who stays at home with their baby might not work for the mom who has to leave their baby with a caregiver.
ReplyDeleteTry pockets, all-in-ones, flats, and even prefolds. Don’t be scared to try something that looks difficult, it might just become your favorite system. You can always continue to build your stash as you find out what you like.
I agree on you! Simplicity is the unique way. Thanks for sharing it Malachi.
DeleteI support others by telling them about cloth diapers - I have them come into my home for one-on-one sessions where they are free to bring in their cloth diapers (for how to use explanations) and they are shown a variation of diapers - and I explain the differences of each to them. That way they can go away and make their cloth diapering choices knowing that they have some first hand knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI recommend doubling up on flats or prefolds for heavy wetters, and I've even been known to have a cloth diaper all 'set up' right next to me in the bed (we co-sleep) and when my son wakes up I change him on my lap while breastfeeding and toss the wet diaper on the floor till the morning.
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It is so challenging to make a blog but this site inspires me to make one. It requires not only creativity but much more of knowledge to make a blog especially if it is about something to be focused to. This site definitely gives substantive information and new knowledge for me. Thank you for this wonderful post.
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When you are going to use cloth diapers for your kids. Make sure the quality is there. Since it can also irritate the child's sensitive skin. I absolutely agree on this blog. Try and ask them for trial period. But cheers to this blog ^^
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