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| My Son (L) and My Daughter (R) in Fluffy Saurus |
If you’re like me, cloth diapering with two kids in diapers means
using whichever shell is clean on whichever child needs a diaper change. Even doing laundry every day or two, some of
your favorite shells (hello Arthur and Juliet) are bound to be dirty around
half of the time. Chances are, whether
you intend to or not, sooner or later your little princess will be wearing
Fluffysaurus Rex, and your little prince will be wearing Love Blossom.
While
this may be accidental at times, I’d like to make a case for using diapers on
your kids that don’t fit into traditional gender roles. Remember, challenging gender roles doesn’t
always mean putting a “girly” diaper on a boy, or vice versa, but rather allowing
your favorite diapers of any color and print to make your children look great.
My son’s
favorite diaper is Rainbow Connections; the colors and stars excite him, and he
asks for it consistently. And while my
daughter certainly enjoys Juliet, she also loves the little red dragon on the
Arthur print. They are both noticeably happy
when they see those prints, and love wearing them around the house, or out to
the park. There’s no rule that says
girls can’t like dinosaurs, or that boys don’t like flowers: if it makes my
babies happy, I’m happy.
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| My son in Hearts |
Not
only is it more convenient to swap diaper prints (no more sorting the laundry
for boy and girl diaper shells!), but it teaches your kids from an early age
that there are no limits to the things they can enjoy. It frees them from the sorts of constraints
offered in Toy departments, where the “girl” aisle is clearly defined by dolls
and cascades of pinks and purples, and the “boy” aisle consists of robots,
trucks, and superheroes, predominantly in bright primary colors.
On a
more practical note, perhaps cloth diapering on a budget means you rely on
Buy-Sell-Trade groups, and keep your eyes out for bargains and sales from your
favorite retailers. If you don’t mind
which colors and patterns decorate your kids’ bums, you can cloth diaper
without hurting your wallet. Even if
money is not a concern, denying typical gender and color expectations allows you
to then be excited about every print
as it is released, regardless of the gender of your kids, or the color or
design on the print.
From a
sociological perspective, it is good for children to feel empowered and safe in
their homes, and while allowing them to choose any cloth diaper print
regardless of gender relation may seem like a small thing, in raising children
the small things often have the greatest impact. By taking this small action, you are telling
your children that it is ok to be excited about things they love, that you
support them no matter what they decide to love, and, in a way that is not so
small for your little ones, you make their world a happier, more colorful, and
less constrained space.
-Keely E.
Momma of 2
