So one day as I was changing Maria's diaper a friend noticed that we use cloth diapers. She asked in an incredulous voice why on earth we were using cloth. I came up with the lame answer that I had friends who used cloth and that laundry was the chore I minded the least. Not an answer that I'm particularly happy with since it makes me sound like a lemming, but it was what popped into my head at the time!
Here's what I wish I would have said... I've always wanted to use cloth. I don't precisely know why cloth diapers, but now that I have a child I'm finally able to act on this peculiar, long-held desire. I think cloth diapers remind me of visiting my grandma on her farm and seeing clothes hanging to dry on the line. There's something wonderful about any household chore that can be partially done outside, especially during good weather!
As for logical reasons for using cloth: they are cheaper (provided you wash your own), better for the environment (as long as you look at studies NOT funded by disposable diaper manufacturers), easy to use (diaper technology has come a long way, baby) and possibly better for babies' bottoms (disposable diapers contain chemicals no longer allowed in certain feminine products). As an added benefit, cloth-diapered children usually potty train sooner since they can actually feel when they are wet. Pretty cool!
When I was researching what sort of cloth diapers to buy I found out all sorts of interesting things. Did you know it's illegal to dispose of human waste in dumps? Basically everyone who has ever used a disposable diaper (including me!) is breaking the law! I can just picture some unfortunate police officer assigned to go through people's trash and write up tickets!
3 comments:
Hey - you got a blog. Cool!
oops - this is actually Heidi. I guess I was using Anthony's account. But I'll let him know he was posting a comment on cloth diapers.
I was hoping you'd find my blog. Posting on other folks blogs really does work as a subtle form of advertising - yippee!
When folks find out we use cloth diapers (usually by seeing us change Maria), they usually have a response along the lines of "cool!", or "you're a fool!". It seems no one is neutral about cloth. My aunt (a library & information scientist) just gave me an amazingly cool book called Home Comforts: the art and science of keeping house which I highly recommend... it's fun, witty and useful to boot! In the first chapter it seems the author got a similarly polarized responses when friends found out she was writing on housekeeping of all topics. The whole feminist movement has done some wonderful things for our society, but I regret that some people use it as an excuse to devalue traditional ways of doing things
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