So when we announced proudly that we were cloth diapering my family nearly fell over. My sister-in-law said "I give you a week, then you quit." How nice, right? But the feeling of confusion
was felt family-wide. All brows furrowed in question of our choice and people found no problem announcing their lack of respect for our latest decision.But the truth is, we like it. Its not that messy and there is just an allure that is truly unexplainable for me. I have not yet managed to pin point whether it is the help to the bank account or the environment OR whether the little fuzzy underpants are just so adorable I can't help myself.
At family functions when I pull out a cute little diaper that is nicely lined with fleece, the shock continues. Cloth diapers have come a long way from what people remember them to be. The first thing that usually comes out of their mouths is "THOSE are the diapers?! But they are too cute to poop in!" They are cute, but I am thrilled when the poop is actually in those beautiful little diapers rather than on my children's clothes!
It seems that although they find the diapers just as cute as we do, they still don't "get it." They may now be "in the know" of our diapering habits however, they still are not converts. But thats okay. We aren't out change everyone else's lives, just ours. We can put our heads on the pillow at night knowing we are throwing a few thousand less diapers in a land fill. And as my husband puts
it, "cloth diapering just seems so much classier."-Amanda S.
Mom to James and Ella (3 1/2 months old)
55 comments:
Why is it that people aren't supportive? Or why do people always say things, "cloth diapers? Really?" I like to think that it's b/c they feel guilty for not putting their babies in cloth :)
Great post! This exactly how my family is. And every time I hear another story like this, it just let's me know that I am doing the right thing, despite what others think. Also I love that picture!! Just too cute!
LOVE IT!! my MIL did the same thing. CLOTH DIAPERS!?! yes cloth diapers. now deal with it. we have four kiddos, all under four. and three of them are in diapers. umm. it totally makes sense to go to cloth, i just wish i would've done it sooner in their lives! and yes they are too cute to poop in, BUT i too would rather the poop be on/in the diapers then their clothes. i haven't had a blow out diaper since starting cloth. WOO HOO.
Your babies are adorable! I love how they're holding hands in the picture and I LOVE the diapers they've got on!!!
You know, in my experience (and you'll quickly discover this too, if you haven't already)... just
having babies and kids in general is a judgment magnet - LOL! Everyone has an opinion about what you do, what you should do, and what we're doing wrong, etc...
After my son (my third child) was born and I was in the hospital for a few days, one of the nurse assistants made it a point to tell me I shouldn't hold my son so much because I would spoil him. BAH!
I'm glad you haven't caved to the pressures of family opinion! I absolutely LOVE your husbands opinion about cloth diapers being CLASSY!
Ohh, I like that. Cloth diapers just seem classier. You know what, they really do seem classier! I love the amazement I get when people see what cloth diapers are now days.
He's right, it does seem classier. Good for you for standing up for your decision and for encouraging the rest of us to do the same.
I love that picture, so cute!!!
Thanks for sharing your story. I have had 2 in diapers at the same time (not twins though)and honestly I don't find it that much different that one.
My mom cloth diapered me and my twin...back in the dark ages!
Despite that, she now questions my decision to do it because she hated the old-school cloth diapering system.
I'm trying to convert her slowly but I've successfully converted my twin--she is going to start cd'ing her child soon! yay!
Your babies are adorable. Did you start CDing them when they were newborns? I have a good friend who is due with twins any day now (She is 38 weeks tomorrow!!) and she would like to cloth diaper them as well. I'll have to send her the link to your post.
Oh I could have written this myself. My family does not get it at all either. My MIL actually offered to buy us disposable - until our kids are out of diapers - just so we wouldn't "have" to use cloth. But of course we don't have to we want to. And I can't really explain it either. Great post!! :)
i am so proud to read this, i too was chastised by my sister in law. i only wish i could keep up with my actions what my heart wants, and solely cloth diaper. your husband sounds very supportive, that is part of the key.
angela
i hope i win this fridays contest, i commented on the latest whisper entry!
i have your button on my blog and facebook!
First off, your twins are so adorable! I love the little puppy face diaper!
I am really happy that, so far, my family has been supportive. I have only told my immediate family, but they have been supportive of us!
I have a few of those people in my family too... maybe someday it will becaome the norm again.
We got the same initial reactions, but since people have seen our "cool" diapers the feedback has been much more supportive. Now I'm thinking of new ways to introduce cloth to friends!
I agree...cloth diapering is SOOO much classier. I always feel bad seeing kids running around in nothing but disposable diapers. Cloth diapers are just so much cutier; my little one is sure to run in nothing but the cute cloth diapers this summer!
I love reading stories like this! It just makes me feel proud to use cloth!!!
PS, your kids are WAY cute! :)
Your twins are the cutest! and so are their diapers! Why is it that family members are initially the most outspoken about cloth - that was my experience too. Once my cousin and mother said I would never last more than a week, I was more determined to stick with it! (and now my cousin is considering cloth with her baby due in June - LOL!)
I haven't had many negative comments yet. But people really don't get it. I have had the same thought about cloth being classier, just haven't put it into words before. Classy really covers it!
@Serena's comment: I didn't think it was possible to spoil a baby??? :p
I love how people assume they know everything about CD'ing, enough to say whether you should do it or not, despite not having done any research at all on it.
At first my mom didn't think I'd stick with it and said it is too much of a pain. Once you go cloth, it is impossible to go back, so she's warming up to the idea now I think.
As far as my best friend and sister-in-law, they don't seem interested enough to even have an opinion. I've mentioned it a couple times and they don't even ask questions or anything.
Such cuties!!!! And your hubby could not have put it better...Cloth IS classier! I have come across a few that can't seem to be convinced that I really do love it but, I have picked up a few converts along the way. :)
Amanda G.
I would have to say that my husband was the hardest person to convince that cloth diapering was going to be easy and all around the best option. He thought I would regret making the investment and then only use my cloth diapers because of the $ I spent. But now he loves them as much as me! (well almost). We are both so pleased about our decision.
awesome post ! i too like knowing I am not throwing $ away :0) your babies are adorable !
I'm fortunate that because I fell into cloth diapers due to an allergy to the disposables, my family is pretty supportive. After all they saw the contact rash on the baby from sposies. Now the rest of the world, thats a different story:)
I could have written this word for word!
People make such a stink (no pun intended) over what kind of underwear we put on our kids. I mean, really... are they listening to themselves?
My family doesn't seem to care, so long as I don't get pregnant again. People have their noses in other people's bedrooms just as much as their bathrooms!
I told someone about my diapers yesterday, and she though that cloth diapering must be really expensive (as if my $20 diaper is only usable once). I've been surprised by how easy it is though, there was a time when I would have had some questions about it.
Ok, I had to stop reading the blog to comment...OMG, I love the diapers your children are wearing...They really are too cute...Ok, spill it, where did you get them???
Going back to finish reading your post now
I couldn't agree with you more about this statement: "...They are cute, but I am thrilled when the poop is actually in those beautiful little diapers rather than on my children's clothes!"
Cloth dipes contain the poop so much better than disposables.
Both my family AND my husband's family seems completely baffled by our choice to cloth diaper. I don't want to offend them, but I want to tell them that I choose to not diaper my babies in dangerous, rash causing, uncomfortable paper diapers. ( Even though they swear by them.) I am always proud when we have get- togethers and one of their disposable's soaks through - and my kids are cozy and dry. ( Okay, that's not very nice, but neither are their comments about my diapers!)
My mom is pretty surprised that I am cloth diapering. My MIL likes it. She used to cloth diaper and got just as much criticism in the 80s when she was having kids too.
I got the same reaction from my family. "WHAT???? Are you CRAZY???" And I agree: cloth diapering is FUN! I actually look forward to changing cloth diapers, and even enjoy the laundry! My family thinks that's crazy too. But I'm hooked!
Your babies are beautiful, BTW. Love the puppy diaper cover!
I get similar reactions all the time. I just tell them why I love using cloth and if they listen, fine. BTW--your twins are so cute!
I totally get where you are coming from- my family was the same way! They have softened over time though! Good luck!
Well, my parents were visiting me this week and they were finally able to see what cloth diapers look like now. My mom is still silent but my dad thinks its cool and he said it makes sense to have "natural fibers over chemicals". And surprisingly my grandfather thinks its cool too.
When my sister was visiting me when DD#3 was born, she LOVED putting on the different dipes (she has always loved changing diapers but with the cloth its a whole new love...she doesnt have any babies, yet!)
WOW, I give you major props for CD twins! And from birth? You are an inspiration! And your babies are sooo cute holding hands!!!
Thanks everyone for the motivating comments!!! For those who asked, the Puppy dipe is a Starbunz and the pink/gray skull dipe was a custom. Come on, doesn't that say it all. When can you ever custom a disposable!?
Oh and I did not cloth diaper until 2 1/2 months. The newborn stage was just a little much for me with 2!!! Once the stop using about 15+ diapers a day it is no big deal.
My family is still unsupportive as well. My MIL even went so far as to say "Iyck" with a gutteral sound like a kid trying brussel sprouts (no offense to the brussel sprout!) for the first time an say that I should not expect anyone else to change the baby's diaper. Well, the baby is here now, so let the education begin! P.S. I LOVE THE PUPPY DIPE!!!
Yep, my family is the same. Those babies (and dipes) are adorable!
What adorable little ones! And I love the diapers they have on. I don't think I have ever seen either one of those types.
I love how your husband see's it as classier. Never thought of it that way, but after reading that I feel agreement with that statement.
This is a wonderful post! Everybody around me thinks im completely nuts, esp being a single mom to 4 lil boys & yet still CDing but in my own lil world I think they are all completely nuts for NOT CDing ;)
I love explaining to people how awesome CDing is...not in a judgemental way, just showing them that it's not difficult and messy the way they might be thinking!
I get a lot of weird questions from my non-cloth diapering friends about why I would Cloth diaper, but I'm usually pretty good at persuading them to the light side of things. My family was very weird about it at first but now they are so supportive and actually spread the cloth diapering "gospel" too!
GORGEOUS babies & very cute diapers!!!
Very well put about cloth diapering. I get comments from most everybody about the way we live because it is "out of the box" (cloth diapering, breastfeding, homebirth, co-sleeping, etc.), so to speak. It is so refreshing to read views & comments from like-minded mamas!! Just because someone does something "different" doesn't make it weird or wrong... BLAH, BLAH!
CONGRATS on your beautiful babes!!!
I think my family thinks I'm nuts, but they are just smiling and nodding - except my teenage sister who thinks it gross and claims she won't change a diaper - we'll see when she babysits next!
judgement magnet is a great way to put it. I was told by so many people that there was no way i would like cloth diapering. Well, 6 months later and I couldn't imagine it any other way!
You have great diapers on your babies...and they are precious!
Loved this post. Cute kids and cute diapers!
I could have written this- almost two years in, and I still get the comments from my mom when I pull out the cloth for my twins!
the picture is SO cute! What kind of diapers are they wearing? I love hearing the brands and types, it always sends me looking.
That's awesome! I got alot of those same reactions, especially the "I give it a week" ones. So annoying!
I am cloth diapering triplets! It's not much more work than disposable diapers and definitely MUCH cheaper. We are saving probably $5000 or so.
christy ross: Honestly, I don't know what diapers these are! They look as though they are most likely WAHM made, probably found on ETSY or Hyena Cart. The post is a couple months old - but hopefully the mama who submitted the post is still following the comments and will respond!
-Serena
Hi! The diapers my daughter is in is a WAHM and my son is in Starbunz which are super cute little animal face diapers!
Oh I wish these were available when my bumpkins were little. My twins are 4 now but ....ahhh...so precious. Great Post!!
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