I've had a few people ask me about this and I've thought about it myself. Why don't I cloth diaper? Cloth diapers are cute now. It's environmentally friendly. You end up saving money on diapers. Your baby doesn't get diaper rash. Etc.
All of those reasons are great reasons for why YOU, if you are able, should consider going this route. I thought about it when I was doing laundry earlier this evening. Laundry, at my house, is exactly the same as it's been since college. Meaning a community laundry room and the search for quarters.
I love the earth and all, and even more I love the idea of saving money on diapers and being able to brag that my kid never had a diaper rash. But do you realize, it's like pulling teeth for our family to ever have enough quarters to reliably do laundry any more often than weekly. And even then, it costs $2.50 to wash and dry. TWO-FIFTY. Not only does it cost, but you have to have that much in quarters. So $2.50 for whites, for darks, for towels and sheets, etc.
Also, laundry at our house is a pain. It's a pain in everyone's house. But at our place, I'm the one who does the laundry while my husband is at work. Which means that Seb and I do the laundry. Literally. Me leaving him in the exersaucer so that I can run to the laundry room is something I've verynearlyconsidered but feel horrible about. So me, the baby (in a baby carrier), a laundry basket, a roll of quarters, and a jug of laundry soap all make it down. Lord forbid baby falls asleep during the wash cycle because figuring out whether or not I should wake him to go put clothes in the dryer is the most difficult choice. (Leave him? Take him? Let him sleep and leave the clothes, risking an angry neighbor dumping our clothes out?)
In short, I just don't have it in me to scrounge up the quarters to wash his diapers. And because I don't want to live in our community laundry room. There are other things I would rather do with my time. I know this is laziness and we may have to revoke my "Attachment Parenting" Mom card, but we are a Pampers family. And you know, he really hasn't yet had any real big problems with diaper rash.
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| Clearly not bothered by our use of disposable diapers. |
I've linked this post to the No Housework Party Link-up. Because I choose disposables as a short-cut for a chore I despise, laundry. What did I do today? I can tell you one thing- I didn't do laundry/washing of diapers!
I am so with you on the not cloth diapering. I don't have the excuse of the community laundry room but I know I couldn't handle it. When my son was potty training with real underwear every time he pooped his pants I threw them away. Couldn't deal with it. Next time around I will probably use more environmentally friendly disposable diapers but they will be disposable!
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up! :)
The laundry is the WORST for me too. The laundry room situation is a real pain, so don't call it laziness. Call it "being water-wise" ;)
ReplyDeletep.s. I'm here from No Housework Day!
I am a cloth diaperer BUT there is no way IN HELL I would do it if I had community laundry! I've lived in a couple places with coin laundry and having our own machine was on the short list of must-haves for the place we are in now.
ReplyDeleteLove the blog - I'm blogging after midnight and drinking a Diet Coke RIGHT NOW! :)
Good point! I want to cloth diaper, but is it just me, or is it SO expensive to get started? I remember those laundry room days (but I was single at the time- I can't imagine doing "family laundry" in the laundry room). Hope you can get one in your home sometime in the near future!
ReplyDeleteWe use disposables for the EXACT same reason. We share ONE washer and ONE dryer with three other families in our building. And the quarters, oh god. It is cheaper for us to buy luvs than wash a load of diapers every day. I think now that DS is going through only a few diapers a day, it might work but since we are so close to potty training (hopefully) it seems silly to invest in a set of cloth diapers. I totally wish it was doable, because I love cloth diapering and respect the hell out of mamas that can swing it but in this season of our life it's just not practical. Thanks for easing my guilt!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad everyone gets my decision!! I worry so much sometimes about getting judged for it but it seems like it makes sense!
ReplyDelete@Janine- our own laundry IS on my must have for the next place. I can't even process doing it this way anymore.
@Becky- From what I've heard, it's kind of expensive in the beginning but worth the investment as you don't have to keep buying disposables. And there are some that grow with your kid too. Yes- I so want my own laundry area!! I covet this!
@Kylie- I'm so glad I'm not the only one. So glad. It's one of those things that I kind of rolled my eyes at before having a baby. Like I just thought it was on my threshold for being a green/crunchy/hippy. But I really think the pros are amazing and would do it if things were different!