Taking a 2nd
Look At Cloth Diapers
By Nancy Dean
If you're a new parent, you've probably heard your grandparents telling you how lucky you are and singing the praises of disposable diapers. Way back then, the only option was cloth diapers, which require a ton of laundry work. See, less than thirty years ago, disposable diapers were considered a luxury. Nowadays, everyone uses cloth diapers and people that use cloth diapers for their babies are considered to be odd. There are several reasons that modern parents might want to use cloth diapers instead of disposables, and, believe it or not, cloth diapers are starting to make a bit of a comeback.
The main reason that a parent may choose to start using cloth diapers instead of the name brand disposables is the cost. Cloth diapers are much cheaper than disposables, even if the parents are paying a diaper service to haul away the used diapers and bring clean ones each week. Disposable diapers can easily cost well over one hundred dollars per month or more, and you'll be paying this expense every month for around two years. Many parents are starting to forgo the convenience of disposables to save this extra money.
There are also environmental issues to consider. Disposable diapers are made out of plastic and a pad of absorbent cotton. Plastic does not biodegrade well at all, which means that our landfills are filled with diapers that are not going away anytime soon. Most people believe that the convenience offered by disposable diapers outweighs this fact. They might not consciously make this choice, but their actions speak for themselves. Environmentalists believe that those who use cloth diapers are taking one small step which goes a long way to protect and preserve the Earth for future generations.
Those whiny parents and grandparents might still have a few bones to pick with today's parents who decide on using cloth diapers, because the today's cloth diapers are much different from those that they were using on their own kids and grandkids several decades ago. They are used to awkward folding and having to use safety pins to fasten the diaper to the baby. Modern cloth diapers are pre-cut and shaped to cover the baby's backside quickly and easily. They also have Velcro fasteners or snaps to make it easier to secure. One other added feature is that many cloth diapers now come with a flushable, biodegradable paper lining hold in solid waste so you can easily flush it down the toilet. So no more stinky diapers sitting around waiting for trash pickup day.
Cloth diapers are currently used by only a very small percentage of parents, but they are still out there and available. Any parent concerned with the cost or environmental impact of disposable diapers should seriously consider going with cloth.
Nancy Dean is a freelance author and mother of three. She contributes to several websites and specializes in articles about children and decorating.
