do you consider cloth diapering a hobby?

[calandal'smom]

Recently I have noticed a trend among cloth diaperers to constantly seek out new and different dipes, usually resulting in some sort of collection. They are usually proud of this monstrous waste of money...uh, I mean, stash, and willing to extole the virtues of different washing methods. All these ppl swear by using less detergent and avoiding dreft bc it has fabric softener in it (wrong.)

Also, the decorative diaper trend.

I find this all mind boggling. For me, cloth diapers serve one purpose only. They solve a real problem of everyday life. I tried a few things, found what worked and stopped collecting diapers.

i would never consider spening more than necessary on diapers bc they are cute.

I would also never consider sewing diapers so they could be cute.

Is this a hobby? Or a way you solve a problem so you can do fun stuff with your kids?

[MomInCalifornia]

We cloth diaper first because of the health benefits. We are not comfortable using DD on Abby because of the potential risks involved with them.

We CD second because of the enviornmental benefit.

While the first 2 are our primary reason, the cuteness is an added benefit!

I I don't spend what we consider an insane ammount of money, but I do enjoy quality and cute diapers for Abby. I buy quality itmes for myself, so I would do no less for my daughter!

Sarah

[liam's mom]

They are usually proud of this monstrous waste of money

: It's really not a waste of money to me. Even if I were to splurge on really expensive diapers, I'd still most likely be saving money over sposies. And since I don't have the most $$$ dipes money can buy, I've saved quite a bit.

To answer your question, I suppose it is somewhat of a hobby. I enjoy looking at sites with pretty dipes, I enjoy supporting WAHMs, I enjoy putting ds's bum in a cute, comfortable diaper.

avoiding dreft bc it has fabric softener in it (wrong.)

There was recently a post about this in which one of the mamas here was in contact with someone from Dreft, and the rumor that you cannot use it on cloth was disspelled.

i would never consider spening more than necessary on diapers bc they are cute.

Depends on what one would consider necessary, IMO.

I would also never consider sewing diapers so they could be cute.

Why not? Sewing is definitely a hobby for many, an outlet, a way to relax.

Or a way you solve a problem so you can do fun stuff with your kids?

I'm not sure I understand this question.

[Elphaba]

why shouldn't i purchase diapers that are cute? if it brings joy into my life, who are you to judge me and say it's a waste?
if i were to make a snap judgment about you right now, it wouldn't be kind, but i'm going to wait and see how your personality on these boards evolves.
people have different approaches to every facet of parenting. just because we don't understand someone else's motivation doesn't make it less valid.
no one here has to justify what they've spent on what diapers. we're all bound together by our commitment to use cloth diapers over chemical ones, but everyone has a different approach.

i'm wondering if you wear the same clothes every day, and if they are merely utilitarian or if some of them are GASP! attractive? do you shave your head? because otherwise you are just trying to flatter yourself with a hairstyle and that's a waste of time and money. do you not have books or art in your home? because those are clearly another waste of money, as they are not strictly utilitarian.
do you get my point? your definition of waste is not mine, so don't presume to know anyone else's thought process or situation.

[stacey0402]

My sentiments exactly!

Thanks Elphaba!

[Muggins&Doody]

Re: do you consider cloth diapering a hobby?

Originally posted by calandal'smom
Recently I have noticed a trend among cloth diaperers to constantly seek out new and different dipes, usually resulting in some sort of collection. They are usually proud of this monstrous waste of money...uh, I mean, stash, and willing to extole the virtues of different washing methods. All these ppl swear by using less detergent and avoiding dreft bc it has fabric softener in it (wrong.)

So this a "recent" trend? I thought it started in about 1998 or earlier, when some WAHMs started. So any hobby could be considered a "monstrous waste of money" then, right? For example, I use stamps in daily life, but I don't collect them. But I don't go on stamp collectors BBs and accuse them of wasting money on their hobby.

So, yes, I do considering cloth diapering a hobby, and at least it's a useful way to "waste" my money.

[campingmumma]

I like cute diapers. They make me happy. Someday my kids will all be in underpants and my collection will be no more. I don't think buying disney character underpants will be as much fun for me - but my kids will sure enjoy.


Wishing everyone a happy fluffy day

[MissSugarKane]

Um , I would call it more of an obsession the a hobby for me. :LOL And I don't consider it a waste of money because the cute diapers can be resold and you can't do that with sposies.

Your post did come off sounding very harsh but maybe it just sounds that way because it is typed and we don't know your tone.

[RunnerDuck]

I rambled, tried to delete, and can't.


Would you mind sharing what it is that you have found works for you? Kinds of dipes, washing methods...

I think this IS a hobby for a lot of people, but what's the harm? It's legal, no one gets hurt...

[pb_and_j]

I'm pretty sure the whole point of your post was to rile us all up, so I will simply just say that yes, cloth diapering is a hobby to me.

[MamaMonica]

I thik its the same as people enjoying fun clothes- its natural to want to enjoy beautiful things. It's uplifting. And why not? It supports WAHMs not big corporations. It's environmentally sound and you can resell the dipes. They get used and reused as long as there is use in them.

I don't see this as harmful in any way. I found that I really enjoy a simple system but LOVE having colorful covers. Some people love print diapers. We're all different. Some people like beige socks and conservative clothes, some people go for stripes or colors. There's nothing wrong with enjoying your diapers.

I used ME OS and prefolds for about 4 years and these are worn thin and well-loved. I had some Bumkins and Kushies as well along the way.

Now I've got lots of WAHM stuff, but use mostly prefolds. I say, yes, diapering can be a hobby. Hey, what's wrong with that?? What's the point in criticizing anyone's hobby if it isn't harming anything.

[Twinmommy1120]

Hi
im very very new to cd and new to mdc so i might not know protocol etc, so if i offendi am soo sorry..

anyway.. i am not an "earthy" person generally..i do breastfeed my twins, i did co sleep for 6 mos, i do believe in baby wearing but i didnt cd..for me it was the last step of a parenting style that made sense to me, but frankly i was too lazy to do it.

then my friend (thanks you know who youare!) sent me pictures of her new cd's..she had just started too when her dd was about 8 mos old..and i was in love! i love fashion and embroidery (i deal with this at my real job anyway ) and had no idea cd's could be so adorable..that really helped make a leap into cd's myself.

i mean i didnt decide to cd b/c they were so cute, but if i could do something i felt was healthier for my babies, better for the environment AND get some personal satisfaction out of buying new diapers then hey!! whats not to love!!

for me its the "cute" factor that makes it fun and keeps me motivated to continue..i dont know how psyched id be everyday just puttingon white cpfs..im busy enough with twins, i need all the excitement i can get! lol

but its not to say there is anything wrong with the plain dipes..but for me, seeing how cool some of them were and helping out other wahm's clinched it! and i think and believe cd;ing is better for the world (from a macroeconomic scale..) why not have some fun while we are at it.


to each his own my friend...dont be jealous that some people choose to spend their hard earned money oncuter diapers than you do. we all make choices.


sam

[tuffykenwell]

I like having cute diapers, I also like having what you would call "utilitarian diapers"...save those for outings and nighttime LOL.

My true obsession is in sewing diapers. I love picking out colours, inners, outers, and soakers. I love putting it together and seeing something adorable that didn't exist before I started creating it. And honestly I like that I can start and end a project (diaper) and be done it the same night (I am a bit of an immediate gratification girl LOL).

My main motivation is that I want to teach my son that it is NOT okay to throw "monstrous" amounts of garbage into landfills. I want to teach him that it is important to take care of the earth and that it is a sacred resposibility. My main motivation was not to save money -- though I have and that's kind of a bonus

I think the problem is that you are assuming that everyone uses cloth diapers for the same reason...to save $$$$ and that just isn't true. And honestly I don't consider it a monstrous waste of money to purchase products from a mom who is working at home to spend more time with her children.

Steph

[WithHannahsHeart]

Shooooweeee mama, somebody has peed in your cornflakes this morning! Why on earth would you be so very hostile about such an innocent and relatively healthy enjoyment? Are you jealous because you yourself cannot build up a stash of beautiful and unique things? Whatever your problem is, and I am truly sorry if you are having a bad day, please don't take it out on us. We haven't done anything to you.

[MissSugarKane]

Just rereading the original OP and I don't get this:

All these ppl swear by using less detergent

I am confused what that has to do with collecting cute diapers. Please reply and explain yourself.

[mommy2boys]

Re: do you consider cloth diapering a hobby?

Originally posted by calandal'smom

i would never consider spening more than necessary on diapers bc they are cute.

I would also never consider sewing diapers so they could be cute.

Is this a hobby? Or a way you solve a problem so you can do fun stuff with your kids?

To answer your questions, yes it is very much a hobby. It's something I love and know I am doing something good for my child and the enviroment. When I cloth diapered my older child he loved picking out his diaper, it was fun for him. I love picking out cute diapers for my younger son, it makes what is normally considered something yucky and unpleasant a lot more enjoyable for us.

I'm sorry you never would consider sewing diapers to be cute. I sewing, it is what I do when I can't face the world anymore, and sewing cute diapers just makes it all better.

We all have our things that we love, this group of people here love cloth diapers and how cute they are. Who are you to come in here and question and attack us? Maybe spend some time here and get to know us before you judge us. And check out some of the cute diapers yourself, you may actually fall in love with some.

[kasumi]

Sure it's a hobby! I've been putting up to 30 diapers a day on two kids and trust me, I needed some cute stuff to liven up our days of endless changes. In addition to my other hobby, which is saving the planet, it's fun to try out the latest and greatest fabrics and designs that fellow moms have dreamed up. And when I'm finished our diapering days, I can sell off my 'stash' so another mom can enjoy those same dipes that made me smile and kept my kid's little bums dry and soft.

PS watch out! It's addictive! Stick around and you'll be drawn into the hyena thrills too!

[kasumi]

PS I forgot to explain my own reason for using less detergent: Way back eons ago when I was a poor struggling college student, I discovered that by gradually reducing the amount of detergent I used to wash a load that the clothes were still getting clean. And I could make a bottle of Tide go twice as far. I then realized that the detergent companies want consumers to use more of that stuff so we'll have to buy more and more and more....so it was a given when I grew up and had kids that all the clothes, including diapers, would be washed with less than half a measure.

[Trishy]

I know this thread may upset a few of you and I would just like to ask that replies continue to be made in a respectful manner, as most of you have done to this point.

[Marco Esquandolas]

Ok, mamas, now ...seriously, let's all relax a bit. Everyone has their own reasons for cd'ing and this place is the last place we should feel we need to justify why we do what we do. This is a support group of sorts. We ask q's, get answers, get help, so that we can cloth diaper effectively.

Affordability is not high on everyone's priority list. Now then, the OP has been a member of MDC for a while but with few posts, so maybe the OP is not good with posting things like as in knowing how the wording will come off. Maybe the OP was strong in language. Maybe the PP's were a bit defensive in their replies...............maybe I shouldn't even bother to post, but I can see both sides of this one.

I think if you can and want to buy a diaper or cover that costs over $25-$50, then more power to you. I also KNOW that a $2 diaper will work just as well, as will an $8 cover. I know that a little detergent goes a long way. I know that some detergents have not damaged my fabrics, as touted that they would and that some fabrics come on the bolts, rolls, etc with flaws and holes already on/in them. I know some of this from personal experience and some from chatting with cd'ing mamas who already figured it out and passed that info along to me.

Diapers are pee/poo catches, the end. If the mundane task of diapering can be made more fun b/c of cute prints, then cool, all the better, imo. To me, cd'ing isn't a hobby, it is a way to keep pee/poo off my carpet! :LOL