Temptation...need support!

rcultrona · July 2013

Im a FTM but slowly becoming obsessed with CDing. We told my MIL the CD plan yesterday, she made a face (of course) and said if I return my new stash she will by all sposies from birth to PT just like she did for my SIL. My motivation to cloth diapers was 75% environmental and 25% financial. For DH it was probably 10% environmental and 90% financial. This would remove the financial issue and I am scared that as a FTM I will be tired, stressed and easily swayed to throw in the CD towel in favor of free sposies. I feel my resolve waivering. Help!

runningyogimama · July 2013

CDing is really NBD and not that much work...and I only have a 3 month old, so it's not like I'm forgetting what it's like to have a NB, but I've also been doing it for 3 months and would never dream of quitting or not doing it with any future babies. It's an extra load of laundry every 2 or 3 days, you don't have to spray or plop poop until after they start solids, and even if you decide to get pockets, it takes me maybe ten mins to stuff 2 days worth, usually while watching TV before bed.

Personally, if my MIL gave me that sort of challenge, I would be all the more for CDing to prove to her how easy and convenient modern CDs are....

gollywollypog · July 2013

Sorry, I think its really weird that mil would buy 2.5 years worth of diapers.

Was this offer standing before you started thinking about CD?

tmrchi · July 2013

I'd see if she would give that same amount of $ to your LO's college fund instead. Much better use than spent on something sitting in the landfill.

annathyst · July 2013

While that is a very generous offer, I would tell her she could give you half the amount of money she would spend on sposies and that would diaper your child from birth to PT.... and your next child. If she's going to spend the money, why not make it something you want and will be happy with?

rcultrona · July 2013

KLilley:
Sorry, I think its really weird that mil would buy 2.5 years worth of diapers. Was this offer standing before you started thinking about CD?

Yes. This isn't something that she decided to launch on us because he is opposed to cloth it really does come from a good place. She likes to show her support by buying things and one of the things she bought my SIL was diapers because she knew that would be a monthly expense and she wanted to help with the burden of child costs. She has also always made sure each of her 2 kids receive exactly the same amount of support/gifts/$$ from her (no kidding, one christmas she spent more on my SIL so she cut my husband a check for the difference) so since she did it for them she wanted to do it for us.

rcultrona · July 2013

tmrchi:
I'd see if she would give that same amount of $ to your LO's college fund instead. Much better use than spent on something sitting in the landfill.

Right!? Fortunately college savings is well underway but I did joke with DH last night that if it made her feel better she could write us a check for $80 a month (estimated sposie cost)

aboynamedbarry · July 2013

Its not that much work... really I promise. It becomes part of your routine and there will be times you inevitably use sposies for a day or two and are thinking gosh I can't wait to get back in cloth! ; the only way your resolve would really dwindle to the point of quitting would be if you didn't really wanna do it to begin with. You'll be fine I'm sure : why don't you suggest your mil reimburse you for the cloth stash ;

babymama619 · July 2013

tmrchi:
I'd see if she would give that same amount of to your LO's college fund instead. nbsp;Much better use than spent on something sitting in the landfill.

Good idea. I feel your pain though, I might cave too!

rcultrona · July 2013

tmrchi:
I'd see if she would give that same amount of $ to your LO's college fund instead. Much better use than spent on something sitting in the landfill.

Right? My BIL argued that modern sposies are much more biodegradable but that just means they break down in 125 years instead of 1,125 years and that is still too much waste for me.

Haley.Beth · July 2013

rcultrona:
KLilley:
Sorry, I think its really weird that mil would buy 2.5 years worth of diapers. Was this offer standing before you started thinking about CD?

She has also always made sure each of her 2 kids receive exactly the same amount of support/gifts/$$ from her (no kidding, one christmas she spent more on my SIL so she cut my husband a check for the difference) so since she did it for them she wanted to do it for us.

Ask if she would be willing to just provide your cloth stash and supplies? For the cost of sposies for 2 years I could have a HUGE newborn AND one-size stash, as well as every cool gadget and diaper and supply out there. Not to mention cloth training pants! If it's just about the money to her, how is you choosing cloth any different than, say, your SIL choosing Huggies over generic brand diapers?

Also, as a pp mentioned, cloth really isn't that difficult. Once you get into a routine, it's a breeze! Also, I can't stand the feel of sposies anymore...most of my motivation now is, "I wouldn't want that on MY butt all day!"

rcultrona · July 2013

Haley.Beth:
rcultrona:
KLilley:
Sorry, I think its really weird that mil would buy 2.5 years worth of diapers. Was this offer standing before you started thinking about CD?

She has also always made sure each of her 2 kids receive exactly the same amount of support/gifts/$$ from her (no kidding, one christmas she spent more on my SIL so she cut my husband a check for the difference) so since she did it for them she wanted to do it for us.
Ask if she would be willing to just provide your cloth stash and supplies? For the cost of sposies for 2 years I could have a HUGE newborn AND one-size stash, as well as every cool gadget and diaper and supply out there. Not to mention cloth training pants! If it's just about the money to her, how is you choosing cloth any different than, say, your SIL choosing Huggies over generic brand diapers?

My MIL is very hard to explain. She is kind and loving and supportive in her way but she also tends to be closed minded when it comes to anything contrary to what she thinks is the correct (or easiest) way to do something.

tmrchi · July 2013

Are there any diaper services in your area? You could get out of doing laundry if MIL really wants to pay for your diapers monthly.

freezorburn · July 2013

tmrchi:
I'd see if she would give that same amount of $ to your LO's college fund instead. Much better use than spent on something sitting in the landfill.

+1

tjkdlhb · July 2013

freezorburn:
tmrchi:
I'd see if she would give that same amount of $ to your LO's college fund instead. Much better use than spent on something sitting in the landfill.
+1

+2

ABColeslaw · July 2013

Your MIL is not going to be changing your baby all the time. She really should have no opinion and her offering up money like that so you'll do what she wants is awful. It may seem generous, but really dude she is already trying to control your parenting. I would say no on principle

rcultrona · July 2013

ABColeslaw:
Your MIL is not going to be changing your baby all the time. She really should have no opinion and her offering up money like that so you'll do what she wants is awful. It may seem generous, but really dude she is already trying to control your parenting. I would say no on principle

No, no, no. She really isn't. My original post made it sound like she was trying to convince us to not cloth diaper by luring us with free sposies. She honestly believes that we are choosing cloth because diapers are expensive and if that was our roadblock she is happy to remove it. She doesn't understand our environmental motivation because to here the best choice is always the easiest regardless of the footprint it leaves behind. She is not trying to control our parenting and quite honestly if she were I'm way to stubborn to let her

mlebates · July 2013

Personally I don't think it sounds like your MIL is trying to control your parenting decisions. It sounds like she is offering you a very generous gift! For us we are just starting my 14 month old on CD's and I can tell you from experience that sposies smell worse than cloth, your trash can will REEK, and once your kid starts "leaking" from the sposies that is when it is time to go up a size. So you could have just gotten a box of diapers, and all of a sudden you have to go buy a bigger size. For us it was about $40 a month. And my DD is a heavy wetter.

I personally feel like the asking her to pay for diaper services is a fantastic idea!! I wish we lived where we could have that, but we don't. Good luck! And I wish my MIL would have been that awesome!!

OH and as for esthetics... cloth diapers come in the CUTEST fabrics, and can be matched w/ clothes so if you're having a girl, and you have a dress that doesn't have a pant to go w/ it, you can match it w/ a cloth diaper! It's fabulous!!

littleredfish · July 2013

tmrchi:
I'd see if she would give that same amount of $ to your LO's college fund instead. Much better use than spent on something sitting in the landfill.

Seriously. If I had gotten your offer I would have asked if she would wait until I proved to her CDs would be successful and then she could "unburden me" by putting what she would have spent on smelly, plastic, "disposable", sh!t catchers, toward my child's education.

CDs are easy. I CDd from day 2. It would have been day 1, but DH forgot the CD bag on the way out the door to the hospital. Until you start solids, you put them on like regular diapers, take them off, put them in the wetbag, then wash, dry, repeat. After solids add the step of spraying or scraping off poop before putting in the wetbag. You eventually get a routine for washing and stuffing (if you use pockets) that works for you.

It's saved us money, and countless trips to the store. The chemical smell of disposables is revolting compared to a soft, clean CD off the line. The idea of putting so much waste in the landfill that will take so many years to break down is just stomach turning to me. The last thing that bothers me is people who say CDing means you have to "deal with poop". Seriously, babies poop. It's a fact of life. Parents with kids in disposables deal with poop too. What do sposie parents do when their kid has a blowout in their clothes, or on a car seat, or in the high chair, or anywhere for that matter? Are they throwing everything away? No.

Don't let other peoples misguided opinions make your parenting decisions for you. Chances are, the people making faces at your plans to CD either have never CD's in their life, or haven't CD'd since rubber pants were a big deal.

rcultrona · July 2013

littleredfish:
tmrchi:
I'd see if she would give that same amount of $ to your LO's college fund instead. Much better use than spent on something sitting in the landfill.
Chances are, the people making faces at your plans to CD either have never CD's in their life, or haven't CD'd since rubber pants were a big deal.

So funny you said this. When I told my mom we were CD'ing she immediately went to the rubber pants. I have since won her over

MrsAB1316 · July 2013

aboynamedbarry:
Its not that much work... really I promise. It becomes part of your routine and there will be times you inevitably use sposies for a day or two and are thinking gosh I can't wait to get back in cloth! ; the only way your resolve would really dwindle to the point of quitting would be if you didn't really wanna do it to begin with. You'll be fine I'm sure : why don't you suggest your mil reimburse you for the cloth stash ;

THIS! lol...Even DH, who was NOT on board with CDing, gets antsy to get DS back in cloth after a couple of days in sposies.

katiebenes · July 2013

KLilley:
Sorry, I think its really weird that mil would buy 2.5 years worth of diapers. Was this offer standing before you started thinking about CD?

or longer if the kid is stubborn!

katiebenes · July 2013

tmrchi:
I'd see if she would give that same amount of $ to your LO's college fund instead. Much better use than spent on something sitting in the landfill.

this

Temptation...need support!

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