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Eco-Friendly Family
Uh-oh: My DH's family thinks I'm nuts! - sorry, long!
Sorry - apparently it's late so I can no longer type correctly - I fixed the title!!!
So... since I've been on bedrest I've had a lot of time to make things and see where we can save money. We are going to cloth diaper, use cloth wipes, we use reusable unpaper towels, I use mama cloth, and will begin using family cloth (just for the girls) once my serger arrives (on Saturday YAY!). Of course - they only know about the cloth diapers and unpaper towels - and I'd die if they found out the rest....
But these are NOT crunchy folks - AT ALL! I made my MIL a gift basket with unpaper towels I made among other reusable things, wool dryer balls, and laundry detergent (EFF friendly, of course!) - but my SILs are totally about convenience over cost as far as I can tell.... and since I've been selling some homemade eco-friendly things to friends, they've seen the pics on facebook - and the cat is out of the bag!!
The good thing is my husband is totally on board (and enjoys picking out fabrics - he was debating between the hydrangeas or the purple patchwork butterflies today :P ), so that makes it easier.... but I'm nervous for when they stay at our house when the baby arrives!! (Of course I'll keep all the mama cloth and family cloth hidden - but $5 says my stepdaughter shows it to them (she's proud of all the things I've made, lol). It didn't help my husband's brother posted on one of the pictures of stuff I had for sale that "a little piece of DH's manhood is included with each purchase" - luckily DH laughed that one off!! Also - my nephew (he's 17) commented on my photo album "you're not one of those save the environment people, are you?" - gah - I could have died - I think he thinks I'm a hippie now!
What would you say to your family (these are touchy people that tend to take things the wrong way, by the way - and I think they thought I was a little wacko BEFORE all of this ecofriendly stuff came about!)????
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Re: Uh-oh: My DH's family thinks I'm nuts! - sorry, long!
Your husband loves you and he is the one that counts. Maybe he felt like the odd man out all these years and now he has a partner in crime, haha, to lean on.
None of their business!
Since you need to keep the peace with these people, minimize the "weirdness" and make it about saving money or personal comfort if you have to defend it.
Mama cloth is a zillion times more comfy than paper/plastic pads, family cloth is softer and more plush (and you can use the excuse of healing from birth if you must), just say some of your mom friends do these things and you felt like trying it out! It is true!
This! I always just calmly explain my reasoning and if people think I'm nuts, I honestly don't care because I know I'm doing what I feel is best for my family and our earth.
Big E (6) & Little E (2.5)
Yup. If anything you could talk about how having a baby has made you realize that you want this planet to still be in good shape when your LO grows up. Hard to argue with that!
This is us exactly. I know both my own family & DH's family thinks we're nuts & that I've totally ruined DH! ;0
Rated "L" For Life Blog
My inlaws have a nice, wide hippie streak, so I have lucked out there. If anything my DH is less crunchy than they are...I just kind of go on doing things the way I have always done them and he catches on eventually.
With other family members, I just pitch it as "I am cheap", which, in this economy, is an easy answer.