Whenever I tell someone, usually family, that I'm participating in the flats challenge the first question I get asked is why. Why would you give up your modern cloth diapers and commit to hand washing your flat diapers for a week? Heck, many of them even wonder why I bother with cloth diapers in the first place when I could just put a disposable on my son and throw it away when I'm done. There are a few reasons why I'm doing it.
Because I want to learn. Since I began cloth diapering last summer, I've learned a lot along the way and I really want to be as knowledgeable about all kinds of cloth diapers as possible.
Because I want to help others. I've converted a few friends to cloth this year and I really hope to help others find other ways to diaper their babies. I realize the sticker shock many parents have when begin cloth diapering. I don't want that to scare anyone away. Flat diapers are such a cost effective way to diaper your baby.
Because I like the way things used to be. Call me crazy, but I like the way people lived many years ago. The 1950s sounds heavenly! I love the image of the 1950s housewife. Don't get me wrong, there are so many wonderful things that have changed in the last 60 years, but if I could time travel I would visit the 50s! Hand washing flat diapers just puts a smile on my face imagining a housewife or my grandmother doing it so long ago.
And lastly, because I think it's a useful skill. I think we should always be prepared. What if the washer breaks and we can't afford to get it fixed right away? What if a natural disaster knocks out power for a few days? What if we want to take a family camping trip for a week? Learning to use flat diapers and hand wash them would help me get through all of the above situations.
Come back tonight to see how day 1 turned out!
