I remember a time several years ago when the revelation came. We were walking through the store, my nine-month old daughter Morgan and I, and I realized how dismal my choices really were. I looked from the two choices on the counter to my precious little girl and decided to go another route. Since that day I have never looked back, and decided to search to find a better alternative.
We were a week away from a Memorial Day reunion for members of my husband’s family, and we wanted to show off our little girl. She would be swimming throughout the day, and I was charged with finding a cute bathing suit for her to sport. Unfortunately, it seemed the manufacturers of disposable swim diapers did not really make the design a priority. The only options seemed to be pink or blue, and my little girl would be one of maybe a million toddlers with the EXACT same diaper. I began my research online, and was really surprised by what I found.
The first thing that I noticed was that because reusable swim diapers were designed to be used over 100 times they had thousands of designs. This meant that our little girl would be unique. We were not under the impression that she would be the only one in the world with this diaper, but not one of a million. I now had a decision to make. I could choose designs from cartoons, movies, sports, and even diapers with her name stitched in the pattern. This was very important to us because my husband and I really wanted to instill our daughter with a sense of individuality. I decided on Summer-themed diapers with scenery and her name stitched in the front. The website now prompted me for design decisions, but there are too many aspects of design to elaborate on now. I would recommend a site that I began with that can help walk you through the beginning stages of the process. They seem to really know everything there is to know about reusable swim diapers for toddlers.
After the party, where the diaper was a huge success, I began doing a bit more reasearch. It excited me to find that often using reusable diapers was actually LESS expensive. It seems counter-intuitive because the reusable swim diapers can cost between $25-$30, but when I did the math I realized how much we were spending on disposables. I crunched some numbers and found that I would be saving money not only for swim diapers, but organic cloth diapers as well!
When I first heard about reusable diapers I thought it would be unsanitary and gross to use the same diaper over and over. I quickly changed my tune once I realized what was really in these disposable diapers. Not only do disposables often have harsh glues in them, but even chemicals that can CAUSE diaper rash! This really made me think, and I decided to slowly give them a try. I found that organic cloth diapers are actually very easy to use. Changing a diaper is a bit gross anyway, and this wasn’t any worse. I used several resources when deciding to make the switch, but before going directly to the diaper sites which will try to sell you on THIER product I have a website for you. It is an excellent place that will really tell you some of the main things to consider while also leading you toward legitimate websites who specialize in organic cloth diapers.
I admit that reusable diapers for swimming and everyday life may not the the best fit for your family. I found that over time I was able to save about $100 monthly making the switch, and that coupled with the added fashion and health concerns made it a no-brainer. I definitely recommend doing a bit of research for what is best for your family, and at least giving it a try.
Comments on this entry are closed.