Cloth Diapers – The New Gateway Drug

Cloth diapers are the new gateway drug. It’s the best way to describe it. It all starts so innocently with a few cloth diapers and next thing you know you have a beehive in your backyard and are trying to make your own yogurt for breakfast. I see it happening to unsuspecting parents all the time. It’s probably happening to you and you might not even know it yet! Or you’re like me and have wholeheartedly embraced it.

It all starts out so innocently. One day you are just casually going about your day, looking online at cloth diapers, debating if this is the right choice for your family. Then, fast forward a few months and you are scoping out every possible cloth diaper retailer for the best price, joining b/s/t groups online, searching for that new print, building your stash. Yup, that’s right, stash. Spoken like a true addict.

Welcome to the underground world of cloth diaper addicts!

By now I’m sure there are a few spouses out there who are contemplating starting a cloth diaper addicts anonymous program. I have no doubt that my husband would make me go if he could.

Cloth diapers lure people in with the promise of low costs and environmental benefits, while leaving out the part about the ever growing need to collect them all – they don’t call us cloth diaper addicts for no reason. It’s truly addicting.

Not only that, but once you go down this path you are likely to also start using cloth wipes too. Maybe even mama cloth. And this is how it starts. By this point there’s no turning back. It all started out so innocently with a few cloth diapers and now you are venturing into new uncharted territory of reusable snackbags and unpapertowels.

By now you may begin to notice that you are becoming more green and environmentally conscious in other parts of your life as well. This could include things like growing your own vegetable garden, starting a compost, or even getting a chicken coop with a few hens for daily eggs. Maybe you are even trying to get your family to recycle more or catch yourself promoting cloth diapers to your friends. Personally, I have also taken up sewing and have made my own diaper inserts and am now trying my hand at sewing baby clothes.

There are so many additional things you can do to limit your carbon footprint and a lot of times it starts with something as small as trying out cloth diapers. Once you see how addictive it can be, it’s easy to venture onto something that requires a little more patience and practice. Maybe it’s something as simple as starting to use cloth wipes or perhaps it’s something a little more complex like managing a beehive. Either way, a little bit goes a long way, and I can’t think of any better addiction! Plus, who can resist all those cute prints?

How has your cloth diaper addiction lead you on a greener path? I’d love to hear about your experiences.

XOXO