Cloth vs. Disposable: Where the debate has no place.

Invariably, when there is a news article about the desperate need for disposable diapers and adult sanitary items there are a significant number of comments about how if the potential recipients of the diapers would just work harder,

“Isn’t it enough that I subsidize their children by paying more in income tax, as well as paying property taxes to attempt to educate the fruit of their groins?”

…predict economic downfalls ahead of having a child,

“Irresponsible people make a conscious choice to have children they can’t afford.”

or from more charitable sorts, the use cloth diapers

“Why not give these less fortunate families with babies cloth diapering kits?”

I’m not sure there is much to be said to commentors who do not sympathize with those in such a situation. The first comments appear to lack the basic adult human capability of sympathy. They have not the capacity to imagine themselves rendered incontinent by a health issue, or that employment may not always be plentiful. However, the latter group who suggest cloth are not lost causes, on the contrary they’re on track and I write with this group in mind.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m all for cloth diapering if you can, even in the desert. We cloth diapered Bean for two years and if we’re able to adopt I’d do it again (with the same diapers). Even in the desert I think that cloth can be the best environmental choice and certainly a fabulous fiscal choice dependent on your laundering practices but, and this is a big BUT, that is dependent upon great, stable access to laundry facilities, which means having a stable and well equipped home, as well as daycare facilities and a pediatrician that were willing to work with you and your special snowflake’s delicate skin (after all cloth diapers require special medical permission to be used in accredited and/or state inspected facilities in Arizona.)

If you’re struggling to find a place to sleep at night  you probably do not have easy or cheap access to regular laundry facilities, you probably don’t have access to the same doctor’s practice and may not be able to afford the copay each time you have to ask for a request and any daycare facility may well tell you to take a running jump if you if you ask about cloth diapers. So, while I advocate for the use of cloth diapers, the reality is that those parents who need the services of diaper banks, and those adults who have some infirmity that leaves them incontinent, are not in a position to use cloth diapers and we as a community must meet them where they are and not debate this issue here, just help a mother, a brother, a child, a parent, a grandparent out.

I’m proud to be part of a group called Help A Mother Out that is supporting diaper banks and shelters in our nation using social media.

Please check out the website: http://helpamotherout.org, share it on Twitter or on your blog, find out about what your local resources are share those. Come back and share in the comments below or the earlier announcement by April 10th and I’ll enter you into a book giveaway competition.

*We didn’t tumble dry, kept the dirty diapers in a dry pail,  saved diapers up until we had a full load, used cooler water,  and scraped the poop into the toilet etc. etc.

This is part of the SteadyMom.com 30 minute Blog Challenge