Welcome to the “I’m a Natural Parent – BUT…” Carnival
This post was written for inclusion in the carnival hosted by The Artful Mama and Natural Parents Network. During this carnival our participants have focused on the many different forms and shapes Natural Parenting can take in our community.
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*Steps into parenting confessional*
I’m a natural parent BUT…. I have never had the urge, interest or inclination to cloth diaper.
It’s not that it grosses me out – after you’ve had poop explosions on your pillow, who cares about it being in a cloth diaper, right? It’s not the up-front cost, for as we all know, in the end, disposables cost more, especially those chlorine-free, fragrance-free Seventh Generation ones. It’s certainly not that I don’t care about the environment – I do, from recycling to Freecycling to Goodwill donations to composting and gardening and buying local and reducing waste….ETC!
Our decision to not cloth diaper really comes down to not being able to take on one more thing. One more thing to learn, to manage, to wash. One more thing to figure out and think about.
I found the learning curve for being a new parent to be high. I soon found my non-negoiables: Cosleeping, no CIO, baby wearing, making my own baby food, (extended) breastfeeding, eliminating diary, and eventually dealing with the ongoing, tumultuous vaccination ordeal. So I gave myself a break on this one.
I know moms who cloth diaper and swear by how easy, efficient, clean, and environmentally friendly it all is. I’m very grateful it works for them, and that they share their knowledge. I’m also very grateful for the convenience of disposables and that Seventh Generation makes diapers that make me (and my daughter’s bum) feel good about my choice.
My close friend is preparing to cloth diaper her first… I plan on seeing how it goes. And who knows…there’s always number two…
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This carnival was created by The Artful Mama and Natural Parents Network. We recognize that “natural parenting” means different things to different families, and we are dedicated to providing a safe place for all families, regardless of where they are in their parenting journeys.
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:
- My kid is a technophile — Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction hasn’t turned in her natural parenting card yet, even though her son prefers electronic toys
- I’m a Natural Parent, but…I use medicine! — Adrienne at Mommying My Way admits that while she hesitates to do so, sometimes she does give her son some medicine when his symptoms get really bad.
- I’m Only Half Planning a Natural Birth — Shannon at The Artful Mama discloses how she is planning her semi-natural hospital birth and still dares to call herself a Natural Parent.
- Why we aren’t rear facing — Shannon at Pineapples & Artichokes talks about her decision to turn her one-year-old daughter’s carseat around, and how the argument always given for extended rear facing makes her feel.
- Musings of an Almost Crunchy Momma — Valerie at Momma in Progress re-examines her list of natural parenting litmus tests.
- Natural Parenting Does Not Equal Perfect Parenting — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama admits to several not-so-natural parenting and lifestyle practices.
- 10 Reasons to Revoke My Natural Parent Card — Laura at WaldenMommy: Life Behind the Red Front Door discusses why some of her less-than-crunchy practices are better for her family.
- I’m a Natural Parent – BUT… MacNCheese is Awesome. — Jennifer at True Confessions of a Real Mommy reveals her penchant for some far from healthy eating, cheap food recipes.
- Crunchy on the Inside — Wolfmother at Fabulous Mama Chronicles muses about how the stereotype of a natural parent does not do justice to the very dynamic group that this parenting philosophy attracts.
- My Reality — Megan from The Other Baby Book confesses a few things about her parenting.
- I’m Crunchy But… — Christy at Mommy Outnumbered shares confessions on all of her “non” crunchy ways.
- I’m A Natural Parent, But…it took me awhile — It took Kerry at City Kids Homeschooling awhile before fully understanding and appreciating Natural Parenting.
- I Am Not a Perfect Natural Parent — Momma Jorje shares her dirty little secrets as a mostly natural parent.
- Crunchy, But Not Crunchier Than Thou — Instead of comparing yourself to others, Dionna at Code Name: Mama encourages you to give yourself permission to be as crunchy as you can for right now.
- I’m a natural parent but…I love bedtimes — Terri at Child of the Nature Isle would never let her children cry-it-out, but she has a selection of other methods to encourage early bedtimes.
- I’m a Natural Parent – BUT… — Lani at Boobie Time Blog believes that following the principles of Natural Parenting doesn’t mean you fit a stereotypical mold of societal view.
- Confessions of a Low Supply Mom — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children confesses her insecurities about being a low supply mom.
- I’m a natural parent, but. . . — Not eating her placenta is just one of the ways Ashley at Mama Raw falls short at being a natural parent.
- I’m a Natural Parent But…I have a Few Confessions — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment strives to be a Natural Mama, but wait, she has a few confessions!
- I’m a Natural Parent BUT — Carrie at LoveNotesMama confesses her gratitude for disposable diapers.
- Intestinal Dissection — Melissa from White Noise talks about how imperfection can be beautiful when it is buffered with love.
- How much sugar is too much? — Tat at Mum in Search shares how her no-sugar policy evolved into a balancing act, with the balance point not where she’d like to see it.
- I’m a Natural Parent, but. . . — Amyables at Toddler In Tow talks about three of her parenting habits that are not super “natural.”
- Minus Ten Crunchy Points — Joella at Fine and Fair discusses how some of her parenting choices seen as “too crunchy” by those she knows in real life could get her kicked out of the crunchy mom clubs online.
- The Natural Parent “Model” — Kym at Our Crazy Corner of the World talks about her love for not-so-natural cosmetics and beauty products.
- Nice to meet you. — Eileen at Love & Greens talks about how being a natural mama means something different to her every day.
- I’m a natural parent…BUT… — Ashley at Daisy Pedals touches on several natural parenting topics; from cloth diapers to cleaning with natural cleaners.
- I’m a natural parent, but you’d be surprised — Lauren at Hobo Mama confesses to liking diet soda and TV and having lost all her reusable shopping bags.
- I’m a Natural Parent, but…. I don’t shop local — Luschka at Diary of a First Child confesses one of her greatest ‘natural’ failures – she doesn’t shop local and support her community, despite wishing she could.
- Who You Callin’ Natural? (a Carnival of Natural Parenting Contribution) — A bit of premise exposition, some tongue-in-cheek filler, and a photographic list of all the ways Embrita Blogging cheats at being natural.
- Dirty Secrets of a Green & Natural Mama (and Why I’m Not Afraid to Share Them!) — Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama shares her definition of what it means to be a perfect mama as well as a few of her dirty little secrets.
- Green Mommy Guilt — Jen at Jen and Joey Green talks about how being a perfect Green Mom is overrated.
- Life Coping Devices — Amy at Anktangle discusses two (“non-AP”) coping strategies her family has used for getting through difficult times with her son: the pacifier and the stroller.
- We use disposable diapers. There. I said it. — The mama at Our Muddy Boots shares a bed, nurses her 4 year old, is vegetarian, and is committed to homeschooling; but Pampers adorn her child’s bottom. Ugh!
- Committed to Cloth, but… — Sheila at A Living Family affirms her love of cloth diapering, despite the draw of disposables.
- Natural Parenting as a Doorway to Deep Truths — Amy from Peace for Parents guest posts at Natural Parents Network and shares how for her “natural parenting” is much less about a definition and much more an avenue to explore truths of life.
- Chicken No-nos — Jessica at Pace Family Place strives to live naturally but feeds her oldest son some not-so natural things
lovenotesmama 
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Even though I’m a full-time cloth diapering parent, I totally get how overwhelming it can seem! My sister is due in April, and she had a hard time deciding what to do about diapers. She loved so much about the idea of using cloth, but had no interest in all the extra laundry. She and her husband ultimately decided to use a diaper service, so they get many of the benefits of cloth and someone else does the dirty work! Something to consider for number 2 if the whole idea still seems like too much! :)
Sounds like you’re ver comfortable in your parenting skin, and that’s the main idea! I feel the same way about food choices. . . I’m a natural parent in diapering, loving care, non-punitive discipline, breastfeeding, BLW. . . but then when it comes to buying organic or cooking without additives, and eating raw foods, it’s just not worth the hassle for us! :)
*very comfortable. I hate typos!
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You’re so right – there comes a time when we all feel stretched too thin. We have to be able to make decisions that help us conserve energy and harmony!
Thank you for “stepping into the parenting confessional” and sharing with us. I applaud you for knowing where your limits were as a parent and for the steps that you did take in your parenting choices. Like you said “there is always number two” and maybe you’ll be able to tackle cloth once you are not overwhelmed by all the things new parents are tasked with learning.
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Cloth Diapering is not easy. Ive taken baby steps with it and am now finally doing it full time. My hubby hates it though.
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I didn’t use cloth with my first child, for the same reasons. I wanted to try it and then it all got too much and I just didn’t get around to it. I used cloth with my second, though, from when she was about 5 months onward.
What pushed me over to the cloth side was that I was having such a hard time toilet training my son. He wouldn’t go to the toilet, but he wouldn’t let me change his nappies either, and you know how absorbent disposables can be, he’d just happily walk around in the same nappy all day (not something I could possibly allow). So I though, if my daughter gets as addicted to her nappy and it’s cloth, it will leak, so she’ll have to let me change her. :)
I was only going to use cloth at home, but it was a lot easier than I’d expected and it turned into full-time pretty quickly.
Yes, it never occurred to me to seriously consider cloth-diapering until I had my second baby! By then I was ready for my next challenge!
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I love your boldness! I just wrote a post about switching to disposables from cloth and now I feel silly for wrestling with stupid guilt and anxiety and not being more confident in my decision (we had our reasons, after all). You just totally rocked it and did what you knew you needed to do to make your home run smoothly. Seriously awesome.
I like how you narrowed down the things that are not negotiable and you focus on those. Everything else is just… filler. Great post!
xo
Thank you everyone for your thoughtful and validating responses! You all reassured me in some way or another with your understanding! You guys rock!
Exactly! You’re taking on enough challenges, and you have to find what works for you and your family. I cheat on cloth diapers, anyway, by using a diaper service. ;) For me, cloth diapers became more manageable once I was able to narrow down which of the bazillions of varieties and techniques I wanted to go with, but those first steps are daunting!
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