Getting DAD on board

Often the choice to cloth nappy is made by one parent or guardian and it can be a bit of a struggle to convince the other partner often the dad that cloth nappying is the way to go.

This is usually because they have some difficulty or concern about cloth nappying. So talk to them and find out what the issue is and try to explain how to overcome it.

Try the benefits first!

Cost, this can be a major factor in getting your other half on board. Using cloth nappies is extremely cost effective. A packet of disposable nappies can on average cost £13 a week not to mention the wipes which all adds up. Yes initially cloth nappies can seem a lot but it is an investment. If you buy the recommended kit if 20 nappies for roughly £250 you could potentially save up to and between £1000-1500 over the period of time your child is in nappies. And don't forget that cloth nappies can be used for more than one child which will only make your savings go up!

Health. Have you ever thought about what disposable nappies are made from? The materials used to make disposable nappies are all harmful the environment and all contain chemicals that can be too harsh next to your baby’s sensitive bum. In order to make a disposable nappy white it must be bleached which can leave residue on the nappy and the absorbent materials used could be causing nappy rash. Cloth Nappies on the other hand do not contain any chemicals, yes in production some will have been used but they are extensively washed before they are used by you at home, many are made from organic materials which are nothing but natural for sensitive skin and are super absorbent.

Environment. The materials used in disposable nappies are by no means biodegradable even if certain aspects of them claim to be. It can take several centuries for a nappy to degrade and with nappies making up to 50% of household waste that is a lot of nappies left in landfills that do not need to be there. 20 cloth nappies are all you need over your child’s life in nappies if washing often which is a huge help to cutting this problem. A child could go through as many as 10 nappies a day over in many cases 2-3 years (the number used daily will decrease a day as the baby matures but they will still use quite a lot).

Fashion. OK many of us may not think that dads are overly fashion conscious but the cute factor can be a swaying point with their matching cloth bums and outfits or even in some cases embroidered football logos. A dad came into our shop only today unconvinced of cloth nappies untill he seen the artist series.

Now that you have successfully convinced your other half of the HUGE benefits of cloth nappying you need to answer their concerns.

Pins and folding. Yes, as soon as you mention cloth nappies to anyone the first thought that comes to mind is that of origami folding and pins which can be enough to scare everyone off! But simply teach your other half about the modern approach to cloth nappies and the fantastic new nappies that are lets say "daddy proof" take the bumGenius V.4 nappy for instance which is as simple to put on and take off as a disposable. This should definitely put that concern to bed.

Poo and all things associated with poo. Poo is a fact of life when you have a baby and a fact that you very quickly have to become accustomed to. Having to dunk and scrap the poo of cloth nappies is a major concern especially for those of us with weak stomachs. It is a smelly job but it can be made a lot easier these days with the use of a nappy sprayer that can be attached to the toilet and simply hoses that poo down the loo for you. Or, you can use liners which are great, the disposable ones can simply be flushed away, poo and all.

Washing. Laundry will increase when you have a baby and when you choose cloth nappies the amount of loads will increase slightly more, the more you have the less you often you need wash. If this doesn't work offer to take over washing duty completely yourself this should definitely work.

Many cannot believe that cloth nappies won't smell but not only will they not smell if washed right but they will smell better than a disposable! This is because a when your baby has a wee the urine combined with the chemicals used to make it more absorbent making it stinky! No such reaction for a cloth bum, but not only that your bin will wreak after a week’s wait for bin collection whereas cloth nappies are washed on average 2-3 times a week keeping the whole house smelling fresher.

Good luck everybody hope this helps!