There are lots of schools these days that are happy to do cloth. You just need to find one. Even if they have not had a cloth bum in their care, this doesn’t mean they wont be open to it. In general most carers are aware of the impact disposable nappies have on our environment and are more than willing to try something new.
We have outlined some tips below to help if they appear a bit hesitant in the beginning. Their reluctance is usually only because they have not encountered modern cloth nappies yet and actually just don’t know much about them. That’s all. A little education goes a long way.
Tips:
- Go into the school personally and take your cloth with to show them. Most carers will be pleasantly surprised at how cute modern day cloth is and be even more eager to try once they see that the system is not in fact much different to using disposable nappies. Remind them they will have less single use plastics to throw away.
- Give them an actual demo on baby rather than just trying to get them to imagine what it will be like. Allow them to actually put the nappy on in front of you if they would like a turn (most will be keen give the opportunity). This way they can have you to support them rather than having to figure it out on their own.
- Opt for nappies like our Snappit Pro type initially then perhaps show them flats. These nappies mirror a disposable type and are user friendly. If you are a flats mamma that’s also fine as you can padfold a flat and lay it in the cover with a few boosters so there is no folding. This is what I used to do for my first born actually. Its really dead easy for someone else to do.
- Always pack a wetbag or two. Show the carers how to fold the nappy up in the case of a number two. Make sure they understand they will not need to clean the poop at school. This can be done at home (never send nappies without fleece liners once baby starts solids).
- Always be sure to send an extra nappy or two more than what you think they will need. I used to send about four nappies for a 8 – 2pm day.
- Send your Wipey cloth wipes with, already damp in the smaller compartment of the wetbag. There is no need for them to be using a single use wet wipe if you send your own reusable ones. They will love at how efficient the wipes are compared to the store bought ones.
Share your love of your nappies with the school and they will see your passion. The more parents that show up with cloth nappies, the more open schools and day cares will be. The choice you make for your babys bum is yours and yours alone. You shouldn’t be pushed into using a disposable if that’s not what you want. If there are no day cares or schools in your area that are open to it then you may have no choice however do your best to try and educate them about the savings in terms of their waste. Tons of black bags go out to landfill weekly from playschools.
Be the change!