This year I am participating in the 2nd Annual Flats and Hand-washing Challenge. Flat diapers are a special kind of cloth diaper that can be hand washed easily and dry quickly. In a nutshell, the challenge is to go one week using only flat diapers, fasteners, and covers, without the use of a commercial washer and dryer. So WHY would I give up my wonderful and easy pocket, AIO and AI2 diapers along with the washer and dryer?
To answer that question, I need to go back to when my oldest child was born almost 16 years ago. I was 16 years old, still in high school, and trying very hard to make it on my own. Even with my daughter's dad working full time, it was a struggle to get enough money for food, pay the bills, and buy diapers. I was fortunate to have had access to a non-profit agency that allowed you to earn points by attending parenting classes. You then could turn in those points for disposable diapers. This program helped some with the cost, but we still spent a couple thousand dollars on the diapers we did need to buy. If we would have used flat diapers and a camp washer back then, we could have saved that diaper money for other uses.
I am participating in the challenge this year to show that cloth diapering is possible on a low income. One small investment can diaper the baby until potty-training. In my next post I will list all the supplies that I am using along with the cost of each.
For more information on the challenge, visit Second Annual Flats and Hand-Washing Challenge.
