tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24519117.post1527609474427929009..comments2023-10-21T01:24:34.902+10:00Comments on Fly My Pretty: Cloth nappy reviewStegetroniumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881823966680751798noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24519117.post-58930306074127361792009-04-21T03:28:00.000+10:002009-04-21T03:28:00.000+10:00For those of us ignorant (and from other hemispher...For those of us ignorant (and from other hemispheres): what exactly is bogan?<br /><br />Re: mommy wars, I feel like link-spaming a couple of my posts on the subject here, but fortunately for y'all, I can't copy/paste from an iPhone. To sum up, we need to try to avoid both giving /and/ taking offense, and remember that attacking someone for taking a position or stating an opinion fuels the wars just as much as stating an opinion that makes one feel attacked does. <br /><br />Environmentally and health-wise, anyway, both cloth and paper both fail; it's all about elimination communication, peeps. :pArwynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12906850529651256981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24519117.post-18644774932913833552009-04-19T01:43:00.000+10:002009-04-19T01:43:00.000+10:00Anonymous, when I said that some "Parents are doin...Anonymous, when I said that some "Parents are doing the best they can" I was referring to using cloth or paper nappies. Never would I condone child abuse, or make the excuse that neglecting or abusing your children is "Doing the best a parent can." <br /><br />I realize I was judging Mikhela for, what I consider, being a bit superior about cloth nappy usage. So, yes, we judge all the time. However, I don't think I'm being naive in thinking that there is a Mommy War going on, between people who use cloth or paper, people who breastfeed or bottlefeed, people who stay home with their children, or work full-time, people who feed their children organic food, or conventional. I think this war has its pitfalls. I feel as feminists we should support each other more. If a child is growing up in a warm, loving environment, where he/she is getting nourished physically, mentally and perhaps spiritually, I think that whatever that parent chooses (FROM THE LIST ABOVE) is doing the best they can.E. from Pot o' Goldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09820262560676300958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24519117.post-22037864240995415042009-04-18T21:35:00.000+10:002009-04-18T21:35:00.000+10:00Gosh Mikhela I think some of the comments people h...Gosh Mikhela I think some of the comments people have left sound a tad defensive! I didn't think you sounded 'superior', more like 'enthusiastic'. I have used a combination of cloth and paper nappies with my twins and this has worked well for us. In an ideal world I would use cloth all the time because it is better for the environment as well as less exposure to the advertising that is incorporated into the more commercial brands of disposable nappies. <br /><br />I also wanted to comment on the idea that 'feminists' should not criticise one another or other women. I think this is naive and I know that I do judge other parents for either doing a great job or for what I consider to be a less than great job. I do think that parents who for example hit their children or use shaming language are causing their children harm and I do judge these parents. I'm not saying I would think globally about single events and consider that an incident of coercive and critical parenting meant that person was a 'bad' parent. I would probably judge the incident though. <br /><br />Sometimes the 'best' that people do is not good enough. Before anyone reacts I am talking about the continuum of behaviour that might exist along someone's 'best effort' at parenting. I have worked with enough abused and neglected and just simply hurt children and adults to know that some parents are not doing a good job, some mothers don't need appreciation for doing the best they can they (& their kids) need comprehensive intervention and support. Some parents, for many reasons, do do a bad job at parenting. I think it's important to admit that.<br /><br />Overall though I think that cloth nappies and organic food and attachment parenting are all quality problems and storms in middle class tea cups. So cheers and good on you Mikhela for holding the banner for cloth nappies and for such a great review!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24519117.post-39429657938991909832009-04-18T14:11:00.000+10:002009-04-18T14:11:00.000+10:00There are two things.
1. It's a logic exercise. If...There are two things.<br />1. It's a logic exercise. If I said 'all black dogs have nice natures' I would not be implying that white dogs don't have nice natures, just that I make assumptions about <I>black</I> dogs. In the same way, I make assumptions about cloth nappy wearing. It's a 'marker'. There may be other 'markers' instead of cloth nappies (and only about 2% of parents choose cloth nappies)but this article is about cloth nappies so I highlighted their particular role as a marker of certain values. Not saying that if you don't use cloth nappies you <I>don't</I> have those values, but if I would expect a higher percentage of cloth nappy users to share those values than the mainstream, disposable nappy users. Just my unscientific impression from chatting with cloth nappy choosers.<br /><br />2. You may notice my main reason for using cloth nappies is because they look good. That's not terribly high minded of me! But it keeps me going through the necessary effort. So, as a person entitled to her own sense of aesthetics, I think paper nappies look bogan. There it is. I also prefer rivers to oceans, and think white chocolate is a complete waste of eating time. It's not about you.Mikhelanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24519117.post-1710650114875615322009-04-18T12:22:00.000+10:002009-04-18T12:22:00.000+10:00I'm into organic food, consider myself environ...I'm into organic food, consider myself environmentally aware and politically okay in other ways, and am reasonably well educated & feel like I have some power in the world. And my kids wore disposable nappies every day of their nappy-wearing lives. And I don't consider myself a bogan.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24519117.post-89425334042535754322009-04-18T10:02:00.000+10:002009-04-18T10:02:00.000+10:00Great comments! Whoever thought a post about cloth...Great comments! Whoever thought a post about cloth nappies could be controversial? I think pretty much everything is a social marker for something else, and we all make assumptions about the bearers of certain markers, whether or not they turn out to be true (eg tattoos, mullet haircuts. I saw a comedian who said, 'Just because I've got dreadlocks, people think I give a shit about the envirnoment!' which struck me as funny and true). I'm going to have to do a much longer post about the role of judgmentalism (ie decision making through short cuts), which I think is an important survival tool. If I meet a mother in a playground with a baby in cloth nappies, I'm going to judge that I have more in common with her than with the one who's smoking, drinking a red bull and yelling 'Kaylah! Come here, you little slag!' (I kid you not). We all find our tribes and we all use external markers to do it. What are yours?Mikhelanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24519117.post-18064965249322155842009-04-17T22:12:00.000+10:002009-04-17T22:12:00.000+10:00"It's also a marker for a lot of other parenting t..."It's also a marker for a lot of other parenting traits" - this is interesting because sometimes i think cloth nappies could be a marker to certain other parenting traits like being overly judgemental, not particularly supportive of other parents' decisions and frankly a bit up yourself and superior about things that are really, when it's all said and done, of very small to no actual consequence for the child's well-being. but perhaps i am putting too much symbolism on a very small aspect of parenting one's baby.kristennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24519117.post-1772434255756663322009-04-17T00:59:00.000+10:002009-04-17T00:59:00.000+10:00I liked this post because it was very informative....I liked this post because it was very informative. We also used cloth nappies with Teo. However, I do think you were a bit condescending toward people who use disposables. <br /><br />We did attachment parenting, try to be environmentally conscious etc. Even though you have twins, which I assume is very time-demanding, you are a stay-at-home-mom. If both parents work, it's a bit harder to keep up with cloth nappies. We used a service since we both worked, so they would take the liners every week, and bring us back fresh, clean ones. Also, it's hard to find a daycare that will deal with cloth nappies. Your post came across a bit as if people who use disposables are all uneducated, politically and environmentally unaware, and never use organic food or do attachment parenting. <br /><br />One of the best things about being a feminist is probably appreciating other women, and especially moms, for doing the best they can. The mommy wars and feeling superior about using cloth nappies or breastfeeding exclusively for 12 months or longer must stop if we are going to make this world a better place.E. from Pot o' Goldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09820262560676300958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24519117.post-60278149624262013472009-04-17T00:58:00.000+10:002009-04-17T00:58:00.000+10:00I'm totally gobsmacked. In my day (old mother memo...I'm totally gobsmacked. In my day (old mother memories) there were only two, flannelette or terry towelling with plastic overpants, cheap, or good overpants with soft padding about the legs. I did have nappy liners which looked like Chux wipes and didn't dissolve in nappisan for quite a few uses before being flushed. That was it.<br />I had trouble if I babysat a girl since nappy folding for boys was quite different, almost an artform.<br />And there was nothing like the fresh smell of cloth straight from the line.JahTehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02007730071564639411noreply@blogger.com