One of the most common myths about reusables is that they are hard work and that they are will take up precious hours of the already time poor parent.
One of the biggest myths when it comes to reusable nappies is that parents don't have enough time for them. Time is the most precious commodity we have. It becomes even scarcer when you become a parent. Your hours are not your own and when you do get some minutes, because it is usually minutes and not hours, you don't want to be scrubbing and washing nappies.
Which isn't the case, but that's a blog post for another day.
Using reusable nappies can actually change your life and get you some of that precious time back in the bank. Sounds incredulous I know but stick with me.
Once you make the switch to reusables, you realise how wasting less means gaining a lot more. Money for a start. It is estimated that you can save up to £1500 by making the switch from single-use nappies. You are spending less and wasting less.
We have seen reusable nappies become the catalyst to lifestyle changes. We have parents in our community who have made simple changes to live a zero waste lifestyle. By buying less and consuming more consciously, it means you are being kinder to the planet but for you, it almost always equals more time in the bank.
Steve Jobs famously wore a black jumper, jeans and trainers every day. He didn't want the decision of what to wear every morning. While this is an extreme, there are benefits to a capsule wardrobe. Less laundry, less choice and kinder to the planet. But the best bit is that you gain more time. You can read more about creating a capsule wardrobe for your little ones here.
The same can also apply to toys. A study from the University of Toledo in Ohio suggests “an abundance of toys present reduced quality of toddlers’ play.” Having fewer toys can help little ones play more imaginatively and creatively. It also means less tidying up for you. If you have a lot of toys, rotating them can make a huge difference to the chaos that descends on the living room floor.
Seeing the reduction in nappies going into your bin can lead to you wanting to stop putting other things in the bin. Like wasted food. According to Olio, over a third of all food produced globally goes to waste. Jaw dropping. There are so many ways to reduce your food waste such as menu planning and batch cooking. Which, as you can guess, saves so much time.
So when we post out a nappy, we see that nappy as the beginning or part of the journey of a family to living simply with less and having so much more of everything everybody is searching for.
Time.
It's pretty ironic that one of the main reasons people say they don't use cloth nappies is because they don't have time.
A reusable nappy changes so much more than just bums. It can be life-changing. Is that a bit dramatic? Maybe. But very very true.
Would love your views, how have cloth nappies changed your lives for the better? Share below and maybe your comment will convince a parent to make the switch.