Sybil asked me what the hand-washing part of the Flats and Handwashing Challenge is for.
We're handwashing the dipes because if a person can't afford to change their child frequently, they probably don't have access to a washer and dryer. The way it was put in the original challenge wording was, "Would you carry a huge bag of dirty diapers to the laundromat? Probably not." So we are to be taking on everything that would be expected of the person we might later train in this.
I ran around the house today and found 7 recieving blankets from when the kids were little. I will put those into the rotation with the flats and I'll be using my cloth wipes, as well. Afterall, those bad boys are almost 3.00/container and last about a week. Bring that down to a couple of days if you have a child who likes to rip them out of the box and throw them about like mine. The point is, it can be expensive for someone not knowing where their next meal is coming from.
I praised God yesterday for never having to count the hours of diaper usage we had. I want to let you all know that we had it pretty rough when we lived in WA. I sold GraceAnne's clothes just to be able to afford new ones. Everything she had that wasn't given to her by someone else (and even most of that) was used. If I hadn't nursed her, I don't think we could have fed her. Since Allan was recieving a pension (albeit a tiny one that only paid our rent) we somehow didn't qualify for WIC, although we qualified for food stamps, medicaid and even financial assistance. Allan's mom is about the only reason we even survived for nearly a year. I remember counting change to pay for diapers, but I never left her in one for an extended period.
Despite that, I know there are people out there who have things way worse than what we could ever have imagined. I also know that some people don't even realize the harm they are doing to their children, so my hope is that we can empower some mommies with the knowledge and experience we gain next week.
Oh, and just because EVERYONE should know how to make a camp-style bucket washer...check THIS out!
I promise, I'll get back to blogging about fun things soon. God has been so good to us, and there are some neat things going on here. Love to you all!
1 comment:
I am so excited for your challenge. It really makes you think. I know that we have never worried about how long to keep them in a diaper, though it is frustrating when you put them in a new diaper and they immediately poop...but anyway. Good luck!
Do you think that if you really do like flats and handwashing if I could borrow your other cloth diapers. I really want to try Cloth diapering. I would pay to "rent" them from you.
Post a Comment