Cloth diapers love them or hate them

When Mike and I had our first child we decided to try using cloth diapers. It lasted a few weeks (and that’s being generous) before deciding that it was not worth it and we went back to the disposable diapers. Now fast forward 2 years and you guessed it we are back to cloth diapers.

When we had the one child it seemed like such a chore to use the cloth diapers but with three little ones it seems so much easier. I also did more research this time around and found out that there is 2 ways to keep your soiled diapers. There is the wet method where you have a diaper pail with water, baking soda and vinegar or the dry method where you simply toss the soiled diapers in a pail close the lid and forget about it. When using the dry method if you do have a poop-filled diaper you do need to either swish the dirty diaper in the toilet of throw it on a rinse cycle in the washer.

I also find that if you put down a paper liner in the diaper most of the poop stays on there and you just toss it into the trash. I prefer the dry method to the wet method. It’s easier to lug the laundry downstairs and I don’t need to worry about the kids getting into the dirty diaper water.

I also chose to use different diapers this time around. With our first born I tried the pre-fold with a cover and found it too time consuming between folding the diapers right and getting the baby to sit still it was more or a challenge then it needed to be. This time around I decided to try all-in-ones and also diapers that need a cover but no folding. I am still navigating the world of cloth diapers and trust me there are more kinds than you could ever possibly need.

If you are considering using cloth diapers then I would suggest 2 things.

1. If you don’t want all the work involved in caring for the diapers then look into a diapering service.
2. Go to a local store that sells diapers and ask if they have a trial package so you can test a variety of cloth diapers( I wish I would have).

The great thing about a trial package is most places let you keep the diapers for 2 weeks you try all types of diapers and covers available and you can choose whether or not cloth diapering is for you. I wish I would have done cloth diapers from the beginning cause it is so much better for my little ones bottoms but in life we live and learn.

Chores With a Child

So today I decided I was going to throw caution to the wind and let my almost three year old help me with my housework. You know my hat goes off to mothers that take the time to include their kids in this but I am not one of those women cut out to redo a chore multiple times.

It started with cleaning of the table after breakfast. I asked my son to put the bowls and cups in the sink. While I was busy changing my 14 month olds diaper I had not realized he put everything in the trash. So out of the trash and into the sink the dishes went. Then it was off to sort some clothes. Oh boy I need to warn you I hate doing laundry every aspect of it in fact whenever possible hubby does it for me. Everything was folded just needed to be sorted and put into the appropriate room. Well we got to sorting it then I closed the door and went back to the chore later on cause every item that was once folded was now unfolded.

We also attempted the clean up game for his toys and then I gave up. So maybe once he’s a little older I can try again or maybe I should start small like helping me clean the windows but I will definitely only let him help me with one task a day till he gets the hang of things. I will remember to have lots of time for the chore and not be in a rush as well as have an extra patch of patience.

So to all you moms and dads out there, it’s an adventure when your child wants to help with housework but it makes then happy and there’s nothing like a smile on their face.

What happened to the good old toys?

I was walking around the stores lately looking at toys to get for my son, when suddenly I stopped halfway down an isle of infant toys and asked myself what happened to the good old toys. Nowadays it seems like everything requires batteries.

I was looking for a teething toy for my son so I stopped a sales associated and asked her to please direct me to teething toys that do not contain water or liquid. When we got to the huge wall of teethers it came down to two options: one of them was a raspberry shaped pacifier and the other was a vibrating star or strawberry. I stood there feeling puzzled. Not even the teethers are free from batteries; apparently some genius decided that the vibrations of a rubber toy soothed a baby. I decided to buy the raspberry (which by the way is an incredible product that doesn’t require batteries).

On another shopping trip we wanted to look at ride-on toys, exersaucers, and those walking toys that children push when they first start to walk. Everything needed batteries! I swear the battery industry is carried by parents who buy toys for their children. You don’t realized how fast you go through the batteries until everything you own requires them.

I wanted to buy my son just a set of wooden block for him to build whatever his imagination would allow him to just like I did when I was little (and my father before me and his father did before him). This simple no batteries required toy was more expensive than any of the other toys in my baskets. When did we stop liking the good old fashion wooden toys that were built to last? Why have we replaced them with cheap plastic and a battery compartment? I hope that every child at least has one good old fashion toy just to remember that you don’t need a song and bells and light to go off on a toy just for you to have endless hours of fun.

When do I give my child Tempra?

It’s the big day: my son is getting circumcised. My mother calls and says “don’t forget your tempra, the baby will need it.” After we get to the doctors office and I ask the doctor how much tempra should I give to the baby before the procedure starts. His answer was, surprisingly, none. Ok, how much do I give him after the procedure? This is when the doctor explains to my husband and I that since our son is only 7 days old he doesn’t have any feelings in that region right now, therefore we don’t need to give him pain medication any unless he show signs of discomfort. We watched the baby very closely for days and he never seemed to be having any pain.

When I went to my pediatrician for baby’s first shots I asked if I should give him some tempra before the needles. The doctor explained that he doesn’t believe in giving children any medication before their shots because we would not be able to tell if he was having a reaction to the shots. If I saw that he was having any reaction (pain or otherwise) I was to come back to the office immediately anyway so there was no point in giving him the tempra. As I sat there watching the nurse getting the needles ready I started second guessing my decision to give him tempra but he was already sleeping and I didn’t want to wake him up.

I watched the nurse give the baby his shots and he didn’t even wake up! He was sleeping so peacefully, oblivious that he had just received 2 needles (one in each leg).

Whether or not you give your child tempra or Advil, Tylenol is something that must always be left to the discretion of the mother and the doctor. One baby at our playgroup receives a dose of tempra before and after his needle; his mother is comfortable with that and he is none the worse for it. My own opinion on the matter is unless the child is sick don’t give them medication. Giving medication to children for every little thing may sometimes provide more comfort to the parents than to the child.

To Nap or Not to Nap With my Child?

In the past year I noticed several articles written in newspapers, magazines and parenting books that urge mothers not to sleep with their babies. I remember the nights Dad worked and mom would gather all three of the kids into her bed and we would all fall asleep. I agree with the article in respect of not sleeping with your newborn because there has been studies that prove there are multiple deaths a year from exhausted new parents rolling onto there baby or crushing them with there arm and enabling the baby to breath.

I think that because of the availability of bassinets and co sleepers there isn’t a need to take the risk of rolling onto your child. But I like many mothers am guilty of falling asleep with the baby. The first time I fell asleep with my son he was about 2 weeks old. I was tired had a hard delivery and just needed to cuddle him it was the afternoon and instead of asking my husband to come and put him in his bassinet I held him while I slept. In my defense, I knew my husband was checking on me every 5 minutes or so, so I didn’t sleep with him long.

The next time I fell asleep with him he was about 2 months old and that is when afternoon naps became my time to cuddle and comfort the baby to sleep. My mother keeps telling me that I should break the habit now because he will get used to napping with me and I will have trouble breaking that pattern, but I think it’s important to stop and enjoy having a baby and cuddling them to sleep even if it is their afternoon nap. Some mothers rock their children to sleep and then put them in their beds but I prefer to put them to sleep in bed and watch them wake up and open their beautiful eyes so I can see the security they feel when they realize you are still there holding and cuddling them.

I am a very deep sleeper to the point of fault: when we lived in an apartment building I would sleep through the fire alarm. Knowing my sleeping pattern, I would never sleep with the baby all night and I would never sleep with him when I was extremely overtired (excepting of course that above-mentioned lapse when my husband was being mindful of us). They grow so fast that you do what you can because when they get old enough they won’t want to be held and cuddled as much.

I think napping comforts me just as much as it comforts the baby. Knowing that he needs me is wonderful and it is important for him to know that every once in a while mommy needs to be cuddled too. I appreciated all the information that the articles provided for me; but, as the old saying goes Mommy knows what’s best for her and her baby.