Parents, how would you feel about your childminder wanting to use cloth nappies?

[katymac]

What sort of issues would you have?

I am thinking about it

I'd buy the nappies and arrange for them to be washed etc

I'd take the child with a disposable nappy - change them into a washable......then put them back into a disposable to go home.

The issues I think parents might have are
Q1) They cause nappy rash
A1) They don't - but I don't know why
Q2) They won't fit under my childs clothes
A2) They probably will but again I have no info
Q3) It will cost more
A3) Well it might - but I'm paying for it - I'd like to ask for a contribution equal to what they'd pay for their disposables (whilst at my house) - but I'm not sure if that's reasonable?
Q4) My childs clothes will get dirty/wet
A4) They won't if I change you child often enough (or will they?)

What else should I consider?

I'm thinking of doing a survey to ask them - what do you think?

have you thought of using Fuzzibunz stuffed with a Cotton Bottoms prefold?

They are slim fitting, fit most children, the outer part can be washed at 60 and the inner could be laundered by the council or by you.

Nappy rash is caused by the mixture of poo and wee creating ammonia- a purely wet nappy never hurt anyone! As long as you change a dirty nappy promptly you won't get any nappy rash. Also, you don't need as much detergent as it states on the bottle/packet- use about half. It will save you money, prevent skin irritation and gets the nappies just as clean.

Hello

Hope that I can help!

First of all if you are having a problem with the rubbish from disp nappies, why do you not give them back to the parents at the end of the day to throw away...........I have a wheelie bin and if it is overflowing (which it was by the end of the week with disp nappies) then the bin men wouldn't take it.........no parents have moaned so far at being given a bay of dirty dusp at the end of the day to chuck!

ALSO

If you use cotton nappies on lots of children you have to abide by certain ruels, for example they HAVE to be washed on a 90 wash and dried on a high heat, use anti bac wash stuff, so would cost you masses to wash!

And not all cotton nappies fit every child, you have to find the right one for the right child.

I use them, and so do four of my parents, I just ask them to supply a 'wet' nappy bag and they go home at the end of the way!

Hi Katymac,
I think you should also consider if you are really prepared to take on this liability. What if a child goes home with a big rash and the parent decides (rightly or wrongly) that it's due to the detergent you used. Now you as a private business providing a service might be liable for that shild's rash. Seems a bit risky to me. I just think you might open yourself up to some liability even though your intent here is admirable.

Also, on the subject of giving parents back the dirty nappies, uh as a parent I would not be impressed. I think if you have to pay extra to have nappies halled away because your bin is too full, then that is a business expense and of course you might have to raise your rates to cover it. But, I definitely wouldn't want to carry home 10 hour old stinky nappies.

Katymac - is this because you have so many kiddies and dirty nappies as you have more children than most childminders? Just want to make sure this is nothing I will need to worry about in the future

I wouldn't want my babies put in cloth nappies. They wouldn't fit under their clothes, I'd be worried about rashes, I wouldn't like the idea of shared nappies, they are bulky and not very comfortable looking, and I doubt they are as absorbant as disposables.
I'd be happy to take my child's dirty nappies away at the end of the day though.

Kelly... My ds uses cloth and has had nappy rash ONCE! they really do not cause nappy rash if you change them regularly, and especially if you use a fleece liner. DS wears cloth overnight and it feels dry to the touch in the morning,
Disposables ALWAYS leak overnight if he wears one. Cloth nappies are just as absorbant, if not more so than disposables!
oh and not uncomfortable at all! nice and soft and fluffy as opposed to papery like disposables!

KM - are your council refusing to take nappies in the rubbish at all? In which case parents will be having the problem themselves at home anyway, and will be more open to the idea of 'real' at yours, won't they? If washed at high temps, I would have been very happy with CM using 'real', when DS was in nappies. I might have supplied his own personal 'outers' though, as they can't be washed so hot, can they?

Can I just add that I LOVE using cloth nappies..........we have NEVER had nappy rash or a leaking nappy, they even cope with DDs upset tummy bug last week.

I really do not like the idea of all those chemicals being next to DDs most delicate bits.

Also, when I give disp backs to parents they are all bagged up in perfumed nappy bags!

I would be ok with my ds using real but not at the moment as he will soon be coming out of them.

I also wouldnt mind being given back the used ones if necessary.

but they are so bulky, it can't be comfortable with a big wad of towelling between their legs. And how do you get jeans and things over them?
Mine don't leak overnight, and thats a total of 14 hours without a change, and they feed durign the night too. I do have problems with poo tho - it always comes over the back, or out the legs.

I too wouldn't want my baby to be put in cloth nappies, and would much rather take used nappies home at the end of the day. They are bulky, and they do leak, they don't tend to fit under the majority of non stretchy bottomed trousers, and would not be happy to buy a whole new wardrobe.

I wouldn't like it at all especially if the nappies were shared amongst the children and not kept separately for each child.

When my sons were in nappies I always used to tip the contents of the dirty ones into the toilet and flush that way I didn't get stinky bins.

Would not mind at all. In fact think it's great. I never thought to ask my CM to do cloth as thought she would be horrified (most people seem to be!). I took dd3 out of cloth and put her into disposables so I could send her to the CM and do my training.
BTW do people really think that a well washed cloth nappy is going to hurt their babies, regardless of how many bottoms it's been on previously.

Thank you for all these views

It is something I am considering

The business rubbish collection is a can of worms I don't want to open - cos it also means business rates, and business prices for elec water & sewage etc

Appreciate all the info and will keep you updated about what happens

No, I wouldn't like it

Is it the quantity of nappies the bin men object to? If so, just by having some of your mindees in cloth may cut it down enough. When you've throught it through more, explain the situation and give a survey to the parents. You'd not be forcing them into it - some may well be perfectly happy and this may be enough to cut down on the rubbish. Offer the "take your dirty disposable nappies home" as another option for them.

I'd have no problem putting the disposibles into my bin though, if it solved your problem.

The fitting under clothes would be the most lasting issue IMO. Otherwise I think many concerns could be addressed through experience, whether or not that means putting each and every child in reusables from a set day. I was told that 60 degrees is the NHS recommended temp. for killing bacteria? so interested in this 90 degree thing.... They really, really don't leak and would only be uncomfy if the clothes didn't allow freedom of movement when worn on top.

I have to put disps on my DD for her mornings at c/minders, despite nominal co-operation from her: she found changing more time consuming (tho prob. partly due to unfamiliarity with system) and she kept putting them in the bin through force of habit!

Very interesting. I run a nursery and we are about to change over to cloth nappies in the baby room. We will be using a laundry service. We have had nothing but positive feedback from the parents on the idea and also from staff who will be the ones using them.

As a mum who uses cloth, I find it really sad to think there are parents that would actually prefer to buy and carry packs of disposible nappies to their childcare than let their child be put into cloth nappies.

Message withdrawn

I am really enjoying this thread and can't believe that some mums are so paranoid about cloth nappies! What do people honestly think a child is going to catch from a shared nappy or outer?? I use prefolds, now only at night as Tilly was dry at 18 months (no pressure from Pampers to keep using you see ), wash them at 60 degrees or 40 with clothes and would quite happily wipe my face with them straight from the washer! My nursery cope well with them apart from some strange folds and we take them on holiday and hand wash them. Clothes have never really been a problem apart from dungarees with poppers.
By the way it would be unlikely that the council could compost nappies, even Moltex due to the Animal By Products Act which means that even tea bags are evil!!! Sorry bit of a whinge there as I work in the composting business!
Go for it Katymac and good luck.

I'd be very happy for my children to wear cloth nappies at a child minder. Am I~ weird to not be concerned about other children wearing them?