Developmental Toy Suggestions from Birth to Age 12! (Guest Post)

             Hey folks! I have an excellent guest post to share with you today! If you're like me, while you let your kids have "just for fun" toys as well, you try to focus on getting them items that will be both fun AND developmentally helpful and educational. Rajalakshmi from One Stop Destination blog has an extensive list of great toys to choose from for all ages!

I was clearing the children's toy cupboard yesterday evening. It was like going down the memory lane. Most of the toys had been bought since the time my elder child was born (she is now about to turn eight!). And yes, these are coming in handy for my younger one as well (though further additions have definitely been made!).

That's when I realized toys have had a big role to play in enhancing developments in my children. I had learned as a student of Psychology that play is one of the finest approach with regards to assured development in children. But sometimes, parents do end up either giving too little toys or going overboard. 

So, here are my general guidelines, that I keep in mind, while buying age specific toys for my kids. I have included the general abilities you can notice in that particular age as well as their appropriate toys. Of course, it goes without saying that you need not buy all specified toys. You can choose according to your budget and most important, your child's likes and dislikes.
BIRTH TO 6 MONTHS

Abilities
1. Visual focus develops and infant follows objects with eyes.
2. Learns to turn to see where sounds come from.
3. Tries to grasp objects.
4. Discovers feet by bringing feet to mouth.
5. Begins to sit with support.
6. Rolls, rocks and loves to be bounced.
7. Begins to recognize familiar people and objects.
8. Imitates simple movements.
9. Begins to smile at faces.
10. Listens to voices and may imitate sounds.

Appropriate Toys
1. Hanging toys or mobiles
2. Soft Blocks
3. Simple Rattles
4. Light Cloth toys that can be squeezed.
5. Plastic disks, keys on ring
6. Gym Mat
7. Interlocking Plastic rings
8. Clutch balls
9. Texture balls
10. Squeeze balls
11. Soft dolls, rag dolls
12. Soft stuffed toys animals
13. Grab-on soft toys
14. Musical box 
15. Soft hand held puppets
16. Adult operated music and songs
17. Story-telling or reading out story books by adults.

7 MONTHS TO 12 MONTHS

Abilities
1. Begins to sit alone.
2. Begins to creep and crawl.
3. Begins to pull, walk holding furniture and walk alone.
4. Interested in moving about.
5. Develops thumb-finger grasp and begins to hold things with one hand.
6. Wants to bang, insert, poke, twist, squeeze, drop, shake, bite, throw, open/ shut, push/ pull, empty/ fill and drag along objects.
7. Enjoys bath play- kicking and splashing.
8. Interested in appearing and disappearing people.
9. Begins interest in picture books.
10. May fear strangers.
11. Babbles and plays with sounds.

Appropriate Toys
1. Push and Pull toys
2. Soft blocks
3. Rubber Blocks
4. Rounded wooden blocks
5. Brightly coloured 2-3 pieces puzzle
6. Light sturdy cloth toys
7. Squeeze squeak toys
8. Activity boxes and cubes
9. Pop up boxes
10. Containers with objects to fill and empty
11. Transparent balls
12. Chime balls
13. Action balls
14. Stacking rings
15. Nesting cups
16. Floating toys 
17. Activity boxes for bath
18. Soft baby dolls
19. Rag dolls
20. Small stuffed animals
21. Big soft toys for hugging
22. Grabbing soft toys
23. Soft hand puppets
24. Push cars
25. Rubber or wooden blocks that rattle or tinkle
26. Music boxes
27. Adult operated music and songs
28. Cloth and plastic books
29. Gym mat
30. Cardboard or board books
1 YEAR OLD TODDLER

Abilities
1. Likes to dump, push, pull, pile, knock down, empty and fill.
2. Likes to climb.
3. Tries to kick and catch a large ball.
4. Tries to string large beads, turn knobs, use screw motion.
5. Makes simple block structures, does simple puzzles.
6. Tries to group/ match similar objects.
7. Identifies pictures in book.
8. Enjoys water play, sand play.
9. Makes marks on paper.
10. Imitates adult tasks.
11. Likes being read to, looking at picture books, nursery rhymes.

Appropriate Toys
1. Push toys with large handles
2. Simple sturdy toys to push on floor
3. Special noise and effect
4. Doll’s carriage or wagons
5. Small rocking horse
6. Ride on toys with no pedals, make noise and have storage bins
7. Small light weight stacking blocks
8. Large hollow building blocks
9. Simple puzzles
10. Peg boards
11. Activity boxes
12. Pop-up toys
13. Nesting cups
14. Stacking toys
15. Shape sorters
16. Tunnels for crawling
17. Swings
18. Large balls
19. Small balls with visual effects and noises
20. Fit-together toys
21. Activity boxes with more complex mechanism
22. Pounding/ Hammering toys
23. Nesting toys
24. Stacking toys
25. Matching toys
26. Simple number/ counting boards with large pegs
27. Jack-in-the-box toys
28. Toys with screwing action
29. Large coloured beads (lesser than 10)
30. Large cubes or board
31. Simple floating toys
32. Sponges, plastic shovel and pail
33. Small sandbox tools
34. Soft bodied or rubber dolls
35. Simple dolls with movable parts
36. Simple accessories for caretaking like bottle, blanket, doll’s clothes
37. Soft stuffed toys
38. Soft hand puppets
39. Toy telephone
40. Simple housekeeping toys
41. Simple Doll equipment
42. Enclosed bells rattles
43. Cymbals, drums, xylophones
44. Large jumbo crayons
45. Large thick paper
46. Simple dress up hats, scarves, shoes, jewellery
47. Child size tables, chairs
48. Push/ pull carts and trains
49. Adult operated music and songs
50. Sturdy cloth, plastic, board books with few pages
51. Picture books, nursery rhyme stories
52. Touch and feel books
2 YEARS OLD

Abilities
1. Skilled at most simple large muscle skills.
2. Like jumping from heights, hanging, rolling, galloping, somersaults, rough-and-tumble play.
3. Throws and retrieves all kinds of objects.
4. Pushes self on wheeled objects.
5. Good hand-finger coordination.
6. Interested in attributes of objects.
7. Can match a group of similar objects.
8. Starts counting skills.
9. Develops creative skills.
10. Begins problem solving.
11. Imaginative play begins.
12. Uses language to express.
13. Enjoys stories and books.
14. Likes to be independent.

Appropriate Toys
1. Push pull toys with strings
2. Small wagon, doll’s carriage, wheel barrow
3. Realistic looking ride-on
4. Small tricycle
5. Tunnels
6. Climbing structures
7. Solid, wooden blocks
8. Large hollow plastic blocks
9. Plastic interlocking rings
10. Plastic nuts and bolts
11. Fit in puzzles
12. Puzzles with knobs
13. Peg boards with pegs
14. Colour cubes
15. Magnetic boards with shapes, animals, people
16. Colour forms
17. Nesting toys
18. Balls of all sizes
19. Number/ counting boards
20. Shape sorters
21. Pounding/ Hammering toys
22. Smelling jars
23. Feel bag or boxes
24. Colour/ picture dominoes
25. Simple lotto matching games
26. Large coloured beads
27. Lacing set
28. Dressing dolls
29. Frames and cubes for lacing, buttoning, snapping, hooking
30. Bath tub activity toys
31. Nesting tub toys
32. Small boats
33. Sprinklers
34. Small and large sandbox tools
35. Soft-bodied and rubber baby dolls
36. Dolls to fit in child’s hands
37. Talking dolls
38. Dolls with movable body parts
39. Caretaking accessories
40. Soft stuffed toys
41. Mother and baby combination
42. Toys with music box
43. Small hand puppets
44. Hand held puppets
45. Bells, rattles, cymbals, drums, triangle, xylophones
46. Large crayons
47. Non-toxic finger paints
48. Brushes with blunt ends
49. Clay
50. Sturdy markers
51. Blunt end scissors
52. Chalkboard, large chalks
53. Coloured construction paper
54. Lotto matching games
55. Dominoes
56. Board games
57. Costumes for dress up
58. Child-size equipment, table chairs
59. Kitchen sets, garden sets 
60. Vehicles with moving parts
61. Large trucks
62. Small cars
63. Train sets
64. Adult operated songs
65. Board books
66. Pop-up books
67. Hidden picture books
68. Dressing books

3, 4 AND 5 YEARS OLD

Abilities
1. Jumps, climbs and balances.
2. Loves acrobatics.
3. Increasing finger control.
4. Loves construction activities.
5. Familiar with common shapes, primary colours.
6. Interested in simple number activities, alphabet play, copying letters, matching/ sorting.
7. Prefers realism.
8. Interested in nature, science, animals, time, how things work.
9. Recreates adult occupation, uses costumes and props.
10. Begins to share and take turns.
11. Enjoys simple board games, looking at books and hearing stories.

Appropriate Toys
1. Push and Pull toys like wagon, wheel barrow etc
2. Tricycles
3. 3 and 4 wheel pedal toys
4. Vehicles with steering mechanism
5. Battery operated ride-on vehicles
6. Full size rocking horse
7. Small bicycle with training wheels and foot brakes
8. Slides, ladders, swings
9. Large and small wooden blocks
10. Large hollow blocks
11. Interlocking building toys
12. Fit-in puzzles
13. Simple jigsaw puzzles
14. Puzzle clocks
15. Cardboard puzzles
16. Peg board with small pegs
17. Bead stringing
18. Magnetic boards with shapes
19. Colour cubes
20. Equipment with movable parts
21. Rope ladders and ropes
22. Gym sets with enclosures
23. Balls of all shapes and sizes
24. Double blade ice-skates or roller skates
25. Lightweight soft baseball and bat
26. Junior sized foot-ball
27. Kites
28. Wading pool
29. Jump ropes
30. Flying disks
31. Kickboards
32. Simple weaving
33. Matching toys
34. Sorting toys
35. Number boards
36. Lock boxes
37. Nesting toys with multiple pieces
38. Geometrical concept toys
39. Frames/ cards to button, hook, tie
40. Simple sewing kits
41. Large and small sandbox tools
42. Bubbles
43. Wind-up bath toys
44. Realistic dolls
45. Stuffed toys with accessories
46. Music boxes
47. Simple sock puppets
48. Simple puppet theatre
49. Housekeeping and cooking equipment
50. Toy telephone, camera, doctor kits
51. All rhythm instruments
52. Harmonica, horns, whistles
53. Piano
54. Large crayons
55. Magic markers
56. Finger and tempera paints
57. Brushes of various sizes
58. Clay and clay making tools
59. Scissors with rounded ends
60. Paste and glue
61. Simple block printing equipment
62. Beads to string
63. Colouring books
64. Water colour paints
65. Weaving loom
66. Dominoes
67. Simple card games
68. Board games
69. Simple electronic and other teaching toys
70. Toy cars of all sizes
71. Action sets
72. Ping-pong or foam balls
73. Soft darts
74. Simple video games
75. adult operated music and songs
76. Science materials like magnets, flashlight, shells, rocks, magnifying glass, stethoscope, prism, aquarium
77. Clock
78. Printing set
79. Toy typewriter or computer
80. Picture books
81. Complex pop-up books
82. Alphabet books, information books
6 TO 9 YEARS OLD

Abilities
A school-age child seeks out new information, experiences and challenges in play. Extremely social with a clear sense of fairness, a child in this age group is influenced by peers and has a strong gender identity.

Appropriate Toys
1. Board games
2. Sports equipment
3. Model and craft kits
4. Science kits
5. Jigsaw puzzles
6. Construction toys
7. Fashion and career dolls
8. Doll house
9. Action and hero figures
10. Puppets, marionettes and theatres
11. Video games
12. Bicycle and helmet
13. Stilts, pogo stick
14. Magic set
15. Roller and ice skates plus protective gear
16. Tape player/radio
17. Books 
9 TO 12 YEARS OLD

Abilities
A pre-teenager is independent, yet thrives on play with other children. A child this age knows how to cooperate and negotiate using advanced social skills. Mastery of academic skills enables him or her to pursue both intellectual and creative pastimes. (Graphic omitted)

Appropriate Toys
1. Card and board games
2. Sports equipment
3. Table tennis and billiards
4. Jigsaw puzzles
5. Model kits
6. Science kits
7. Microscope, telescope and magnifying glass
8. Craft and handwork kits
9. Art supplies
10. Advanced construction sets
11. Puppets, marionettes and theatres
12. Video games
13. Bicycle and helmet
14. Stilts, pogo stick
15. Magic set
16. Roller and ice skates plus protective gear
17. Tape player/radio
18. Books

The list above is not exhaustive. You can add more to it. And yes, if I have missed out something, please do let me know. 

P.S - Simply buying toys and handing them over to kids is not enough. While playing alone is vital for encouraging children to explore, think creatively and allow self-learning, it is only when they play with their family and friends that they learn to cooperate. More on this in my next post :-).

 

ABOUT THE WRITER

Rajalakshmi Prithviraj dons the hat of an Air Warrior, Educationist and Psychologist in her profession.  She is passionate about penning her thoughts and writing true stories from her life (with the consent of her characters of course!!). She loves traveling, and thanks to her profession, she puts on her travel shoes every two years. If you ask her about her hometown, then pat comes her reply, “INDIA”.

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Tips for Moving Your Child from a Crib to a Bed (Guest Post)

  Hey folks! Transitioning a child from a crib to a toddler bed is a bid deal! ...And can also be really frustrating at times, for the parent, child, or both. Arguably, I think transitioning a child to a "big girl/boy bed" can be as nerve-wracking as potty-training! If you're looking for some ways on making this transition as smooth as possible for your own child, check out these tips from today's guest blogger!

As a child sleep consultant, I'm asked quite often about when and how to move a child from a crib to a bed.  As parents, we experience many exciting firsts with our children: Their first tooth, first steps & first solid foods just to name a few.  The switch from co-sleeping or a crib to a bed is another sign your baby is growing up.  Some parents wonder when and how to make this switch?  What will it be like if their child can get out of bed by themselves?  Will he be roaming the house at night?  Will he ever settle down and go to sleep?

First of all, there is no rush.  Is your child happy in their crib? And not trying to jump out head first, then by all means, keep them in their crib.  If your child has become a crib jumper, then safety is an issue, and you must make the change.

Maybe you're ready to not co-sleep because you have another child on the way or are just ready to get your bed back.

I want you to know that this transition to a big bed is hard for the best of sleepers.  That said, you want to make sure your child is a great sleeper before you make this change.  A great place to start would be with my 7 Best Sleep Tips.  This is a totally free resource and the foundation of what I teach my clients.

Here are three helpful hints for making that change:

1.  In my experience the closer the child is to age 3, the more smooth this transition becomes.  Anything younger than two-and-a-half years is a little too early.  Very young children don’t have the cognitive ability to understand exactly WHY they have to stay put when getting out of bed suddenly became so easy.  It can be tough to be consistent when merely communicating isn't easy.

2. A few items that can help with this transition are a clock and a big bed.  The clock helps your child know when it's ok to get out of bed in the morning and start his day.  You may be wondering why a big bed?  Children do so much better with this change if they move into a twin or full-size bed.  Since we're transitioning our children out of their cribs because they're getting bigger, then it would make sense to put them into a bed that is in fact bigger.  New bed, new expectations.  You can encourage your child to help with choosing some fun new sheets or a new pillow.  You want to make this fun and a big deal, because it is.  

3.  There may be a "honeymoon" phase where most toddlers do well sleeping in their new bed until the fun wears off.  This usually happens around week 3, and a child will begin testing their boundaries.  I want you to prepare ahead of time, so you'll know exactly how to handle this situation.

Here's what to do if your child keeps getting out of their new bed:

Maybe the "honeymoon" has worn off or maybe your child just never liked the idea of their new bed from the start.

First, you have to be consistent.  If your child gets out of bed, even once, and comes to your room, take him back to bed right away.  Try not to have a lot of interaction with him and don't waiver on this.  He may be asking for something simple like another hug or a snack, but it's important to reinforce that its bedtime and he needs to stay put.  If he gets out of bed again, then there needs to be a consequence.  Without one, there may be no reason for your child to stop getting out of bed.

You can also offer rewards to kids if they stay in bed.  If your kiddo can stay put until morning when their clock says 7:00, then they get a treat.  Be sure these rewards are immediate for this age or else they won't be useful at all.

Like all things to do with parenting, this takes persistence and consistency on your part. Toddlers need praise and encouragement and will soon enough yours will become used to sleeping in their new bed.  They'll also learn to understand that just because no bars are holding them in, this doesn't mean they can wander about the house at bedtime or during the night.

Have questions about your little one’s sleep?  Connect with me on Facebook and post your questions.  I’d love to help.

Jo Anna Inks is a sleep consultant that helps tired; frustrated parents get their babies sleeping through the night and napping well so everyone in the family can get the rest they so desperately need.  Jo Anna is passionate about all things sleep!  When she’s not busy helping babies sleep well,  you can find her hanging out with her husband and two amazing boys (both of whom are excellent sleepers, of course!), cooking or hiking with her dog, Cooper.  joannainkssleepsolutions.com

How to Increase Your Energy Naturally (Guest Post)

Life is full of varying activities that never seem to stand still.  If you stop and think about your day-to-day life, it may become overwhelming to think of everything that you are responsible for.  

Most people are balancing their job, their family life, their social life and everything else that pops up on a daily basis, and this can cause a lot of stress.  This stress has a huge impact on our daily lives.  It can lower our motivation, our concentration, and our energy levels.  

While it is important to recognize how certain emotions and feelings can interact with us and our daily schedule, there are ways to overcome those feelings of tension and increase your energy naturally.  

If you feel that you need a boost of energy, here are 9 tips from Parenting Pod that will give you that natural boost.  

1. Exercise more.  Yep, right out of the gate, it starts the list of ways to give yourself a natural boost of energy.  Exercise is great for the body and the brain.  Any form of exercise helps to increase your energy naturally.  Run, walk, hike, bike, you name it.  All forms of exercise release endorphins into your bloodstream and that gives your mind a positive reaction.  Even though you are burning energy, you are also creating more energy naturally for yourself at the same time.

2. Worry Less.  Worrying causes anxious feelings which in turn can cause you to feel mentally exhausted.  Let go of worry to build up some energy naturally.   

3. Get up and stretch.  Sitting at a desk in the same position for hours on end is a sure way to NOT feel energized.  Get up every so often and stretch your body and your legs.  Give your body a quick wake up call to start to feel more energized.

4. Stay hydrated. Keep your body running smoothly with some good old H20.  Our bodies need water to function, as do our brains.  Staying hydrated is important when you particularly need to feel energized.  Think of athletes as a prime example.  To perform their best, they stay hydrated for energy to be able to excel in their sport.
5. Eat healthy food.  Fatty fried foods can weigh you down and cause you to feel overly tired and full.  Eat lean meats and fresh fruits and veggies to give your body the proper fuel it needs to produce that energy for you.  

6. Take a mid-day walk.  Different from full-blown exercise or stretching, just taking a quick mid-day walk around the block can cause you to wake up and give you enough energy to tackle the rest of your day.

7. Work less.  If you can, scale back on the number of hours you are putting in at the office.  By being out and about and doing what you love, you can create an excited energy aura for yourself!

8. Get your rest.  If you are a night owl, you may need to think about changing up your sleep schedule.  Staying up late at night may be fun and appealing at the time, but it can cause a major energy deflation for the next day.  Next time you have the urge to stay out or up late, think of how it will affect you the next day.  If it’s worth it for you to feel laggy and tired, then that is your call; however, if you want to be rested with more energy, it's key to get to bed at an earlier point in time.

9. Pursue a passion.  Find something that you love to do and then do it.  Get your energy to increase naturally by just being excited in life about something.  If you love to read, join a book club. If you love cycling, find a group to go biking with.

There are so many different ways to increase your energy naturally.  Try a few of the suggestions above and see what works well for you and your life.  You may be pleasantly surprised to find out that with a few of the changes listed above, you will feel less stressed and more energized than you thought possible!

A Different Take on Cloth Diapering (Guest Post)

            Hey folks! I will be taking some time off from the ole blog while I wait for baby to get here. (Heck, I might already have the baby! I'm scheduling this two weeks before my due date! :D) So I hope you don't mind some guest posts for a bit. :)
            Today I'm starting off with a different take on cloth diapering from Margaret of Home in Wonderland. She does things quite differently than we do, but I loved reading about how she cloth diapers because everyone has a different system that works for them! So, for those of you considering cloth diapering, I hope this gives you some more insight into the different ways things can be done. :)

            Cloth diapering is not easier than using disposables. It is, in fact, more work. Just let that sink in for a moment. Or, if you're already a cloth-diapering parent you're like, "obviously, bro."
            So, why would anyone choose to cloth diaper? There are two main reasons: 1.) It is so. much. cheaper. 2.) Save the planet! Side benefits include: they are usually more gentle on baby bums, babies/toddlers will understand that peeing=wetness which helps immensely with potty training (so I've heard, haven't crossed that bridge yet), and of course, that priceless smugness that only comes from making unpleasant sacrifices for the good of the planet.
            Cloth diapering is really not a big deal for our family, and is just part of our routine. Here's is what we do and how:
            We have 18 cloth diapers and 3 wet bags for Warrior Girl. (You really only need 12-14). 11 of the diapers are All-In-One cloth diapers similar to these, and 7 are Fuzzi Bunz pocket diapers. Here is a great article clarifying the differences in the various types of cloth diapers.
            Every other morning, I go to our drying rack with Warrior Girl and gather up her diapers. Inevitably, some of the All-In-Ones are still damp, so I leave those up for a few more hours while we use dry ones.
            Next, Warrior Girl loves to help me prep the diapers.

 

            For the pocket diapers, this involves stuffing the absorbent insert into the pocket. For the All-In-Ones, I snap detachable pads onto the main body of the diaper. This takes about 5-10 minutes. In reality, I will often prep a couple diapers to get us through grocery shopping or whatever we are doing, and just prep a new one each time I need it after that. Then I just leave the others in a pile on my floor. Because that's the kind of housekeeper I am.
            Throughout the day, we probably have to change Warrior Girl's diaper nearly ever 2-3 hours, or about every other time she pees. Each wet/dirty diaper goes into a wet bag. This is compared to disposables, which can be changed every...like never. Okay, you still have to change disposables, but they can wear them for hours if they don't poop
            Now.... let's cut to the chase. What about poop? Well, it's really not that big of a deal. When Warrior Girl was still exclusively breastfed, we didn't have to do anything about the poop. It all came off in the wash because breastfed baby poop is just...whatever it is. Very rinsable. Also just smells like milk. Is that weird?
            Once baby is eating some solids but still breastfeeding quite a bit, their poop goes through a....how to say....a difficult phase for cloth diapering. Ie. it becomes something akin to sweet potato casserole. You can no longer expect your washer to just handle it. The poop must be removed from the diaper one way or another before you wash it.
            Someone gave us a toilet-sprayer to use for this reason, but the maintenance crew at our apartment wouldn't allow us to use it. Thus, we resorted to something very simple: a plastic spackling tool.
            Here's how it works: baby poops. After you change their diaper, you take the dirty diaper to the toilet, lift the lid and the seat, and use your scraping device of choice to scrape the poop off the diaper and into the toilet. You could even use a spatula--just don't use it for food again! Obviously. We stored the spackling tool in an empty yogurt container on the back of the toilet because, classy.
            After diaper has been scraped, you place the diaper in the wet bag and wash your hands like you've never washed them. That's it. No need to rinse the diaper in the toilet or anything like they did in the old days. The entire process takes about 1-2 extra minutes.
            But! Good news, friends! After your baby is a big girl/boy and fully established on solids, they will reach a stage where the scraper is no longer necessary! That's right, their poop will become solid enough that you can just shake the diaper over the toilet and it will roll right off. How did you like that visual? You're welcome. Now dealing with a poopie diaper will only take you about 30 seconds longer than if you were using a disposable! Also, not so gross now that you're not scraping poop.
            We wash our cloth diapers every other day, and by we, I mean J does it while I'm putting Warrior Girl to bed. I would not advise going longer than every 3rd day to wash them.  
            Washing the diapers involves pulling the inserts out of the pocket diapers and dumping all the diapers and the wet bags straight into the washer. This takes about 1 minute, but the odors for that 1 minute are not pleasant.
            First, we run the diapers through a cold rinse cycle to get everything gross out of there. Next, we wash them with a powder detergent with 1/2 cup of Borax added to combat our super hard water on a hot, regular wash cycle. Then we hang them up on our drying rack.  
            Hanging them is the most time consuming part of the entire cloth-diapering process; it probably takes 10 minutes. You could always use a dryer instead, thus saving yourself 10 minutes, but we hang dry because: (1) Saving the planet or something; (2) Less wear on the diapers; and (3) We don't have a dryer. We hang dry all our clothes.
            That's it, folks. That is all that is involved in our cloth diapering system.
            Now, here is how we go 90% to make this whole thing workable for us: we keep a box of disposables on hand. We use disposables at night. (I'm sure we could use cloth at night, it just seems too risky to possibly have her wake up wet. We have literally never tried it). We also use disposables whenever we take Warrior Girl hiking or rock climbing because ain't nobody got time for cloth at that point. Ditto for travelling or camping. We do not use cloth wipes. Getting poop off the wipes before washing seems like a whole different ball game, one I have no desire to play.
            I have seen blogs for moms who literally only use cloth, even while on week-long backpacking trips, or when travelling cross-country. To them I say, congratulations. Also, whoa dude. Also, how?
             Bottom Line: If you have babies, you have to deal with poop. To anyone considering cloth diapering, I say go for it. To me, the benefits greatly outweigh the cons. The total extra time investment is probably 10 minutes on non-wash days and maybe 20 on wash days. And finally, find a system that works for you, whether that means all cloth, all the time, or something more in the middle.

 Everything you need to get started cloth diapering:

• 3 wet bags
• 12-20 cloth diapers - Consider buying 1 or 2 of the type you think you want so that you can try them out before committing to an entire stash. Seriously. I've had friends buy an entire stash only to find they didn't like them for one reason or another. What works for who depends on baby’s body type, and parent lifestyle, etc. I think we have about 18, but this is more than necessary.
• Good detergent - This site is an excellent resource on ensuring you are using a good detergent based on whether you have hard or soft water, and on the type of diapers you use.
• Cloth or disposable wipes
• Drying rack to save energy, electric bill, and the planet! Ours was a free, curbside score.

 

A younger Warrior Girl lookin' fly in cloth. And my boots.  

Have you considered cloth diapering? Does the thought make you want to vomit? How do you make it work for your family? Share in the comments below!

Margaret Sky is wife to one mountain man, mama to one wild toddler and

precious newborn, and counselor to many courageous and inspiring people.

She blogs about mom life, spirituality, and finding joy at

Home in Wonderland.

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