Okay, I'm dreaming of a fantastic summer with the babe and suddenly I realize she's gonna need a swim suit. Not only a suit, but a swim diaper as well. Then I think, "Why be redundant? Why not get a cute clothie swim diaper and just throw on any old baby t-shirt on top?" So I start looking online for cloth swim diapers and I stumble upon an Imse Vimse swim diaper with a matching tankini and it's FREAKING cute! Can you imagine Alice in this?! The red, the fishies, the teeny ballerini skirt! My heart is racing and my palms are actually sweating because I think this is the most perfect, adorable, and amazing little swimsuit for my amazing little baby and I'm afraid they'll be all gone when/if I finally decide to get one.
exasperated *sigh*
I'm not a clothes shopper. I hate that stuff. But this, somehow, is different.
So why don't I just buy it, eh? A $30 gift won't break the bank, right? Or why not ask someone else to buy it as a birthday gift for the babe? This is where I start to feel conflicted. This outfit is a one-trick pony. Why buy something new when I can buy any old cloth swim diaper that will do the job just fine, if only less charmingly? Why demand more NEW stuff that is destined for a landfill, even if 20 kids end up wearing it before it's thrashed? It almost seems like buying this outfit could contradict 2 of the 3 reasons I chose cloth diapering in the first place (i.e. save money, reduce waste, have fun).
resigned *sigh*
Well, the only solution in harmony with all 3 "clothie choice reasons" is nudity. And that's simply not allowed. The kid's gonna need a swim diaper no matter what. It probably won't kill me to buy a used one. I may even find it enjoyable to save money and prevent unnecessary waste. Maybe even FREAKISHLY enjoyable?
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Ok, chill. I love uprooting supposed "needs" as much as you do, but sometimes it really is ok to splurge on something completely impractical. Especially when it won't cost much money and will actually be used. And if you think about it, even your cloth diapers are destined for the landfill eventually, so don't over think that aspect. And when Alice outgrows this adorable suit you can freecycle it or pass it along to friends (or sisters who hope to have a baby girl someday...).
ReplyDeleteGive yourself a couple days, look around for used or less expensive suits that you might like as much. If you still want the adorable fishy suit, I say buy it. Just don't take your baby to the pool in an ugly swim diaper and old t-shirt. She won't care either way, but I will. ;)
The used swim diaper market looks pretty slim so far. You can't sell them on eBay for sanitation issues (same goes for used cloth diapers). Know of any swapping sites? I've posted a "wanted" ad on craigslist. We'll see if that gives me any leads.
ReplyDeleteYou've got a point about the cloth diapers eventually ending up in a landfill, but I'm okay with that because they will end up saving heaps of garbage and heaps of money in the long run. A swim diaper has less impact.
Two weeks ago, I wouldn't have that cared much about it. But I've been researching some heavy-duty environmental conservation literature in preparation for our Mothers and More meeting in April about "Going Green." Eco-friendly behavior is all the rage these days. I want to figure out which actions will make a real difference and which actions just make us feel better about ourselves. That's not an easy thing to figure out. I'm currently reading "Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage" by Heather Rogers. It's fascinating and sobering at the same time. She cites her facts clearly and (mostly) impassionately, unlike the droves of websites out there spouting random "facts" and statistics with so! many! exclamation! points!!!!!!
So, based on my current eco-guilt feelings, I would not hesitate to purchase a used unbleached organic cotton/hemp/bamboo fiber swim diaper that was cultivated and manufactured according to fair labor standards, with renewable energy, that would eventually be compostable after however many uses. But that's silly. It doesn't exist.
SO WHY EVEN TRY?!?!
Yeah, it's easy to get overwhelmed in "going green." And it can be the source of some serious snobbery, kind of like militant vegetarians ("Vegetarian? Hah. I'm a 5th-level vegan--I don't eat anything that casts a shadow."), or militant anything, for that matter. I mean, if we went back to the agrarian-based communities of two hundred years ago, I'm sure someone would still be complaining about how we're cutting down trees and forcing animals from their homes so we can build log cabins and plant crops.
ReplyDeleteI talked to my hippie friend Chris about this dilemma after reading an angry article about how corn-based shipping peanuts aren't any better than petroleum-based styrofoam because they're made with GMO corn, which destroys organic farming blah blah blah. Or the argument that production of hybrid vehicles has a bigger carbon footprint right now than Hummers, blah blah blah.
My point, and Chris agreed, is that although there's no perfect solution, there are positive steps we can take. And even though there are some kinks to work out, we have to keep taking these positive steps, or they'll never work out. I mean, if everyone who hears that hybrids are "worse" than hummers decides to buy a hummer instead of a hybrid, hybrids will never get "better." If we get overwhelmed with guilt and throw up our hands in despair saying "why even try," nothing will improve.
I think of it kind of in the same vein as food storage--the chances that we will have to live off of our food storage for an extended period of time is pretty slim, but building and maintaining that supply fosters a sense of self-reliance. Bringing my own grocery bags to the store instead of using plastic ones (or insert any "green" practice for everyday consumers) probably won't make much impact on global warming, but it will help me be more aware of my impact on the earth and my responsibility to tread more lightly.
So when discussing whether any of these practices actually makes a difference or just makes us feel better about ourselves, I don't see that it really matters. As long as you don't get too self-righteous in you "feeling better about yourself." Until governments and industry make some serious changes worldwide, my little efforts are just a drop in a very large bucket. But if I continue to make these little steps and encourage others to do so as well, if nothing else we will be more conscious of the needs around us and maybe will influence our vote, which will affect government and industry, which will effect real change.
This still doesn't answer the question of whether to buy the cute suimsuit. I see it as any other article of clothing that will be outgrown before it's worn out. (Why put Alice in cute dresses when one of Bobby's old t-shirts will work just as well?) If you feel the suit is extravagant, don't buy it. But either way, it really won't matter all that much. Just don't let guilt make your decision for you.
"What? You don't pocket mulch?"
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you quoted that Simpsons episode. It made me laugh and then it cast this whole issue in a new light. A moderate light. A sensible light. I have a new mantra:
I am not a garbage Nazi.
Guilt is not the boss of me.
You make a fine point about awareness. Awareness is a powerful and empowering force. The following statement you made is especially powerful: "But if I continue to make these little steps and encourage others to do so as well, if nothing else we will be more conscious of the needs around us and maybe will influence our vote, which will affect government and industry, which will effect real change." I want to put it on a t-shirt.
So, I'll keep looking for a few more days. If I do end up getting the swimsuit, I don't want it to be a "guilt backlash" buy :)
I forgot about pocket mulch! I just remember the 5th level vegan and Ed Begley Jr.'s car that ran on his smug sense of self-satisfaction. Or was it his moral superiority? I can't remember. Anyway, it's easy to fall into that trap.
ReplyDeleteI'll work on reducing that statement into a t-shirt-worthy slogan for you. :)
By the way, I love your username. HeidiPB. Like Heidi Peanut Butter.
ReplyDeleteSo, are you crunchy or smooth?
How about this for my t-shirt slogan?
ReplyDelete"Affect government and industry, effect real change"
Ha! I just love how you manage to use "affect" and "effect" properly in the same sentence. Being an editor helps, I'm sure, but that's just plain cool.
I think it does reduce waste... just not as much as you would like. It is after all a reusable cloth swim diaper. Definitely meets the fun criterion, so really it's deciding whether it's low cost. And as a person living in California, I can tell you that $30 is next to nothing. So, it meets all three. Enjoy the suit!
ReplyDelete