Pink, Blue Or Undecided?
The pink or blue question is a moot one these days, isn't it? After all, it's so easy to tell the gender of a baby before the happy day, so there's no need to guess. Well, that's not strictly true. Even with the advances in technology, ultrasound pictures aren't always one hundred percent certain, and many parents prefer to be surprised. If you're shopping for a new baby without knowing the gender, you still might have to decide whether to buy pink or blue.
You could always flip a coin - heads it's roses and lace, tails you pick up the little sailor suit. There are more efficient and practical ways to make sure that you pick up clothing and accessories that will be appreciated and useful.
Gender-Neutral Colors
The easiest way, of course, is to stick with gender neutral colors in your choices. As a culture, we're fond of dressing babies in pastels, but you don't have to limit yourself to pale yellow and baby green to be safe. There are lots of other gender-neutral colors to choose from.
Looking for a crib set that isn't gender-specific? White and ivory are good choices, and you can actually get away with eyelet and lace as long as it's not too delicate. A plump white comforter and matching crib bumpers work just as well for a boy as for a girl.
Primary and bright, clear secondary colors are another great way to avoid the gender tangle when selecting clothing and accessories for baby. Bright red, blue, green and yellow sleepers will look adorable no matter what gender the baby turns out to be. Pick onesies in turquoise, orange, dark green or red, either all a solid color, or with contrasting ribbing along the edges.
Go for the unusual. Imagine how high the adorable meter will raise if you outfit baby's room in tuxedoed penguins sporting bright red, blue and yellow ribbons, or pick up a t-shirt emblazoned with red, yellow and blue balloons. You can even pat yourself on the back for choosing bright colors for the baby's room and accessories. As much as we love pastel baby togs, babies respond far better to bright, clear colors.
Gender Neutral Patterns
If you're not sure on the boy/girl issue, keep in mind that you can err more easily on the boy side than the girl. A baby girl in a t-shirt printed with sports motifs is cute. You just wouldn't put a little boy in a sleeper printed with tiny sprigs of daisies. Teddy bears and duckies are one gender-neutral choice, but you can find adorable, unique prints that will stand out. Some of the more clever that we've seen around lately - Noah's Ark, lions and tigers, traffic signs, seasonal themes (candy canes, pumpkins, candy corn?).
Other gender neutral patterns that work for boys or girls clothing include candy color stripes, odd-size polka dots and abstract patterns. Pick a motif, pick a color and have a blast dressing your baby in clothes and accessories that don't scream boy or girl.
Showing posts with label nappies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nappies. Show all posts
Monday, 28 June 2010
Diaper or Disposable- What A Choice!
The Great Diaper Debate
Way back when in the days of Home Ec, one favorite class was 'how to
diaper baby'. Turning a flat piece of absorbent cotton into a
comfortable, well-fitting nappy was a trick that seemed to require the dexterity
and legerdemain of a trained magician. Worse, diapering the baby
clumsily came with the very real fear of jabbing a squirming infant with a
diaper pin. Generations of mommies suffered pinpricked fingers rather than
risk a scratch to baby's delicate skin.
All that changed with the advent of disposable diapers. Even the
unfitted, flat, uncomfortable first generation disposables were worlds above
typical cloth diapers for convenience and ease of use. Just unfold the
back, pull the plastic up between the baby's legs and smooth it against
his belly, and tape the back to the front. Voila! Instant diaper. Even
better - no need for washing. No dirty diapers soaking in a pail of
borax. No smell, no fuss, no laundry service - just un-tape, wrap the
diaper up and toss it in the trash.
For parents of my generation, Pampers was the dividing line between 'back
then' and now. I can't count the number of mothers, grandmothers, aunts
and older female relatives who started off a tale with 'Of course, we
never had Pampers, WE had to..."
The advantages were obvious: disposables were cleaner, more sanitary,
more convenient. They did away with hours and hours of laundering and
drying, making time for lots of other things. If you were the least bit
conscious of disposal, you could completely eliminate the dirty-diaper
smell - just wrap it up tight in a plastic bag in put it in the OUTSIDE
trash. And no more wrestling with a squirming baby while you tried to
pin his nappy closed, nor having the whole thing slip off his adorable
little butt because you missed a layer of cloth when pinning.
The disadvantages were not so readily apparent, but they were
nonetheless real. The major point against disposable diapers is a potent one:
disposable diapers may be great for mother, but they put an enormous
strain on Mother Earth. Some facts:
* Over 19 billion disposable diapers annually end up in landfills -
where they do not degrade.
* Disposable diaper makers use more than a million tons of wood pulp
every year.
* The manufacturing process creates waste that contains dioxins, heavy
metals and industrial solvents.
In a world with limited resources, disposable diapers consume resources
and create pollutants and hazardous chemicals. Is the convenience worth
the damage to the Earth?
On the face of it, the debate does seem to be one more instance of man
- in this case mommies - putting their own convenience above what's
best for the world.
But there's yet another side to the debate - disposable diaper
manufacturers have countered with arguments that cloth diapers aren't all that
kind to Mother Earth either. They cite the use of harsh chemicals in
cleaning - bleach, borax and other detergents, the consumption of water,
and the energy (and fuels) needed to heat water to temperatures that
can disinfect diapers as being just as harmful to the Earth as
disposables.
In the end, the choice to use disposables or cloth diapers is a
judgment call. Which is better for baby? Which is better for mom? Which is
least harmful to our planet? The only real answer is to read what you can,
and make your own decision as to what works best for you - physically
and philosophically.
Way back when in the days of Home Ec, one favorite class was 'how to
diaper baby'. Turning a flat piece of absorbent cotton into a
comfortable, well-fitting nappy was a trick that seemed to require the dexterity
and legerdemain of a trained magician. Worse, diapering the baby
clumsily came with the very real fear of jabbing a squirming infant with a
diaper pin. Generations of mommies suffered pinpricked fingers rather than
risk a scratch to baby's delicate skin.
All that changed with the advent of disposable diapers. Even the
unfitted, flat, uncomfortable first generation disposables were worlds above
typical cloth diapers for convenience and ease of use. Just unfold the
back, pull the plastic up between the baby's legs and smooth it against
his belly, and tape the back to the front. Voila! Instant diaper. Even
better - no need for washing. No dirty diapers soaking in a pail of
borax. No smell, no fuss, no laundry service - just un-tape, wrap the
diaper up and toss it in the trash.
For parents of my generation, Pampers was the dividing line between 'back
then' and now. I can't count the number of mothers, grandmothers, aunts
and older female relatives who started off a tale with 'Of course, we
never had Pampers, WE had to..."
The advantages were obvious: disposables were cleaner, more sanitary,
more convenient. They did away with hours and hours of laundering and
drying, making time for lots of other things. If you were the least bit
conscious of disposal, you could completely eliminate the dirty-diaper
smell - just wrap it up tight in a plastic bag in put it in the OUTSIDE
trash. And no more wrestling with a squirming baby while you tried to
pin his nappy closed, nor having the whole thing slip off his adorable
little butt because you missed a layer of cloth when pinning.
The disadvantages were not so readily apparent, but they were
nonetheless real. The major point against disposable diapers is a potent one:
disposable diapers may be great for mother, but they put an enormous
strain on Mother Earth. Some facts:
* Over 19 billion disposable diapers annually end up in landfills -
where they do not degrade.
* Disposable diaper makers use more than a million tons of wood pulp
every year.
* The manufacturing process creates waste that contains dioxins, heavy
metals and industrial solvents.
In a world with limited resources, disposable diapers consume resources
and create pollutants and hazardous chemicals. Is the convenience worth
the damage to the Earth?
On the face of it, the debate does seem to be one more instance of man
- in this case mommies - putting their own convenience above what's
best for the world.
But there's yet another side to the debate - disposable diaper
manufacturers have countered with arguments that cloth diapers aren't all that
kind to Mother Earth either. They cite the use of harsh chemicals in
cleaning - bleach, borax and other detergents, the consumption of water,
and the energy (and fuels) needed to heat water to temperatures that
can disinfect diapers as being just as harmful to the Earth as
disposables.
In the end, the choice to use disposables or cloth diapers is a
judgment call. Which is better for baby? Which is better for mom? Which is
least harmful to our planet? The only real answer is to read what you can,
and make your own decision as to what works best for you - physically
and philosophically.
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