Tag: Parenthood

Families share their experiences with all aspects of parenthood.
Living with cloth

#65: Making an impact

by Admin

If you think starting a business alongside raising a baby is hard, you’re right. But when that business is part of your quest to tell your children you did everything you possibly could to make a difference to the world, you’d do it again in a heartbeat. Tina is a mum who wants to encourage everyone to enter the circular economy, to buy secondhand or rent rather than buy. She is mum to one-year-old Teddy for whom there was never any doubt that cloth nappies would be donning his little bottom.

Living with cloth

#60: Refusing to rush childhood

by Admin

Today, I introduce you to Stacey, a New Zealand mama of 4 (including 3 in cloth) who says she’s much better at appreciating the smaller things and moments since becoming a mum. Stacey and her family subscribe to a slow and simple lifestyle which, for them, includes being more purposeful in everything they do. Stacey talks about the simple task of changing nappies as an opportunity to be present and connected – an opportunity that became even more meaningful since she made the switch to cloth nappies. Now, she has an array of colours and prints to discuss with her children at change time. Join us for more on Stacey’s philosophy on life and parenting, and to find out how she has found success with cloth nappies after starting three years into the parenting game.
Behind the brand Living with cloth

#59: Focus on what’s important

by Admin

Just start – you don’t have to be perfect! Leaks are normal! We love the sage advice of New Zealand cloth nappy brand founder, Alexis, and there’s much more to come in today’s interview. Alexis has developed her own version of the “perfect” cloth nappy (stretch was a must), but she continues to advocate for the use of multiple brands, for “there is no such thing as one brand that fits all”. As a midwife and nutritionist, she also advocates for parents following their intuition. We must learn to slow down and focus on what’s important, she says. And one of those important things is the environment. “We have a finite amount of liveable area; we don’t want them inhabitable.”
Living with cloth

#54: The right attitude

by Admin

Today on the blog, we interview Amy, a list maker, gardener, mother of one and partner to a diaper launderer extraordinaire. Amy shares the lessons she’s learnt from the Earth and why living a bit slower is good for the soul. Her interview is filled with heartfelt insights for appreciating the world and surviving parenthood with your sanity intact.
Living with cloth

#51: Husband’s choice

by Admin

It’s not a story you read too often, but in this household, it was Steph’s husband, Dave, who chose cloth. Steph says she was “scarred from the lingering smell of flats in the 1980s”, but Dave was to be stay-at-home Dad and set to become the cloth nappy advocate he is today, known to convert parents in the nappy aisle in the supermarket. Steph and Dave have four children, including three in cloth – two-year-old twin girls and a wee man born in August. Then there’s also their 16-year-old son but, back in 2004, cloth nappies weren’t on this couple’s radar. Today, Steph and Dave choose to reuse in the hope their children will have a world to inherit. “It might feel a bit overwhelming but, hey, so is bringing home a tiny human.”
Living with cloth

#49: Choosing love and trust

by Admin

Careen’s world is a juggle of mum life and business life, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Alongside nourishing a world of love and trust for the two little men in her life, Careen advocates for mothers investing time in themselves so they can give their best to those around them in return. She openly shares her parenting and other experiences, including her developing waste reduction values, on social media as a means of opening conversations with many, leaving it up to them to choose to take action or make a positive change.
Living with cloth

#45: The greatest gift

by Admin

In today’s interview, filmmaker, actress and holistic coach, Catherine, she shares her story of making the switch to reusable nappies despite a time without a washing machine. Catherine declares motherhood to be the greatest gift and joy of her life, and she worries about what the future looks like for her daughter and her daughter’s possible babies. Through keeping an open mind, doing her best and continuing to learn, however, Catherine hopes to create a beautiful new Earth and honour Mother Nature as much as she can. Join us for an interview that will have you dreaming of warm summer nights by the ocean.
Living with cloth

#44: Progress, not perfection

by Admin

This week, we interview a New Zealand mother who, after realising her family couldn’t keep living the disposable lifestyle they had been, created a community to share simple eco tips that are easy, fun, can save you money and, most importantly, help you to live more sustainably. The Great Eco Journey was born, with the motto ‘progress, not perfection’. Juliet shares with us the simple eco solutions she has found for around the home, how she is faring on her ‘buy nothing new for a year’ challenge, and how she threw a children’s birthday party with only one item going to landfill. She also sums up her children’s time in cloth nappies with the prudent advice that reusables aren’t a lot of work, but they are a bit of work – work that is completely justified with the financial and environmental benefits you will reap in return.
Living with cloth

#43: A beautiful chaos

by Admin

Tasmanian mother of five, Luca, describes her life as a beautiful chaos. A chaos that is hard some days but, even through the fatigue and tears, has an endless joy. She strives to do better by knowing better and, after researching the impact that disposables have on the environment, found it difficult not to use cloth nappies. Luca doesn’t promise ease in introducing cloth nappies, but she does promise cuteness and reward, and hopes for a shift to a more sustainable lifestyle with the next generation. Read on for Luca’s take on parenthood, including why she sees gratitude as a shield from negativity.