In tough economic times it’s no surprise that more budget-strapped parents are switching to cloth diapers to save money. In fact, a new online survey out today conducted by Harris Interactive for DiaperShops.com, a leading online cloth diapering boutique, reveals that one-third (33%) of parents who use disposable diapers say they would be “extremely” or “very likely” to switch to cloth diapers after learning that cloth diapers could save them $2,000 over the course of their baby’s diapering years.

However, just because parents say they are willing to switch doesn’t mean they are. The survey found that only approximately one in ten parents (9%) with children in diapers (ages 0-2 years) use or have used cloth diapers. This number represents a substantial minority of the parenting population.

Kelly Wels, the founder of DiaperShops.com, says this study exposes a knowledge gap among American parents. “It is true that cloth diapers can save a family $2,000 and more over the course of their baby’s diapering years; that said, it’s evident from this survey that parents don’t know just how much is at stake by switching to cloth diapers,” she says.

Environment, Diaper Rash Top Concerns for Parents
One-third (33%) of disposable diapering parents say they would be “extremely” or “very likely” to switch to cloth diapers after they learned how disposable diapers negatively impact the environment. Experts say disposable diapers take 250-500 years to decompose in a landfill and more than 27 billion diapers end up in landfills each year.

Other key findings from the DiaperShops.com and Harris Interactive survey include:

• Moms are more likely than dads to switch to cloth diapers out of concern for the environment. Sixty percent of moms say they would be likely to switch to cloth diapers for environmental reasons, while only 49 percent of dads were likely to do so.
• Moms are more concerned about diaper rash. Almost 30 percent of moms say they would be “extremely or very likely” to switch to cloth diapers if it could ease or eliminate diaper rash. Only 19 percent of dads say diaper rash is a reason to switch. (Note: This survey was conducted just prior to the firestorm surrounding diaper rashes alleged by parents using Pampers Dry Max for their babies.)
• Dads like the convenience of washing diapers at home. Forty six percent of dads who use disposable diapers for their babies say they would be “extremely likely” to switch to cloth diapers after learning that cloth diapers can easily be washed at home with only 2-3 extra loads of laundry per week. In comparison, only 35 percent of moms say they are “extremely likely” to switch for the same reason.
• Convenience is the number one reason for choosing disposable diapers. Of the 91 percent of parents with children ages 0-2 who currently use disposable diapers, an overwhelming majority (85%) cite convenience and ease of use as the main reason for their choice. Sixteen percent choose to use disposable diapers because they think that cloth diapers are more expensive.
• Financial reasons for using cloth diapers are greater for parents in the Midwest. In fact, 68 percent of parents say they would be “extremely,” “very” or “fairly likely” to switch to cloth for financial reasons. Compare that to 55 percent in the Northeast and 52 percent in both the South and the West who say they would switch to cloth diapers to achieve financial savings.

“Cloth diapering has been a growing phenomenon among today’s modern parents, especially when parents have done their homework to learn about all of the easy-to-use cloth diapering options like FuzziBunz®, Happy Heinys, GroVia, Kissaluvs, BabyKicks and bumGenius,” said Wels. “However, even though these options exist, this survey reveals that there is a significant misinformation about cloth versus disposable diapers.”

Tereson Dupuy, the founder of FuzziBunz® and mother of the modern cloth diaper, agrees, “To solve this knowledge gap, we need conscientious parents to take an active role in learning about their diapering options and finding what truly works best for them by taking into account cost, health of baby, convenience and style. Cloth diapers have come a long way and are nothing like the diapers of yesteryear!”

Related articles:

• Choosing Organic Cloth Diapers (pregnancychildbirth.suite101.com)
• My Experience with Cloth Diapers (bethstedman.com)
• Just One Thing: Green Your Baby’s Diapers (abcnews.go.com)
• Peace of Mind Is A Luxury You Deserve (amominredhighheels.com)

Parents Likely to Switch to Cloth Diapers for Financial and Environmental Reasons is a post from: Babyfolk

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“Our family of iPhone Birth Announcement apps for Your family”

ItsABoy! ItsAGirl! ItsTwins! ItsTwins2! ItsABrother! ItsASister! ItsAGranddaughter! ItsAGrandson! ItsANiece! ItsANephew!

For $1.99 you get the app and you can email as many birth announcements as you want. No Postage! Send it right from the hospital!

Makes a great baby shower gift!

Visit http://www.dawnkempf.com for more information

iPhone Birth Announcement Apps is a post from: Babyfolk

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“New Yorkers never disappoint, and they always support fellow New Yorkers in need,” said Baby Buggy Founder Jessica Seinfeld. “Families need Baby Buggy now more than ever – our sites are reporting a 15% increase in need over this same time last year. Many parents who already depend on Baby Buggy are now unemployed and forced to make difficult choices between things like paying rent, or buying medicine versus purchasing a crib or buying diapers. Thanks to our generous corporate sponsors and supporters, the money raised at this event will mean fewer parents having to make painful choices in how they provide for their children.”

Target was lead sponsor. Additional sponsors were Aveeno Baby®, Nickelodeon, Delta Children’s Products, Natural Care by Danny Seo, Lansinoh, Rosie Pope Maternity, MeeGenius! and Skip Hop.

The Target tote gift bag contained up & up™ hand sanitizer, up & up baby sunscreen, Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture Lotion, Aveeno Baby Wash & Shampoo, Delta toddler hangers, Cleanwell, HIT Entertainment DVD, Sprout Coloring Book, Observer Playground, MeeGenius! Postcard, Lansinoh Clean & Condition Cloths, Rosie Pope Maternity bib, Gruber Photographers coupon & free passes to SoulCycle and Citibabes.

ABOUT BABY BUGGY

Baby Buggy®, founded in 2001, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing New York City families in need with essential equipment, products and clothing for their infants and young children. With an extensive network of community-based organizations, Baby Buggy has donated over 4.1 million items to thousands of children. www.babybuggy.org

Related articles:

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• Baby clothes (amazus.org)

Event Helps Raise Money To Provide For Babies’ Needs is a post from: Babyfolk

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Being a premier parenthood site on the Web, Parents.com is the interactive companion to Parents magazine and American Baby magazine. With its stable of easy-to-use, helpful tools serves moms and dads, providing everything every parent needs to raise happy, healthy families from crib to college — how, when and where they need it. “A baby shower is always a happy occasion, but hosting it can be stressful if you’re not organized well beforehand,” saysDana Points, Parents editor-in-chief. “We’ve gathered everything you need to hold the perfect baby shower, starting with baby shower invitations. Whether it’s a casual affair or a fancy event, we have lots of suggestions for all aspects of the shower.”

The first thing to consider when holding a baby shower is baby shower themes. At Parents.com there are complete details on how to host a baby shower with a variety of themes, including a family-tree theme, an Asian-inspired good fortune theme, a literary book theme or a simple musical theme. Once the theme is chosen, it’s time to turn to fun baby shower games. One of the most popular games is baby shower BINGO. Parents.com supplies a printable BINGO template and full instructions on how to play the game. As the day for the baby shower gets closer, guests will begin asking about baby shower gifts. It’s always challenging to find the perfect gift, but Parents.com has lots of unique baby shower gift ideas. It provides descriptions and lists low- and high-end suppliers for all kinds of baby gear, as well as gifts for the expectant mom and day.

You can also share your baby shower stories and families’ parenting tips and interact with other parents trhough their Twitter page and in the Parents Community section at http://community.parents.com.

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• Fun Ideas for Baby Shower Invitations (babyshower.ce2publishing.com)
• Help me plan a baby shower game? (parenting-success.com)
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• Baby shower = FOOD! (atyourcervix.blogspot.com)

Take the Stress Out of Baby Showers is a post from: Babyfolk

Songs are one of the easiest ways to learn a new language. There are many Spanish songs available which are fun, upbeat, and educational. By singing, your child is encouraged to practice the words in a non-threatening environment. Many Spanish songs “canciones de cuna” also have dances which encourage the child to reach, touch, or jump. These songs use movement to teach your child new words. By adding video to these songs Children’s language programs illustrate the objects or actions that are sung. In this way songs can stimulate many of your child’s senses in a fun, relaxed environment which encourages learning.

For toddlers and babies, singing in a higher pitched, softer voice has been shown to peak interest, relax and comfort while introducing spoken language. Don’t be shy if you are not a great singer, your soft voice will soothe your child and enable them to focus on your words.

2 The “Abuelita” Factor

If you have a Grandparent that speaks Spanish this is the perfect time to get “Abuelita” involved in your child’s learning. Have “Abuelita” speak to your child only in Spanish; she will likely cherish the opportunity to pass on the Spanish language and culture to future generations. Having a loved one or parent speak in only Spanish creates a clear distinction in your child’s mind as to what words are being said in English and what words are being said in Spanish.

3 Lets get Comfortable

Speak to your child in Spanish for everyday communication like “vamos a comer” (let’s eat) or “abre la puerta” (open the door) this increases their comfort level in everyday communication and creates an informal learning environment where learning comes naturally. Using real world situations reaffirms the words they’ve previously learned.

4 Reading is Fun

If you are comfortable reading to your child in Spanish, read from a storybook each night. At the end of the story ask questions to ensure your child is grasping the concepts. If you are not comfortable with reading aloud, use audio books that can be borrowed from your local library to ensure your child is learning. Get your child involved in their learning by allowing them to choose which book they want to read next.

5 Use Movement

It is no secret that kids like to be active. In teaching Spanish we can use this to our advantage. For example, associating the act of jumping with the word “brinca” is a quick way to build your child’s comfort level with Spanish. Acting out the word is a quick and easy way to get your child involved in Spanish.

About the Author:
As a mother of three fully bilingual children, Lydia understands the advantages her children have had in their careers. However, with the birth of her first grandchild, Lydia realized that her children had no resources for teaching her grand-children Spanish. Utilizing her background in education, (Masters in Education from the University of Puerto Rico) she set out to develop a comprehensive program that will help maintain a key element of her grand-children’s culture, their language. Throughout her work and research at the University of Puerto Rico, she learned the importance early education and parental involvement play in developing children’s full potential.

Baby Amigo was developed to be easy to use for parents of all native tongues to teach their children to read Spanish.

For more on this author please fan her Learning Spanish Facebook Page

Lydia Maldonado
Founder, Baby Amigo
www.babyamigo.com

Tips for teaching your child Spanish is a post from: Babyfolk

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Louise Felice had a successful line of childrens clothes that she sold in europe. The handmade tradition is still around, there, and her ‘workforce’ were stay at home mums who loved their job as it meant some extra income doing something they loved.

She has decided to try the same thing here. The first collection of girls dresses is out and the boys collection will be available at the end of the year. The workforce is the same … just on a smaller scale at the moment!

Fabrics are found in the most unlikely of places – estate sales, bargain basements – and vintage clothes are also recycled!

“My aim,” Louise says, “is to go off on a complete tangent from mass production. I dont buy anything from Big name stores but rather support the few surviving mom and pop places. I recycle, upcycle, and use anything i think will fit into my collection.”

This has resulted in an eclectic collection where no two items are ever exactly the same.

I asked how she keeps her costs down, as her prices are amazingly affordable. “Well, first of all, the people who work for me love their job and the freedom it allows so they are not at all greedy! I run a cost effective car, use solar power, recycle, barter etc etc – anything that helps me keep my prices low!”

She eventually hopes to be able to employ more people especially stay at home moms. Support the cause – “my prices are low as i want to dress kids and not fleece the moms!”

http://louisefelice.com

How far do your baby clothes travel? is a post from: Babyfolk

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