Change those diapers! (To cloth ones! ) #Mommyhelp

by Sami Harvey

TL;DR VERSION OF THIS POST: The Great Cloth Diaper Change is happening around the world on April 20. Come have fun and win prizes at the local event, which is at G-town Prez Church at 11am. Save the planet, save some money, be a generally more likable person.

If the mention of cloth diapers brings to mind images of bulky napkins held together with sharp pins and plastic pants, then you are missing out, my friends. Things have come quite a long way from the days of old. Nowadays these things come in cute prints and trim styles, and best of all, they are a not-too-inconvenient way to help save the world while saving some money. The internet is already filled with blogs dedicated to telling you how and why cloth diapers are better than the alternative, how they will save you thousands of dollars in your child’s first two years, and how they’ll prevent Armageddon, so I’ll leave that to you to research on your own time. 

However, what I will tell you is all about is this really fun event called The Great Cloth Diaper Change  that’s coming up on April 20^th. Mark your calendars, mamas! Once your mother-to-child ratio is greater than 1:0, your memory is deemed unreliable! The Great Cloth Diaper Change (GCDC) is a global event that brings together cloth diapering families to break the Guinness World Record for the most diapers changed simultaneously. The goal of the event is to raise awareness about the benefits of cloth diapers in a real, tangible way.  It’s also a great place to go to touch, feel, and get to know the world of cloth diapers. If you're not currently a cloth diaper enthusiast, there will be tons of other parents who you can badger with questions, as well as local vendors who with lots of “fluff” for sale. (And no, parents, fluff is not code for a strange new street drug.)

Cloth diapers won't necessarily make your baby this cute and squishy, but they certainly can't hurt.

The local GCDC is going down at Germantown Presbyterian Church at 11am SHARP on April 20, 2013. Plan to show up way early so you won’t be late. Believe it or not, you are not so special that the whole world will wait just for you. If you’re late, you won’t be counted. That’s that. End rant. The rules say your kid can come in a disposable diaper, but that (s)he must be changed into a commercially available cloth one during the change. Meaning? Bring cash and buy a cute cloth diaper from one of the on-site vendors prior to 11am, so you can be part of the Guinness World Record. After the main event there will be raffles and other fun stuff to do, as well. Here’s a link to the facebook event for the Memphis GCDC so you can get the low-down on the cool stuff that's unique to the local event. (Like raffles!) 

This year there will be over 285 changes in 17 countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Chile, Germany, Spain, Finland, Great Britain, China, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Mexico, Malaysia, the Netherlands, and the US.  The 2012 GCDC blew 2011’s results out of the water, so come help do the same this year.

Statistics from previous GCDC events

2011
5,026 changes globally
65 changes locally

2012
8,251 changes globally
65 changes locally

Notice how there was no increase locally last year? Do these hardworking event coordinators a solid, and help make this year really shine. Third time's a charm, right? 

Sami Harvey is one of those self-righteous mothers who takes any chance she can get to post pictures of her kids on the internet. She is also a user of cloth diapers and recommends it to any one else who is frugal, earth-conscious, and has small children who refuse to use the toilet like a civilized human. She's also happy to answer any questions you have about cloth diapers, or to at least point you in the direction of someone who knows more than she does.