A suggestion re cloth nappy posts v. all other natural parenting posts

[jen1604]

I'm going to say thats definitely not how the thread was meant Katy

I can see what everyone is saying,before I used cloth I would find myself having to wade through a million posts to find posts about other aspects of natural parenting BUT I think there are so few posts about all the other aspects that if we sub-sectioned cloth nappies,natural parenting would be SO quiet and there would never be anyone in here...x

 

[princessellie]

surely if there was something you wanted to know about one of the other aspects youd just post your own topic? therefore it wouldnt really matter if all the rest of them were about nappies, cos youd still get your questions answered

just a thought

x

 

[jen1604]

Mmm but I meant more really answering others questions Ellie.

Like when you click to come in here and theres like 8 threads about nappies and 1 about say,carriers,maybe sometimes the one about carriers might get missed.

Does that make sense? x x x x x x

 

[Mary Jo]

I dunno tbh, as someone who's still fairly new to cloth and does have questions this thread just makes me think I shouldn't post about nappies because I'm just pissing everyone off now

That's kind of how I feel. I'm not new to cloth but I still have questions and I don't like the idea that people are thinking "oh god no, not another thread asking about x, y, z". It worried me that the section could become quite exclusive and cliquey rather than open and welcoming, and that people are put off from joining in for fear of asking something that might have been asked before. Of course there is always the search feature but that doesn't do much for feeling part of this community.

All the cloth threads don't bother me at all, seeing similar threads posted often doesn't bother me either. But I do agree that other areas of natural parenting are not posted about so much, but I guess it's reflecting the concerns of the current posters. Just my opinion.

 

[Nic1107]

I don't think there needs to be a sub-section for all things cloth-related, but maybe a sticky for showing off your new ones? I agree with Jen, threads about other things may get missed simply because of the volume of posts about cloth. There's nothing wrong with posting about your fluff and I'm sure nobody is annoyed by anyone personally for it! But topics about anything else do tend to get lost I think.

 

[gills8752]

I think a thread for showing off new cloth would be good.

 

[becstar]

I do view this as the cloth nappy and carrier section more than Natural Parenting and stuff on co-sleeping, alternatives to CIO etc and other attachment parenting stuff can kind of get lost in the nappies as it were... Just my 2p worth, maybe a sub forum within this is the way to go? Not sure.

 

[Mary Jo]

But there is a thread for showing off nappies, the Post Your Cloth Bum Pics sticky. Also the Flash Your Stash thread.

 

[555ann555]

It's just that most of the natural forum is full of cloth nappy info, which is fine, except there is more to natural parenting than cloth nappies. I just wonder whether some people might find it offputting and not explore the threads any further if they think the only thing it's about is cloth nappies. There's all sorts of other info and questions out there, but it kind of gets swamped by the nappy stuff, so if you only ever read the first page of threads, you may well only see a list of nappy questions. But if everyone else thinks it's fine, then maybe it's just me.

It isn't just you, I find it a bit off-putting as I don't use cloth nappies!

 

[Dream.A.Dream]

At the same time could it not also be possible that by exposing people to the cloth threads when they come in to look at other stuff it ends up getting more people interested and using cloth? x

 

[gills8752]

I think maybe if we limit the "ooh look at my prety new cloth" to the stash/ fluff pic threads then it would be a bit better. I'm not trying to be nasty at all! i'm all for fluffy bums and love seeing the pic but it does seem a bit over run with with threads of look at my new fluff.
I'm really not trying to be nasty here so please don't take it that way (Ive a screaming baby in the background with dad trying to calm her so have to type quick!|)

 

[Dream.A.Dream]

I see where you're coming from

 

[4boys4years]

i'm a member of 2 other NP/babyled forums and there is so much more to NP than you see here. When i discovered BnB i was already returning to cloth after a break, had i still been using disposables then i'm not sure i would have come back. I also think that people get the impression that cloth = being a 'natural' parent, when it's not like that at all. You can be a more mainstream parent and use cloth, just like you can formula feed and still have a more NP approach

 

[princessellie]

haha im obv not a natural parent at all then since all we do is cloth atm, we dont bf, she sleeps in her own room, we dont bw atm, she is blw but she is 16months so i think thats pretty much expected by now haha

x

 

[Bayleaf]

4boys4years I think that's spot on. Fluffy bum does not necessarily mean NP at all.
I see this section more as a nappy/sling review/show off rather than a place to discuss NP practices. And I don't mean this in a nasty way, I am a nutter for pretty fluff.
Lots of good ideas have already been mentioned.
I think a sticky with 'FAQ cloth bums' would make a big change!

 

[Dream.A.Dream]

^there already is one xx

 

[DueMarch2nd]

i dont wanna come off as awful but i think its pretty narrow minded to insinuate that the natural parenting section would be lost without nappies. Cloth nappies are a part of NP but as 4noys4years says, you can use cloth and NOT be NP. NP is about not CIO/CC and babywearing and BLW and cosleeping and breastfeeding etc. Yes I know you dont have to tick all those boxes but NP is above all a baby-led style of parenting. There are loads of topics to discuss. Its a very interesting thing to be a part of. I wish this section was in reality what it was created for... a chance for alternative styles of parenting to be discussed with like minded poeple. BFing has its own section because , yes lots of NP mums BF but most BF mums are not NP, its the same with cloth nappies. Using cloth can be strictly because they are pretty and you still leave LO to CIO or something.

 

[Dream.A.Dream]

I do agree, it's just people don't seem to ask too many questions about that type of thing? From what I've seen anyway

 

[Arcanegirl]

Ive forwarded this thread onto Admin, but no promises guys

 

[DueMarch2nd]

i think they would if they came in and noticed other threads like it. Just maybe off putting for a new mum who wants to know about co-sleeping and how to do it because LO wont sleep without them and they see a bunch of thread entitled "WNSS/BBOS/BGV3" its like another language! so they may just move on as they think hmmmm this sections overrun with nappy talk!

(I felt a bit like that til i switched to cloth. The co-sleeping example is why i first ventured in)