Chapter 3
I took the diapers from him, praising him effusively:
“Wow, great job picking out the perfect diapers on your first try! You’re clearly a natural at taking care of the baby. Keep up the good work!”
“These days, many fathers are even more skilled than mothers at childcare. I’m sure you’ll be amazing too!”
David grinned sheepishly and scratched his head. “Sorry Jane, we weren’t prepared before.”
Barbara stepped forward and violently snatched the diapers from my hands, flinging them aside.
“Didn’t we agree not to use diapers and use cloth nappies instead? Who’s in charge in this house, me or her?”
“My friend Susan’s grandson used diapers and ended up with bowed legs! You’ll see what happens if you dare use these!”
“This is your first child. I have way more experience than you - just listen to me and you can’t go wrong!”
Lucy heard the commotion and came out of the bedroom.
“Mom, let’s use the diapers. All the childcare experts say the benefits outweigh any drawbacks. They won’t cause bowed legs, they’re breathable and comfortable, and they prevent diaper rash better than cloth nappies.”
“Besides, people used cloth before because that’s all they had. Now that we can afford better options, why not use them? It’s more convenient for everyone.”
Barbara snorted.
“What do you know? You’ve all been brainwashed by the diaper companies!”
David tried to reason with her too: “Mom, we already bought the diapers. Let’s just use them!”
Seeing she was losing the argument, Barbara’s beady eyes darted around. Then she dramatically plopped herself on the floor and started wailing.
“Your father died so young, leaving me to raise you three kids all alone, working my fingers to the bone… And now that you’re all grown up with your own wings, none of you listen to me anymore…”
“Each of those diapers costs at least a dollar. Don’t you know how hard David works for his money?”
I could see this circular argument wasn’t going anywhere. I quickly tried to smooth things over.
“We can use cloth nappies too. We’ll just need to wash them thoroughly and change them frequently. Babies have such delicate skin - we don’t want them getting diaper rash.”
Lucy and I went into the bedroom to discuss our strategy. We agreed that no matter what ended up in the cloth nappy, we’d immediately toss it in the trash.
Within half a day, we’d thrown out all the cloth nappies.