This is a rant. It is in response to an article I read today and directed at one of my FB friends. It is not directed at you, cloth nappying parent! Unless you are a smug attention seeker - then it is. Right....

I'm a disposables mum. I considered cloth (because they're seriously cute!) but quickly dismissed the idea when I saw how much work it would be!! I'm not super excited about my decision to use disposables. I'm not ashamed of my decision. It is what it is - and I suspect that's how most parents, whether they use cloth or disposable, feel about their nappies, right? They're just nappies; we use 'em.

Anyway...

A FB friend of mine (an acquaintance, really), had a baby a couple of weeks after me and used cloth.

Point number 1: How do I know she used cloth nappies when I have never even met her kid? Answer - because she banged on about it on Facebook and constantly posted pictures of her washing line and her son wearing said nappies with the hashtag #clothnappies #ecomum #fluffybums.

So, today, she posted this article to her FB feed:

http://www.mothering.com/community/a/my-choice-to-parent-differently-does-not-imply-your-way-is-wrong

And I just thought:

1) Ugh. Not nappies again. At least it's not #babywearing today.

2) Why do you even care what other people think about your choice of shit-wrapper??

I've got a suggestion (in the case of this particular friend). It's because she's seriously pleased with herself and wants lots of attention for her choice. In fact, I actually think she loves the criticism, so then she can use phrases (directly plucked from this article) like:

" I’m just trying to raise my child the best way I know how",

"...my passions for the planet...."

and my favourite:

"Just as we try to respect your right to decide what is best for your family, all that we ask for is the same understanding and consideration"

Understanding about what?? How you collect your child's feces? Get over yourself.

And here's the crux of the issue. I respect parents who use cloth. I think it's a tremendous sacrifice for the greater good. What I can't abide - smug people and, especially, passive aggressive smug people who use "everybody criticizes my choices" as an excuse to issue the reminder that they made "alternative lifestyle choices" because they are better than you.

I'm sick to death of hearing her banging on about her kids crap-catchers. I don't bleat constantly about my disposables and, you know what? Nobody has once commented on my choice. Funny that. If you didn't bang on about it, people wouldn't bring it up. But of course if you didn't mention it constantly, nobody would know you were doing it which would, of course, defeat the object - if indeed the object is to get lots of attention and to remind everyone about how awesome you are.

Rant over.

What do you think? Want to challenge me? Or is this the post you wanted to write but were too scared of offending people? Or am I completely wrong - do you actually feel inferior in the presence of a cloth nappying mum and think the article had you spot on?