10 ms·

This article is so frustrating. The helplessness and dependence are just sad. Cloth diapers cost less than $1.50 each in a 10-pack. If you are poor enough, y

This article is so frustrating. The helplessness and dependence are just sad. Cloth diapers cost less than $1.50 each in a 10-pack. If you are poor enough, you can wash them in a bucket with bar soap. That's what virtually everyone did before washers were invented. I'm saddened that this girl didn't figure this out. I know first-hand, when you're poor and desperate, you figure shit out. Unless, of course, you have a system that encourages dependence on public assistance and actually ends up hurting a woman's self-sufficiency and puts her little boy at a high risk of being helpless and dependent, too. I want to help them, but the answer isn't more subsidies. I want to see her get that better job, even if it means losing the assistance. I want to see Dad stay in the home because that's so critical for developing emotional control in young adults. I want their son to grow up scrappy and industrious, with a good sense of how to get by even things are tough because tough times happen for everyone. I don't blame this woman. I'm not pissed at her. I'm pissed, however, at the politicians who have created this dependency web to trap people like this woman and ensure that there will always be a need for do-gooder politicians.

Nition 9y ago
I'd also add: - If you'd really prefer modern style cloth diapers (prefold, pocket etc) instead of the cheap old-school flat diapers, often you can buy second-hand ones that are hardly used (or not used at all!). - If you have any more children, your cost for buying diapers is now $0 because you already have them.
- hashgowda 9y ago
  Please post a link to the modern style diapers...
  - sleet 9y ago
    Just the first one that came up, I'm sure there are cheaper options. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/free-shipping-100-cotton-waterproof-sleeve-cloth-diaper-with-cotton-inner-one-size-baby-reusable-diaper/32674726427.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/free-shipping-100-cotton-wat...
  - neumann 9y ago
    Here you go: https://www.grovia.com/pages/diapers https://www.grovia.com/pages/diapers Pricey new, we bought 30 of them used for $50 bucks on craigslist and soak/cleaned/sun dried them for a few cycles. I loved the all-in-ones.
  - burfog 9y ago
    https://duckduckgo.com/?q=cloth+diapers https://duckduckgo.com/?q=cloth+diapers The top result I got was a Walmart ad. The "Gerber It's a Snap All-in-One" is $9.98 for 3, so about $3.33 each. I've seen them in physical stores as well.
  - Nition 9y ago
    Sure. These are prefolds, with outers: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LR8VC4 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LR8VC4 Prefolds are similar to the old flat nappies but they're thicker so you don't have to fold them so much. They work well but they're not as simple as the other options: These are pocket: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SWIA5LQ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SWIA5LQ They have a pocket in them where the absorbent insert goes. Easier to use but usually not quite as absorbent as prefold. Then there are other variations, e.g. Ones where the absorbent inner clips onto the outer ("snap-in"), or even simpler ones that are one outer and inner combined ("all-in-one").
- carlmr 9y ago
  It's better for the environment, too.
  - Nition 9y ago
    Yes. In fact I don't agree with the post I'm replying to in the sense that anyone should have to go back to washing diapers in a bucket 1930s style. But I do really think everyone who has access to a washing machine should be using cloth diapers given the insane amount of landfill disposables generate.
  - alex_hitchins 9y ago
    Interesting point, what is the carbon footprint in washing a soiled nappy compared to making and disposing of disposable ones. I don't know, be interesting to see if there is a difference. Thinking for washing them you would need high temperatures and a lot of water.
    - Nition 9y ago
      I've looked this up before. Some sources claim it comes out just as bad (or worse!) to use cloth, but when I looked into it further they were considering hot water washes and drying in a dryer. Whereas in reality you can usually cold or warm wash cloth nappies and line dry them. They also seem to consider them being used on only one child, when they can usually be reused for more than one child. Looks like Wikipedia actually has a decent section on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaper#Debate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaper#Debate
      - carlmr 9y ago
        Add to that the added plastic going into circulation and I think cloth is still much more environmentally friendly.
      - alex_hitchins 9y ago
        Thanks for that link, looks like where is some good information in there.
tytytytytytytyt 9y ago
> They are difficult to clean without a washing machine at home Am I the only one who thinks I could manage to clean some cloth diapers in a bucket or tub fairly easily?
- dandare 9y ago
  Cloth diapers must be washed and boiled throughly to be hygienic.
  - burfog 9y ago
    This is certainly true if you are running a daycare, hospital, or similar. It's also true when diapers change ownership, for example when used ones are sold. If you'll be putting them right back on the same kid, then no. Remember, you don't boil the kid's ass to be hygienic. You'll be putting that diaper on an unboiled ass. The diaper doesn't need to be boiled.
    - jiggunjer 9y ago
      I think the hygiene aspect is about long-term accumulation of pathogens. You bathe the baby several times a week if not daily. Then you put on a cloth that has been exposed to many pathogens over X time. But I guess boiling shouldn't take a day, since we can pasteurize milk in a very short time.
      - Nition 9y ago
        You really don't need to boil cloth diapers, honestly.
  - jiggunjer 9y ago
    Might depend on the age, I'd have a higher standard of sterilization for a newborn than for a 3yo.
  - chrissnell 9y ago
    Nonsense. Do you have kids? Kids have "blow-outs" all the time that send poop exploding out of the diaper and onto their pants and shirts (and socks...and shoes...). These clothes, they don't get boiled. We soak them in water and detergent for a few hours and then throw them in the washer with the rest of our laundry. I have two kids, including one in diapers, and I've never once had any hygiene issues and you better believe that my washer has seen some poop.
ILikeConemowk 9y ago
>I don't blame this woman. I'm not pissed at her. Although this is kind of you and your position is likely rooted in empathy and compassion, I think this is also wrong. At which point do we make the cut and let a person take responsibility for their lives? It's a chicken and egg problem, sure. But, who cares? I'm not saying that life isn't hard or that there aren't people who, by pure misfortune, had to endure situations which leave long-lasting scars. What I'm saying, however, is that each human being is the master of his or her destiny. >I don't blame this woman. Don't you, by not blaming her, contribute to reinforcing her perceived helplessness? Where do we make a cut? At which point can we "blame" a human being for her perceived helplessness? I don't want to blame any body, of course, I just want everyone to be aware that they, alone, can do better. Would my life be better if I was born in huge loving, rich family and I wouldn't have to worry about "surviving"? Well, perhaps. Do I care about the circumstances that were less than optimal in my life and for which some degree of fortitude and healing was needed? Hell no! It is what it is. >I don't blame this woman. If I ever put myself in a position of helplessness, please go ahead and blame me. Perhaps then I'd be able to realize that there are other ways. >I'm pissed, however, at the politicians who have created this dependency web to trap people like this woman and ensure that there will always be a need for do-gooder politicians. Nevertheless, I agree with this as much as I disagree with your other statement. Politicians who profit from certain tendencies in the most vulnerable members of our society not in order to help but to enslave are the dirty, dirty people.
- c22 9y ago
  Politicians are in the same trap as the rest of us.
- yladiz 9y ago
  > What I'm saying, however, is that each human being is the master of his or her destiny. You have likely never been put into a situation like this, because if you had you would know that this is not true in reality. It's significantly more complicated than you make it out to be.
watwut 9y ago
One my friend actually counted the total price of both and it came out as quite the same all counted in (water, "soap", etc). But also, it is not all hygienic enough to wash them in bucket with soap. Back when my mother had kids, they had to went through boiling water and were ironed. You basically spent whole day dealing with diapers. Literally whole day, it is ridiculous amount of work. Also, cloth diapers cause more rashes and that costs money too.
- bkovacev 9y ago
  But she has no job in the first place or possibility to find one now with the baby - so why would that prevent her from washing/ironing?
  - c22 9y ago
    I like this notion that a new baby isn't a 16+ hour a day exhausting job in itself.
    - bkovacev 9y ago
      I apologize if it sounded like that - a baby is definitely 16+ hours of work a day if not more, that's why I said that no other job is possible, but I was saying that maybe the person can squeeze in a couple of hours to wash the diapers while the baby is asleep.
      - majewsky 9y ago
        And when does she sleep? Surely not while the baby is awake.
        varjag 9y ago
        When father or other relative holds the baby?
        9y ago
s4vi0r 9y ago
Jesus, your comment and the other replies just straight up reek of privilege/ignorance. What you're suggesting is obviously the pragmatic choice - obviously, if she's poor as shit and can't afford regular diapers, using reusable cloth ones is a great solution. But that's not the fucking point of the article - its $CURRENT_YEAR in the richest country in the world, this absolutely shouldn't be a thing that happens in the first place. I'm not even a communist or anything, but its absolutely insane to me that Americans don't realize how "third world" their country is in some ways. Do you think that back in the 50s and 60s when your parents or grandparents were buying the first mass produced disposable diapers, they would have expected 60 years later people would be forced to go back to washable cloth diapers because they couldn't afford regular diapers? What a stupidly low standard to have for the wealthiest country in the world. Capitalism is an awesome thing, but it seems conservative pundits and the rich have convinced a lot of people that you can't have both a strong, capitalist free market economy along with a government that actually gives a shit about its citizens and not just the top 10,000 guys with the biggest wallets or whatever.
- drstewart 9y ago
  They also wouldn't have imagined that not making everything disposable and plastic would be a bad idea and yet here we are. Not everything is better because it happened in the past. God forbid you have to be a little bit more mindful of wanton consumption than people were in $CURRENT_YEAR - 50. Calling a country third world because you can't throw away tons of disposable diapers... now that's a low standard, or just ridiculously privileged.
  - croon 9y ago
    This has nothing to do with the argument, at all.
    - drstewart 9y ago
      It completely does. Why are cloth diapers third world? Why are disposables seen as so superior that they should be had at a discount? They should be expensive to account for their environmental cost. Just because they didn't care about that in the 50s doesn't mean anything. So yeah, it's incredibly relevant.
guelo 9y ago
"Dependency" doesn't let her figure out that she can't wash cloth diapers in a bucket? I'm sorry, that doesn't make any sense.
cm2012 9y ago
Okay, real talk. My time, according to society, is worth $300ish per hour. Hers is probably worth $10 an hour. I didn't do anything special to earn this and I'm a very lazy person. I would much rather have people like me pay more taxes and this lady not have to spend her whole day cleaning diapers.
- FuckOffNeemo 9y ago
  You and I both. How many of us would have to chip in another $10-$20 in taxes to cover those without, so a parent and his/her children can take a shit and dispose of it in a way that meats their commitments as appropriate?
  - epicureanideal 9y ago
    As others have said, it's not a question of "having diapers" vs "not having diapers". It's a question of convenience for the parents to not use another cheap alternative -- cloth diapers. Also, we already have many assistance programs and I would like to understand the specifics of a situation that leaves someone without enough money to buy even disposable diapers if they're already on assistance. Further, where does it end? "I want a good brand of disposable diapers, not the cheap ones" (Note: a lot of working families are buying those cheap diapers!) "I want a $1000 stroller with an easy-collapse handle and nice tires so my kids don't get jostled as I take them over bumps in the park" "I need a subsidy for a minivan because a small car is very inconvenient with kids" "I need a subsidy for ORGANIC food, not just any food for my babies." etc. The standard could easily become more than the average US household income, without even trying hard to grow the list. Remember, it's not about ability to have any diapers at all, they're arguing that they deserve a higher standard of convenience. Meanwhile, I need to commute to work an obscene distance because NIMBYs won't allow more housing to be built, keeping me away from my children for many more hours than I would otherwise need to. But please, prioritize taxing me even more to pay for conveniences for people who are home with their kids while I work to feed mine.
    - Marazan 9y ago
      It's a question of convenience for the parents to not use another cheap alternative -- cloth diapers Time spent cleaning cloth diapers is time not spent working and earning money. Being poor is expensive. Being poor means you are on an hourly wage in shift work not a salary. That means half an hour late for work means half an hour less money.
icantdrive55 9y ago
Wow--how about Fox and Friends instead of Coding? We have created a society where you can't live like our forefathers did. "Scrappy and industrious", oh he will end up scrappy, but probally won't be hired by the white boy funded by Thiel. What is it, "Just not the right fit?" We have laws, regulations, and so much red tape. Section 8 housing lease is 43 pages of can't/rules. (Can't open the hood in the parking lot, let alone working on it. Can't have people over. Can't start any business out of your cage. Can't--can't, and a bunch of angry ignorant people whem turn people in for the slightest offense.) I guarantee you come from a privleged family. I looked at your karma, and you either live here, or got very lucky in life? I leaning towards young and got a big payday, and an financially enabling dad? Be truthful? Picked up the pieces when Chris screwed up? Or, supported Chris when depressed when you didn't know what to do in life? Anywho--when the party ends--you just might eat your words if you need help? (I believe we could end poverty overnight if we tied fees/fines/tuition to income, and had free places where people could live when the bad times hit. Right now the poor are basically treated like inmates, or parolees. A bunch of regulations, and no real help.)
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
lsc 9y ago
>I want to help them, but the answer isn't more subsidies. I want to see her get that better job, even if it means losing the assistance. I want to see Dad stay in the home because that's so critical for developing emotional control in young adults. I want their son to grow up scrappy and industrious, with a good sense of how to get by even things are tough because tough times happen for everyone. What do you want to do to help them?
tallanvor 9y ago
"I want to help them, but the answer isn't more subsidies. I want to see her get that better job, even if it means losing the assistance. I want to see Dad stay in the home because that's so critical for developing emotional control in young adults. I want their son to grow up scrappy and industrious, with a good sense of how to get by even things are tough because tough times happen for everyone." In other words, you want to help the person in a way that doesn't require you to pay anything or spend any of your time.
OwlsParliament 9y ago
As someone from a country with a decent welfare system, this comment is utterly repugnant to me. Welfare should not be viewed as a "dependency web" that trap people. It should be a safety net for when people have no other choice.
bryanrasmussen 9y ago
about washing in a bucket with bar soap and other suggestions, time is money.
romanovcode 9y ago
I didn't even had the modern diapers in USSR and all was good.

Nition 9y ago

I'd also add: - If you'd really prefer modern style cloth diapers (prefold, pocket etc) instead of the cheap old-school flat diapers, often you can buy second-hand ones that are hardly used (or not used at all!). - If you have any more children, your cost for buying diapers is now $0 because you already have them.

hashgowda 9y ago
Please post a link to the modern style diapers...
- sleet 9y ago
  Just the first one that came up, I'm sure there are cheaper options. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/free-shipping-100-cotton-waterproof-sleeve-cloth-diaper-with-cotton-inner-one-size-baby-reusable-diaper/32674726427.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/free-shipping-100-cotton-wat...
- neumann 9y ago
  Here you go: https://www.grovia.com/pages/diapers https://www.grovia.com/pages/diapers Pricey new, we bought 30 of them used for $50 bucks on craigslist and soak/cleaned/sun dried them for a few cycles. I loved the all-in-ones.
- burfog 9y ago
  https://duckduckgo.com/?q=cloth+diapers https://duckduckgo.com/?q=cloth+diapers The top result I got was a Walmart ad. The "Gerber It's a Snap All-in-One" is $9.98 for 3, so about $3.33 each. I've seen them in physical stores as well.
- Nition 9y ago
  Sure. These are prefolds, with outers: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LR8VC4 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LR8VC4 Prefolds are similar to the old flat nappies but they're thicker so you don't have to fold them so much. They work well but they're not as simple as the other options: These are pocket: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SWIA5LQ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SWIA5LQ They have a pocket in them where the absorbent insert goes. Easier to use but usually not quite as absorbent as prefold. Then there are other variations, e.g. Ones where the absorbent inner clips onto the outer ("snap-in"), or even simpler ones that are one outer and inner combined ("all-in-one").
carlmr 9y ago
It's better for the environment, too.
- Nition 9y ago
  Yes. In fact I don't agree with the post I'm replying to in the sense that anyone should have to go back to washing diapers in a bucket 1930s style. But I do really think everyone who has access to a washing machine should be using cloth diapers given the insane amount of landfill disposables generate.
- alex_hitchins 9y ago
  Interesting point, what is the carbon footprint in washing a soiled nappy compared to making and disposing of disposable ones. I don't know, be interesting to see if there is a difference. Thinking for washing them you would need high temperatures and a lot of water.
  - Nition 9y ago
    I've looked this up before. Some sources claim it comes out just as bad (or worse!) to use cloth, but when I looked into it further they were considering hot water washes and drying in a dryer. Whereas in reality you can usually cold or warm wash cloth nappies and line dry them. They also seem to consider them being used on only one child, when they can usually be reused for more than one child. Looks like Wikipedia actually has a decent section on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaper#Debate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaper#Debate
    - carlmr 9y ago
      Add to that the added plastic going into circulation and I think cloth is still much more environmentally friendly.
    - alex_hitchins 9y ago
      Thanks for that link, looks like where is some good information in there.

tytytytytytytyt 9y ago

> They are difficult to clean without a washing machine at home Am I the only one who thinks I could manage to clean some cloth diapers in a bucket or tub fairly easily?

dandare 9y ago
Cloth diapers must be washed and boiled throughly to be hygienic.
- burfog 9y ago
  This is certainly true if you are running a daycare, hospital, or similar. It's also true when diapers change ownership, for example when used ones are sold. If you'll be putting them right back on the same kid, then no. Remember, you don't boil the kid's ass to be hygienic. You'll be putting that diaper on an unboiled ass. The diaper doesn't need to be boiled.
  - jiggunjer 9y ago
    I think the hygiene aspect is about long-term accumulation of pathogens. You bathe the baby several times a week if not daily. Then you put on a cloth that has been exposed to many pathogens over X time. But I guess boiling shouldn't take a day, since we can pasteurize milk in a very short time.
    - Nition 9y ago
      You really don't need to boil cloth diapers, honestly.
- jiggunjer 9y ago
  Might depend on the age, I'd have a higher standard of sterilization for a newborn than for a 3yo.
- chrissnell 9y ago
  Nonsense. Do you have kids? Kids have "blow-outs" all the time that send poop exploding out of the diaper and onto their pants and shirts (and socks...and shoes...). These clothes, they don't get boiled. We soak them in water and detergent for a few hours and then throw them in the washer with the rest of our laundry. I have two kids, including one in diapers, and I've never once had any hygiene issues and you better believe that my washer has seen some poop.

ILikeConemowk 9y ago

>I don't blame this woman. I'm not pissed at her. Although this is kind of you and your position is likely rooted in empathy and compassion, I think this is also wrong. At which point do we make the cut and let a person take responsibility for their lives? It's a chicken and egg problem, sure. But, who cares? I'm not saying that life isn't hard or that there aren't people who, by pure misfortune, had to endure situations which leave long-lasting scars. What I'm saying, however, is that each human being is the master of his or her destiny. >I don't blame this woman. Don't you, by not blaming her, contribute to reinforcing her perceived helplessness? Where do we make a cut? At which point can we "blame" a human being for her perceived helplessness? I don't want to blame any body, of course, I just want everyone to be aware that they, alone, can do better. Would my life be better if I was born in huge loving, rich family and I wouldn't have to worry about "surviving"? Well, perhaps. Do I care about the circumstances that were less than optimal in my life and for which some degree of fortitude and healing was needed? Hell no! It is what it is. >I don't blame this woman. If I ever put myself in a position of helplessness, please go ahead and blame me. Perhaps then I'd be able to realize that there are other ways. >I'm pissed, however, at the politicians who have created this dependency web to trap people like this woman and ensure that there will always be a need for do-gooder politicians. Nevertheless, I agree with this as much as I disagree with your other statement. Politicians who profit from certain tendencies in the most vulnerable members of our society not in order to help but to enslave are the dirty, dirty people.

c22 9y ago
Politicians are in the same trap as the rest of us.
yladiz 9y ago
> What I'm saying, however, is that each human being is the master of his or her destiny. You have likely never been put into a situation like this, because if you had you would know that this is not true in reality. It's significantly more complicated than you make it out to be.

watwut 9y ago

One my friend actually counted the total price of both and it came out as quite the same all counted in (water, "soap", etc). But also, it is not all hygienic enough to wash them in bucket with soap. Back when my mother had kids, they had to went through boiling water and were ironed. You basically spent whole day dealing with diapers. Literally whole day, it is ridiculous amount of work. Also, cloth diapers cause more rashes and that costs money too.

bkovacev 9y ago
But she has no job in the first place or possibility to find one now with the baby - so why would that prevent her from washing/ironing?
- c22 9y ago
  I like this notion that a new baby isn't a 16+ hour a day exhausting job in itself.
  - bkovacev 9y ago
    I apologize if it sounded like that - a baby is definitely 16+ hours of work a day if not more, that's why I said that no other job is possible, but I was saying that maybe the person can squeeze in a couple of hours to wash the diapers while the baby is asleep.
    - majewsky 9y ago
      And when does she sleep? Surely not while the baby is awake.
      - varjag 9y ago
        When father or other relative holds the baby?
        9y ago

s4vi0r 9y ago

Jesus, your comment and the other replies just straight up reek of privilege/ignorance. What you're suggesting is obviously the pragmatic choice - obviously, if she's poor as shit and can't afford regular diapers, using reusable cloth ones is a great solution. But that's not the fucking point of the article - its $CURRENT_YEAR in the richest country in the world, this absolutely shouldn't be a thing that happens in the first place. I'm not even a communist or anything, but its absolutely insane to me that Americans don't realize how "third world" their country is in some ways. Do you think that back in the 50s and 60s when your parents or grandparents were buying the first mass produced disposable diapers, they would have expected 60 years later people would be forced to go back to washable cloth diapers because they couldn't afford regular diapers? What a stupidly low standard to have for the wealthiest country in the world. Capitalism is an awesome thing, but it seems conservative pundits and the rich have convinced a lot of people that you can't have both a strong, capitalist free market economy along with a government that actually gives a shit about its citizens and not just the top 10,000 guys with the biggest wallets or whatever.

drstewart 9y ago
They also wouldn't have imagined that not making everything disposable and plastic would be a bad idea and yet here we are. Not everything is better because it happened in the past. God forbid you have to be a little bit more mindful of wanton consumption than people were in $CURRENT_YEAR - 50. Calling a country third world because you can't throw away tons of disposable diapers... now that's a low standard, or just ridiculously privileged.
- croon 9y ago
  This has nothing to do with the argument, at all.
  - drstewart 9y ago
    It completely does. Why are cloth diapers third world? Why are disposables seen as so superior that they should be had at a discount? They should be expensive to account for their environmental cost. Just because they didn't care about that in the 50s doesn't mean anything. So yeah, it's incredibly relevant.

guelo 9y ago

"Dependency" doesn't let her figure out that she can't wash cloth diapers in a bucket? I'm sorry, that doesn't make any sense.

cm2012 9y ago

Okay, real talk. My time, according to society, is worth $300ish per hour. Hers is probably worth $10 an hour. I didn't do anything special to earn this and I'm a very lazy person. I would much rather have people like me pay more taxes and this lady not have to spend her whole day cleaning diapers.

FuckOffNeemo 9y ago
You and I both. How many of us would have to chip in another $10-$20 in taxes to cover those without, so a parent and his/her children can take a shit and dispose of it in a way that meats their commitments as appropriate?
- epicureanideal 9y ago
  As others have said, it's not a question of "having diapers" vs "not having diapers". It's a question of convenience for the parents to not use another cheap alternative -- cloth diapers. Also, we already have many assistance programs and I would like to understand the specifics of a situation that leaves someone without enough money to buy even disposable diapers if they're already on assistance. Further, where does it end? "I want a good brand of disposable diapers, not the cheap ones" (Note: a lot of working families are buying those cheap diapers!) "I want a $1000 stroller with an easy-collapse handle and nice tires so my kids don't get jostled as I take them over bumps in the park" "I need a subsidy for a minivan because a small car is very inconvenient with kids" "I need a subsidy for ORGANIC food, not just any food for my babies." etc. The standard could easily become more than the average US household income, without even trying hard to grow the list. Remember, it's not about ability to have any diapers at all, they're arguing that they deserve a higher standard of convenience. Meanwhile, I need to commute to work an obscene distance because NIMBYs won't allow more housing to be built, keeping me away from my children for many more hours than I would otherwise need to. But please, prioritize taxing me even more to pay for conveniences for people who are home with their kids while I work to feed mine.
  - Marazan 9y ago
    It's a question of convenience for the parents to not use another cheap alternative -- cloth diapers Time spent cleaning cloth diapers is time not spent working and earning money. Being poor is expensive. Being poor means you are on an hourly wage in shift work not a salary. That means half an hour late for work means half an hour less money.

icantdrive55 9y ago

Wow--how about Fox and Friends instead of Coding? We have created a society where you can't live like our forefathers did. "Scrappy and industrious", oh he will end up scrappy, but probally won't be hired by the white boy funded by Thiel. What is it, "Just not the right fit?" We have laws, regulations, and so much red tape. Section 8 housing lease is 43 pages of can't/rules. (Can't open the hood in the parking lot, let alone working on it. Can't have people over. Can't start any business out of your cage. Can't--can't, and a bunch of angry ignorant people whem turn people in for the slightest offense.) I guarantee you come from a privleged family. I looked at your karma, and you either live here, or got very lucky in life? I leaning towards young and got a big payday, and an financially enabling dad? Be truthful? Picked up the pieces when Chris screwed up? Or, supported Chris when depressed when you didn't know what to do in life? Anywho--when the party ends--you just might eat your words if you need help? (I believe we could end poverty overnight if we tied fees/fines/tuition to income, and had free places where people could live when the bad times hit. Right now the poor are basically treated like inmates, or parolees. A bunch of regulations, and no real help.)

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

lsc 9y ago

>I want to help them, but the answer isn't more subsidies. I want to see her get that better job, even if it means losing the assistance. I want to see Dad stay in the home because that's so critical for developing emotional control in young adults. I want their son to grow up scrappy and industrious, with a good sense of how to get by even things are tough because tough times happen for everyone. What do you want to do to help them?

tallanvor 9y ago

"I want to help them, but the answer isn't more subsidies. I want to see her get that better job, even if it means losing the assistance. I want to see Dad stay in the home because that's so critical for developing emotional control in young adults. I want their son to grow up scrappy and industrious, with a good sense of how to get by even things are tough because tough times happen for everyone." In other words, you want to help the person in a way that doesn't require you to pay anything or spend any of your time.

OwlsParliament 9y ago

As someone from a country with a decent welfare system, this comment is utterly repugnant to me. Welfare should not be viewed as a "dependency web" that trap people. It should be a safety net for when people have no other choice.

bryanrasmussen 9y ago

about washing in a bucket with bar soap and other suggestions, time is money.

romanovcode 9y ago

I didn't even had the modern diapers in USSR and all was good.