Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Loaded Diapers

An article in today’s Wall Street Journal gives new meaning to the term “loaded diaper.” Apparently diaper manufacturers are tapping into the talents of well-known clothing designers to make decorated diapers. Yes, diapers that look like little jeans or that have intricate designs on them including argyle and polka dot. Seriously? They do know what diapers are for, right? They hold pee and poop. It’s just that simple.
I’m a few years removed from needing diapers and since I had boys, I was less into flashy diapers and more interested in ones that wouldn’t come off while they were trying to ride the dog. But even if I were in the diaper phase now, I just don’t think I’d want to spend my resources on cute diapers. Now that we’re counting the costs of school, hockey teams, summer camps and groceries for two growing boys, if I had it to do over again I’d probably wrap my kids’ behinds in a nice soft towel and secure it with duct tape just to save money.
In addition to making diapers prettier, they’re also making them easier to use. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing but a Huggies brand manager claims that trying to get a diaper on a squirming infant is an “unmet need.” Really? Isn’t that part of the fun of having babies? Playing with them while you try to squeeze their fat little bodies into a diaper?  It’s sometimes inconvenient, but is it an “unmet need”? I don’t think so. For parents of newborns and toddlers, an unmet need is actually an uninterrupted night’s sleep.  
The photos of these diapers on a couple of babies are way cute. And it definitely makes me a little nostalgic for the days when my boys were young enough to need them. But no matter how precious your baby is or how sweetly decorated his diaper, it’s still a poop holder.

No comments:

Post a Comment