2021 Flats Challenge

A once year gathering of the Cloth Diaper Community to encourage and support cloth diapering because everyone deserves a clean bum.

May 17 – 23, 2021

Since 2010

This Challenge was originally started by Kim Rosas at Dirty Diaper Laundry

Diaper Need

Because 1 in 3 american families struggle to afford diapers

Supporting Each Other

This event is one way the community has come together.

2021 Announcements

Announcement – May 1, 2021 
WOW. It’s May. You blink, and it passes.
With 17 days until the Flats Challenge, you must be thinking, this girl is unprepared and chaotic. And your right, April is an incredibly busy month for cloth diapering and it burns me out every single time.
But this is what you need to know
🌟You can participate traditionally, 7 days of hand washing flats exclusively
🌟You can participate in a way that works for your family, what exceptions do you need to be successful at completing this challenge. Make those exceptions.
To Sign Up? Simply sign up for this Mailchimp newsletter (same as the form on the Flats Page on my website): https://mailchi.mp/1cde88105699/flats-2021
In past survey response has been meagre, so this year lets keep it simple, and if we want some details, I’ll send a survey out via email.
📍About the Challenge📍
We’re going to be talking about cloth diapering and striving to normalize the conversation of affordability and accessibility.
We’re going to be finding ways to better understand Diaper Need in our communities.
We’re going to be working together to learn, grow and find ways to better support cloth diaper curious parents
I have dreams of recording video interviews with Diaper Banks for the week of the challenge about what they need, who they serve, and how we can show up to support Diaper Need. This plan is still a plan, but with two weeks to go, I’m anxious if your girl will get it all together.
What I need from you?
🥳Awareness – Share about the challenge with friends, family, groups, and more.
🥳Start conversations, ask questions.
🥳Your content – share your links with me, and how you think you can support this program.

FEATURED

Writing Prompts

Monday

Why Cloth Diapers?

Share why cloth diapering is a choice for your family and the impact it has had.

Tuesday

What is your challenge?

Why are you participating and in what capacity are you participating in?

Wednesday

My Local Diaper Resource is…

Share information about your local cloth diaper bank, diapering resource centre, or where families in need of diapers can get them.

If there is nothing local, shout the impact of a national organisation that supports diaper need – either disposable or cloth

thursday

Share about your favourite flat fold system.

Share your favourite fold, your favourite cover system, or your favourite accessory that helps make cloth diapering look and feel easy. 

This is a great time to show people how easy it is to fold flats and what you do to keep them in place, and clothing dry.

Friday

How do you wash diapers?

What is your wash routine? What tricks have you learnt to make it easier for your family this week.

Saturday

Open Topic.

Suggestions include: overnight cloth diapering, diapering at daycare, biggest benefit of diapering, budgeting and cloth diapers, tips for donating diapers, how you overcome negativity, your biggest mistake

Sunday

How did it go?

What did you learn this week? Summarize your cloth diapering experience and any goals you achieved or dreams you want to achieve.

TESTIMONIALS

What Participants Say

Blog Posts

Previous Content

Flats Challenge 2021 Day 7

Day 7 - How did it go? Flats Challenge 2021 May 17 - 23, 2021facebookinstagramyoutubetwitterfacebookDay 7 Topic: How did it go? Share in your success or failures today. I couldn't even keep up with blogs and emails... so feel free to come back to this in a week or...

Flats Challenge 2021 Day 6

Day 6 - Open Topic Flats Challenge 2021 May 17 - 23, 2021facebookinstagramyoutubetwitterfacebookDay 6 Topic: Open Topic Share whatever story you want to share with the world about your experience this week, with flats, with handwashing, or more.   Share a link in...

Flats Challenge 2021 Day 5

Day 5 - How to Wash Flats Challenge 2021 May 17 - 23, 2021facebookinstagramyoutubetwitterfacebookDay 5 Topic: How do you wash Everyone's wash routine story is valid and deserves to be shared. I love learning what works and doesn't work for people.  As a cloth diaper...

Flats Challenge 2021 Day 4

Day 4 - Share Your System Flats Challenge 2021 May 17 - 23, 2021facebookinstagramyoutubetwitterfacebookDay 4 Topic - Share Your System Share something about this week that you want to share. In past years we've done a day on folds, a day on wash routines, a day on...

Flats Challenge 2021 Day 3

Day 3 - My Local Diaper Resource is... Flats Challenge 2021 May 17 - 23, 2021facebookinstagramyoutubetwitterfacebookDay 3 Topic: My local diaper resource is... If a family in your community struggled to afford diapers, where could they get diapers? I want you to find...

Flats Challenge 2021 Day 2

Day 2 - What is your challenge? Flats Challenge 2021 May 17 - 23, 2021facebookinstagramyoutubetwitterfacebookDay 2 Topic: What is your challenge? The Flats Challenge historically had very strict rules, but this year I'm saying 'out with the rules' - which is very on...

Flats Challenge 2021 – Day 1

Day 1 - Why Cloth Diapers Flats Challenge 2021 May 17 - 23, 2021facebookinstagramyoutubetwitterfacebookDay 1 Topic: Why Cloth Diapers In years past, on the first day of the challenge we would talk about why we are participating in the Flats & Handwashing...

Day 7

Day 7 - The End is Here.For some of us, tonight is the last night of the challenge and we will get to return to our washing machines on Monday morning. But for some, this is not the end, but the continuation of their every-day practice. We have read stories in the...

Day 5

Day 5 - Open TopicToday we can talk about everything and anything you want to talk about - you can also take a day off. You are doing an amazing goods.  Curious about the stats from the 2019 Flats & Handwashing Challenge  Not getting emails? - Read Today's Email...

Day 4 – Wash Routines

Day 4 - Wash Routine StrategiesAh, laundry day my favourite day because I love watching, reading, and learning how everyone washes cloth diapers. I always learn something new like a way to save water, find a different soap product, or a different way to reduce burn...

Professional Cloth Diaper Educator

Bailey brings 5+ years of cloth diapering experience and conversation to the cloth diaper space. She's not just your every day mom blogger sharing her experience - Bailey is immersed in the cloth diaper community learning from other parents and growing as an individual. She wants to find the cloth diaper solution that truly works for you.

Bailey believes we need to stop and listen to cloth diapering parents. We need to recognize our own bias and preferences and focus on solutions that work for you, not us. The Cloth Diaper community needs to recognize the privilege of being able to cloth diaper, and provide spaces for more conversations and stories.

Cloth diapering is not about rules but about our own strength as parents to do the best we can for our children with the resources available.