I am so excited to share a conversation with Shannon Griffith, owner of Green Diaper Babies, Chicago's premier cloth diaper delivery service.
I used disposable diapers with my daughter when she was a newborn, but was happy to convert to cloth diapers when she was about a month old. Using cloth diaper with my daughter I fell in love with their ease, baby-friendly fabrics, and how well she was able to convert from diaper to using the toilet. What was most surprising for me getting started is that they can be just as simple as disposables.
There is something out there called an All-In-One which was the selling point to get my husband on board. Green Diaper Babies knew this kind of diaper would make a tremendous difference for families, and she is happy to offer this option as well as traditional pre-fold diapers.
But don't get bogged down with this lingo - Green Diaper Babies offers a class for parents looking into diaper use.
Green Diaper Babies takes all the good qualities of using cloth diapers for your family and none of the bad, meaning, cleaning the soiled nappies!
Shannon has a love for families and the environment, and this venture is an extension of those passions. Feel free to visit Green Diaper Babies for more information or - get this - call 773 - DIAPERS. Love that.
Interview with Shannon Griffith
I used disposable diapers with my daughter when she was a newborn, but was happy to convert to cloth diapers when she was about a month old. Using cloth diaper with my daughter I fell in love with their ease, baby-friendly fabrics, and how well she was able to convert from diaper to using the toilet. What was most surprising for me getting started is that they can be just as simple as disposables.
There is something out there called an All-In-One which was the selling point to get my husband on board. Green Diaper Babies knew this kind of diaper would make a tremendous difference for families, and she is happy to offer this option as well as traditional pre-fold diapers.
But don't get bogged down with this lingo - Green Diaper Babies offers a class for parents looking into diaper use.
Green Diaper Babies takes all the good qualities of using cloth diapers for your family and none of the bad, meaning, cleaning the soiled nappies!
Shannon has a love for families and the environment, and this venture is an extension of those passions. Feel free to visit Green Diaper Babies for more information or - get this - call 773 - DIAPERS. Love that.
Interview with Shannon Griffith
What led to the creation of Green Diaper Babies?
An adventure! :) I am originally from Colorado but living in Oklahoma at the time the seeds were planted in December of 2012. I moved to Chicago in the summer of 2013 to get things started. It will be 2 years in August and I'm so happy I took the leap to try Chicago, try cloth, and I can definitely say I found a passion!
What have you learned your customers are concerned about?
Our customers are concerned about usually a few reasons. First, the environment; even making a small change, one cloth diaper a day would say 365 diapers from landfills! The numbers add up. Another reason would be baby health: rash is slim or non existent, as well as skin sensitivities are eliminated because of the natural fiber. Plus a baby in cloth diapers on average potty trains 6 months sooner!
Can you speak to the level of education that may be involved to encourage people who may not know this diaper option exists?
Parents overall are becoming better at looking at options, trying to be open minded and find what parenting styles and techniques they want for their family. Cloth is one of those choices. Cloth is not as mainstream yet as it ought, but certainly has progressed over the past generation and we can only hope this continues. Most families who are looking into better, holistic, healthier options for their family often turn to cloth.
An adventure! :) I am originally from Colorado but living in Oklahoma at the time the seeds were planted in December of 2012. I moved to Chicago in the summer of 2013 to get things started. It will be 2 years in August and I'm so happy I took the leap to try Chicago, try cloth, and I can definitely say I found a passion!
What have you learned your customers are concerned about?
Our customers are concerned about usually a few reasons. First, the environment; even making a small change, one cloth diaper a day would say 365 diapers from landfills! The numbers add up. Another reason would be baby health: rash is slim or non existent, as well as skin sensitivities are eliminated because of the natural fiber. Plus a baby in cloth diapers on average potty trains 6 months sooner!
Can you speak to the level of education that may be involved to encourage people who may not know this diaper option exists?
Parents overall are becoming better at looking at options, trying to be open minded and find what parenting styles and techniques they want for their family. Cloth is one of those choices. Cloth is not as mainstream yet as it ought, but certainly has progressed over the past generation and we can only hope this continues. Most families who are looking into better, holistic, healthier options for their family often turn to cloth.
What is your favorite part of the cloth diaper business?
Oh my, my favorite part? I have given a couple of years of my full attention and passion to the the cloth diaper business and really love it. I have experienced every part of this company and I wouldn't trade it for anything! My favorite part is that at the end of the day, the long week, and the load of laundry, I know that I've had a positive impact on my friends, city, and earth. I'm making a difference in a small way and I sleep well at night knowing that one less diaper is in the landfill and one more baby slept well in cloth. I wouldn't be in the business if it wasn't for the wonderful families I work with daily!
The cloth diaper market has many different options and brands. How did you come to your decision on which brands you would use?
I knew we would carry the traditional cotton pre-fold as it is the most basic, traditional, yet approachable and affordable. Our All-In-One diaper decision was a bit harder because we knew we would be standing out. The All-In-One diapers are often not offered in services across the nation and I chose to give them a shot. I came into the industry with a fresh eye and saw the modernization of cloth. I knew my company needed to be on that page to offer the best for our customers.
How do you offer ongoing support to families who use your service?
One of the best things I think we offer in our service is our free in-home consultation for each of our clients. Though this technically happens before they begin the service, it sets every new client up for success! We take time to meet with each family individually to practice putting diapers on, review products and policy, and to have a face to a name. This helps us in our relationships going forward because we know siblings, pets, babies, and parents names and environments. Now that the weather is nice we also coordinate Meetups for our customers and other cloth diapering families in and around Chicago. We meet in parks and cafes to talk and share stories and mingle. It's a real blast!
What have some of the responses been from customers?
I'm thankful to say that most customer responses have been positive. Over the course of the couple years I've had the opportunity to watch little ones grow and I am thrilled to have been a part of their lives! The families are terrific and allow us to be succeeding. Often we hear good reviews on our service, which for me is most important, so I am thankful for that!!
What parts of Chicago do you service?
We service every zip code of the city of Chicago; we go North through North Shore to Highland Park, West to Elgin an Aurora, South to Tinley Park, and of course everything in between!
What is the best way for people to learn more about cloth diapering through a diaper service?
We offer free Cloth Diaper 101 course usually twice a month. We have classes in the suburbs, West Loop, Lincoln Park, Ravenswood, and Evanston. We try to meet in spaces that are relevant for our customers such as prenatal gyms, chiropractor and acupuncturists who workwith pre- & postnatal, and birthing centers and studios. Our workshops discuss options of washing at home or cloth diapering with a service. And as mentioned before, we also offer the free in-home consultation for our customers, which is a great one-on-one. And if schedules don't allow or class doesn't work out, call us: 773-DIAPERS. We are happy to talk about cloth diaper with you!
Thank you so much to Shannon and her team that makes this incredible service possible! If you are looking for more information about Green Diaper Babies, visit their website at www.greendiaperbabies.com
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