How gradual can change be? Pretty darn gradual. Let's look at my diaper situation:
I have 3 children. I attempted cloth diapers with my firstborn, but was overwhelmed and didn't know what I was doing and gave up. I didn't try cloth diapers again until my youngest child was one. So.... three years of disposable diapers. Then, I decided that I would give cloth diapers a try. Here's what made the difference: it wasn't an all or nothing deal. C and I decided that we would try to use cloth diapers as much as possible, but we were open to using disposables when traveling, at night, etc... We ended up using cloth diapers about 90% of the time because we were able to make the change gradually, without too much stress, over the course of a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, we never really found a satisfactory night-time solution. After many many tries, I gave up, stopped washing all the sheets and blankets everyday, and opted for one disposable diaper a night instead. Not perfect, but it worked for us.
What helped with the diaper situation too was that it was a pretty low-risk investment. Cloth diapers have great resale value. I bought most of mine used and then resold them for almost the same price that I paid. Craig's List is a great way to buy cloth diapers. Some people are freaked out by buying used diapers. I don't really understand why many of these same people would use a diaper service -- it's the same thing. And in the end, they're all washed and clean.
Gradual change can also be a great way to win over other family members. For example, say you decide that you want to start eating less meat as a family. We never ate a lot of meat, but I would make spaghetti sauce with ground beef. My husband grew up eating lots of meat, so I was afraid he wouldn't be into veggie crumbles. So, I made the sauce the same way, but substituted in about 1/3 veggie crumbles. Nobody complained. I upped it to about 1/2. Nobody complained. Then, I decided to actually consult my husband, and he told me that he really liked the veggie crumbles and didn't need the meat. Maybe you'll never give up the meat, but you might be able to buy a little less grass-fed meat for the same price you were spending on corn-fed... you can make up the difference with veggie crumbles, or you can just stick with using a little less. It's worth a try.
Sometimes you might make a change and decide that it's not working out. But I think that the biggest step is being willing to try in the first place.
What are some gradual changes you could make?
- handkerchiefs -- buy one. Give it a try. It's nice. If you think it might be gross and germy, maybe don't use it when you have a cold. After a while, you might change your mind.
- cloth diapers -- go for two or three a day at first. Give cloth wipes a try while you're at it.
- used toys -- next time you buy a toy, buy used. I bet the kids don't care, which will make it more likely to happen in the future. Better yet, explain to the kids why you're doing it.
- library -- instead of buying the next book you want, at least check to see if it's at the library.
- non-stick pans -- hide all your non-stick pans. Buy a cast-iron skillet. Give it a try for a week. (Season it first!) If you hate it, you can dig out your pans again.
- buying freeze -- if you're a serious shopper, stop buying stuff for a week. If you need something, try to borrow it instead of buying it. It's only a week! It might not be as hard as you think it is.
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