Heading back to work soon and wondering how cloth fits into daycare life? 

You’re definitely not the first to ask! It’s something we hear from lots of parents.

The short answer: It depends on your centre, but with most, Yes, you can!  With a little preparation and some open communication, many centres are happy to support families who use reusables. 

In fact, we recently visited a daycare that does cloth nappies FULL TIME in-house, and you can check out the recap video on our Youtube, at this link here: Inside a Cloth Nappy Daycare.

We’ve popped together a few tips and tricks below, to help make the transition smooth for everyone - you, your baby, and your daycare team.

How to initiate Cloth Nappies at Daycare:

Every daycare is different, so the first step is always to ask the question. They may already have tamaraiki using cloth nappies, and if not, offer to give them a rundown to see if they’re receptive.  

If they are already using them, they may have their own guidelines on how they use cloth nappies in their centre, which makes the transition easy for you.

If not, you can take the opportunity to let them know they aren’t the big white sheets our parents used to use! As we know, modern cloth nappies are very simple to use, and they snap on just like disposables.  You can also let them know you’ll send everything they need for the day - fresh nappies and a Bear & Moo Wet Bag for the used nappies.  They may be nervous about dealing with any nappy mess - reassure them they can pop the dirty nappy into the wet bag and you’ll deal with it at home. 

If they’re unsure, sometimes it just takes a bit of reassurance or showing them how easy it really is. 

Helping Your Daycare Get Set Up for Cloth:

Once you’ve got the green light, it’s time to make life simple for the kaiako who’ll be doing the changes! Here are some of the ways cloth parents are already doing that:

• Show them how it works! A quick demo or short video from home can help staff see how easy it is to pop on and take off a cloth nappy.

• Keep it consistent. Use the same nappies you use at home so you know exactly how they fit and perform (our Bear & Moo OSFM nappies are perfect for this!).

• Fill a nappy pod to keep there.  This way you can always see how many nappies the centre has left for your little one and you can refill it each morning.  

• Send clear instructions! A little note inside your daycare bag explaining where to put the dirty nappies, as well as including one of our wash and fit guides, can make a big difference.  It’s worth letting them know that cloth nappies might need changing more frequently than disposables.  

What to Pack in Your Daycare Bag:

Packing for daycare doesn’t have to be complicated! Here’s a checklist to make sure you’ve got everything covered:

✨ 4–6 clean nappies – depending on how long your little one will be there - to refill your nappy pod each morning
✨ 2 Wet Bags – one for dirty cloth nappies (likely to live in the change area), and one for dirty clothes in the daycare bag.
✨ A Nappy Pod – as mentioned above, great for keeping clean nappies organised
✨ Spare outfits – because accidents happen!

Top tip: label your bags and products clearly so there’s no confusion. 

You’ve Got This 

With a little prep and the right supplies, using cloth nappies at daycare is completely doable - and totally worth it. 

And if you’re looking for the perfect gear to make it as easy as possible… Check out our Bear & Moo OSFM nappies, Wet Bags, and Nappy Pods - everything you need to keep daycare days smooth, simple, and sustainable.