Huh????

[Dorasmum]

I was just reading an email from my MIL, she was describing how my SIL had just had a blocked and flooded toilet system, something about maybe it being the too many baby wipes she uses.....she flushes them down the toilet???? and she doesn't have kids! She then went on to say that her and my FIL will have to be more careful when flushing baby wipes down the loo too....

I am just staggered by the apparently different attitude americans have to things like this than us..MIL always and only uses the dryer, very few people have clotheslines, and when she's here she still uses it because she doesn't like line dried clothing-this being in the summer too. Well she did when she was in the hotel. But next trip over- due here in a month- they're staying with us and I can tell you she's not using my dryer! It's not even installed properly and I've used it once in 4 months.

They're smart people but totally hooked up in the american consumerism way of life, and I see many here in oz doing the same thing. It's about doing what makes ME comfortable and happy and nothing else matters.

I find it very confusing, when I had DD2, I had all my cloth nappies ready to go and she decided (meaning well) to go and buy me 4 huge boxes of newborn nappies. Which I ended up using because I had a hard time getting the onesize cloth to fit well enough and I didn't want them to go to waste, but that wasn't the point, I wanted to use cloth from the start.

I love them, but I don't entirely always understand them!

Em

[starbuckozzie]

Oh, that's exactly how I feel! We lived in the US for about 3 years. I love my American friends but they do have strange ideas (to us). We installed a clothesline in our backyard and were laughed at for being old fashioned. We had small cars (in Texas) and used a reel (push) mower and were known as "those strange Australian greenies". I think it's this attitude that drove me to persist with cloth nappies. I remember the day I had my prefolds out on the line and a neighbour came across and laughed and told me I'd be using disposables like everyone else. I was so miffed I persisted despite lots of opposition and 5 years later the prefolds are still going strong!

I've just been watching "Sicko" and Michael Moore's conclusion seemed to be that they think "me" instead of "we". I catch myself doing this all the time so I don't think it's only being American. Certainly though, they do think they have a right to maintain a certain standard in life whereas I suspect most of the rest of us simply think we are lucky if we have a big car, central heating, big TVs, etc. And I'm not even sure that is luck anymore!

The lovely thing is that America (if not all Americans) is (are) changing. We went back to Texas for a visit last year and lots of people told us (in private) that we were right about many things; for example, they are moving to smaller cars (can't do without of course!) or changing who they vote for. We were so pleased for them and for the world!