Before I became a mother, I used to think that the term "lazy mom" was a bad thing. I envisioned a woman forever couch-bound, yelling instructions to her kids because she doesn't want to get up and do it herself. Now that I am a mom of an almost-two year old, I will wear that "lazy mom" title with pride. Honestly, being a "lazy mom" just means being easy-going, and I'm all about easy when it comes to parenthood. Thankfully, being a lazy mom prepares you for toddlerhood in ways very few things can, and now that my kid is throwing tantrums on the regular and starting to push boundaries and exploring a world he is starting to notice, my "laziness" is coming in handy like never before.
I honestly feel like mothers need to reclaim "lazy" as a badge of honor. Instead of caving to the social expectations that demand we sacrifice everything about ourselves and never lose sight of our children for even a second and forever be available to them at every hour of every day, we should be proud that we find easy ways to deal with parenthood; ways that allow us the ability to take time for ourselves; ways that don't mean that we're constantly exhausted or teetering towards the edges of our sanity or giving up on goals that dreams that previously meant so very much to us. If being a multi-faceted human being who can multitask and come up with quick solutions to parenthood makes me a lazy mom, I am so very proud to be a "lazy mom."
I'm not going to essentially run myself ragged for my kid, because my kid needs me well-rested and at the top of my game. That's why being a lazy mom helps you with toddlerhood in the following ways because, yep, when your kid is a toddler you'll need all the energy you can get.
You Won't Sweat The Small Stuff
When you're a "lazy" mom, the small, unavoidable stuff isn't going to bother you. When it comes to raising a toddler, small and unavoidable stuff are arguably the only constant in your life. Your kid is going to throw a tantrum over something small and unavoidable, and you'll probably just shrug your shoulders and consider it par for the toddler course until toddlerhood is a thing of the past. I mean, if that's not a bad ass way of dealing with the inevitable, I don't know what is.
You Won't Hesitate To Ask For Help
It's pretty damn sad that, in the "mom world," asking for help is synonymous with laziness. I mean, like, why? Every mother needs help and every mother should feel supported enough to ask for that help and every mother should be able to ask for help sans judgement or shame or someone assuming she is lazy. Still, here we are and some people think a mother asking for help is lazy. If you're already a "lazy mom," you won't care if someone assumes the aforementioned and you'll ask for help anyway and you, and your family, will be better off for it.
A Toddler Tantrum Won't Phase You...
When you're a self-professed lazy mom, the toddler tantrum won't bother you as much. I mean, don't get me wrong, it will bother you. After all, you're human and the heart-piercing shrieks of an unhappy toddler who was just handed the "wrong color cup" will upset damn near anyone, but you'll be able to take it in stride. You won't be above using ear plugs or walking away or letting your toddler just "cool down" on their own and, honestly, all of those tactics for dealing with a toddler tantrum are legit and necessary and helpful. Trust me.
...Because You Won't Feel The Need To Help End It Right Away
When you're a lazy mom, you're alright with a certain amount of chaos. You're acutely aware that you can't control every single solitary situation, so you won't try. This will definitely come in handy when you're in the middle of a toddler tantrum because, well, there's no reasoning with a tiny human who is spending their afternoon kicking and screaming for no discernible reason. Best to just ride the wave, my friend. Ride the wave.
You Won't Push Them To Hit Certain Developmental Milestones Early...
I think you'd have trouble locating a parent that wasn't insanely proud of their offspring every time they hit a developmental milestone. I mean, I will forever remember the moment my son used his toddler toilet for the first time. You would have thought the kid cured cancer. I mean, that's how emphatically I was celebrating poop and pee. Still, being the lazy mother that I am, I'm not pushing my kid to figure things out quicker than he naturally tends to. I'm all for him taking his sweet time, mostly because it gives me more time to adjust and, for at least a moment, relax in a routine I've grown somewhat accustomed to.
...Because Staying In Your Routine Is (Honestly) Easier
Routines are my saving grace. Like, my kid's sleep routine is why he sleeps through the night and his nap routine is why he doesn't turn into a devil-child during the day and my morning routine is why I can get my necessary caffeine fix before making breakfast and heading off to work. I'm all about my routine, and I'm more than OK to stay in it as long as possible.
You Won't Feel The Need To Sign Your Toddler Up For Every Activity Known To Man...
Yeah, no. My kid doesn't need to be in swim lessons and on a soccer team and going to playdates and doing a million other things that some parents think their children just have to do. I mean, if you're up for enrolling your kid in countless extracurricular activities, you're my hero. I'm just too lazy to do it myself.
...So Playtime Will Be Easy To Facilitate
When you're a "lazy mom," playtime is easy. My kid can play on his own in his room with his toys or go to a park and play with kids under my supervision, and I can feel fine knowing that he has been active. I don't need to spend the money and invest the time carting him to different events in order for him to have fun and for me to feel like I'm facilitating that fun.
You'll Give Yourself Permission To Nap When They Do (If You Can)
Arguably the best part about being a "lazy mom" is feeling the unabashed freedom to take all the naps. Before I started working outside of the house, I was all about the midday nap. The midday nap was everything.
..And You Won't Care If Someone Calls You "Lazy" For Taking Time For Yourself Because, Hey, If The Shoe Fits
Call me lazy when I take myself to a solo-dinner or a movie or schedule a manicure, I don't care. I enjoy doing something for myself that gets me back to neutral and better prepares me for parenthood. Taking care of another life is draining, especially when that life hits toddlerhood and becomes what can only be described as a tiny drunk person. If it makes me lazy to say that I need time for myself and self-care and moments away from my kid, then lazy I am. I am the most lazy. All the lazy, right here.
