My first post about the things I do because I’m lazy but that are actually kind of awesome made me feel so good about myself, I decided to write another!
1 – No purées for my princess!
Little Miss Cub is going to eat what we eat. No, not whole grapes or popcorn, but big old chunks of banana, hunks of bread, lightly-cooked carrots… anything that doesn’t require me to sit with a spoon is fair game! Baby-led weaning (BLW) is the way to go!
Team Science: Some experts believe that babies who are allowed to feed themselves by being offered a selection of nutritious finger foods can easily join in with family meals from the start, and are less likely to refuse foods or become fussy eaters as they grow older. Source.
2 – What’s on today’s program? Nothing.
I don’t have Cub in many scheduled activities (only one, in fact) because I like to avoid the hurdle of leaving the house at a set time. I want to preserve the zen-like state of having nothing on the agenda for as long as possible, so I didn’t push preschool this year. I had originally enrolled him, but he wasn’t allowed to attend as children had to be fully potty trained. THANK GOODNESS we dodged that bullet: getting there twice a week with a newborn would’ve been way too much hassle!
Team Science: Children who experience a lack of programmed activity are given an opportunity to demonstrate creativity, problem solving, and to develop motivational skills that may help them later in life. Source.
3 – Books equal more time in bed.
Pretty much every morning, I let Cub bring some books into my bed so I can read to him. I admit, I am often reading with one eye closed, and not-so-secretly hoping he’ll get so engrossed in a book that he won’t notice I’ve nodded off.
Team Science: Early readers will be armed with the vocabulary necessary to communicate to their peers, teachers, and parents. Education provider Gemm Learning says children who have the ability to find the words they want to use are more likely to have a strong self-image, sense of confidence, and higher academic standing. Source.
4 – Babywearing for the win!
Don’t get me wrong: I legitimately adore babywearing. That said, if it was easy to put Little Miss Cub down for a nap in her crib without having to run upstairs a bunch of times to settle her, I’d probably do that instead! I wear her at home because it’s less work than trying to enforce a “nap alone” policy.
Team Science: [Worn] babies spend more time in the state of quiet alertness . This is the behavioral state in which an infant is most content and best able to interact with his environment. It may be called the optimal state of learning for a baby. Researchers have also reported that carried babies show enhanced visual and auditory alertness. Source.
5 – I let my kid live dangerously.
Ok, I’m not as relaxed as the couple in the article cited below, but I am more relaxed than Papa Wolf about playground challenges! It’s okay to sit on the park bench and let your kid navigate the ladder and the fire pole if they’ll let you.
According to Peter Gray, professor and author of Free to Learn, risky behavior in play functions to help children learn to regulate emotions such as fear and anger. Moreover, this kind of play is likened to practice for real-life dangerous situations. Risky play teaches emotional resilience, and not to mention, it’s fun. Source.
6 – Not hungry? Then don’t eat!
Cub often skips lunch, and breakfast is really his only guaranteed meal. I am still working on relaxing about this, but it’s much easier to just let him skip a meal than it is to try and negotiate him into swallowing a few bites. I offer him lunch, of course, but if he says he’s not hungry, I don’t get into a power struggle with him.
Team Science: Fundamental to parents’ jobs is trusting children to determine how much and whether to eat from what parents provide. When parents do their jobs with feeding, children do their jobs with eating. Source.
What are your favourite lazy parenting strategies that deserve a pat on the back?
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