Being a better Mom; now what Mom doesn’t strive for that?
With the influences of social media, our ever-changing and high-paced lifestyle, and just the fact for increased self-improvement, wondering how to be a better Mom is something on the mind of any Mom who wishes to put her child’s needs above hers.
And it doesn’t have to be complicated, in-depth, or even a science unknown to man.
Being a better Mom simply boils down to two things:
1. Wanting to be a better Mom
2. Willing to make a change
So I am sure you’re dying to know the one simple thing that will make you a better Mom, right?
Here it is: become a lazy Mom.
Yes, you read that right.
And by lazy, I don’t mean lay on the couch all day and make your kids wait on you hand and foot to serve you bonbons in bed.
What I mean by being a lazy Mom is by learning how to step back and give your kids a chance to figure out life skills as they come their way.
In other words, become a “hands-off” parent.
Now this doesn’t mean let you kids fight tooth and nail for toys, attention, and superiority in the home Lord of the flies style.
It simply means allowing your kids a sort of independence to learn the life skills they will need to survive and thrive as adults.
Of course this has to be age-appropriate. How I parent my 9 year old is world’s different than how I parent my toddler.
They each have different roles in the home and also various levels of expectations.
While my 9 year old can cook, do laundry, and help with chores around the home, my toddler is only expected to clean up his messes while supervised and learn the ins and outs of being a part of a working family unit.
When you take control of doing everything for your child, it starts to hinder their own ability to adapt and fit into the world.
From trimming their nails, washing their hair, and picking up their room, this inhibits the comprehension of responsibility for when they will need it most.
So what does being a “lazy” parent have to do with being a better one?
Plenty.
But, here’s just 5 reasons why shedding some of your responsibilities to your kids will not only make you a better Mom, but will help you raise kids to become better adults.
Teaches responsibility
By sitting back and having your kids pick up their room, fold and put away laundry, and even take out the trash, they soon learn what it is to be a responsible human being.
If they are in charge of their own tasks with the expectation of fulfilling those tasks when they are young, how do you think that will play out when they are adults?
That’s a rhetorical question by the way.
If you’re anything like me, then handing over tasks to your kids doesn’t come easy.
For one, I’m a control freak, and if a job isn’t done the way I prefer it to be done, it does nothing short of making my left eye twitch.
Secondly, you could call me a perfectionist. If I see shirts hung on clothes but they are not aligned right or if the hangers aren’t all facing the same direction, then my inner dialogue starts to go haywire.
But, if you can take a step back, take a moment to teach them the proper way of doing the task, and allow them to learn along the way, then setting aside these imperfections are all worth it in the end.
Not only will you be a better mom for it, but a better person by letting go of some of those controlling inhibitors.
Just take a hint from Elsa and ‘Let it go’.
Teaches life skills
If you do everything for your child, all of his life, what do you think will happen when he goes off to college or moves out for the first time?
If they’ve never done laundry for themselves, cooked a meal, cleaned a bathroom, or balanced a checkbook (is that even still a thing these days?!), then I am betting that they are going to have a tough time adjusting and figuring these things out on their own.
OR…they just won’t care and their living environment will be less than desirable than you could imagine.
But, if you teach them now, they will know how to do all of those things for themselves when it comes time to leave the nest – and you won’t have to worry if they have clean underwear or if they are eating anything other than cereal and frozen pizza.
If you want to be the best Mom ever, teach them these invaluable life skills and they will thank you for it in the end!
Teaches independence
I know it can be a tough thing to let go, but raising an independent child will only make you a better Mom.
As mothers we crave for that child dependence, that tell-tale sign that our children are always NEEDING us. Letting go of some of that can be difficult if we are wanting our kids to always need us.
But if we can manage to teach our kids to depend on themselves, they will only be more successful in the long term.
Of course that doesn’t mean we leave them to fend for themselves all of the time, but simply allowing them to discover ways of problem solving on their own will create better work ethic, independence, and leadership skills for the future.
So how does this boil down in real life?
By simply assigning them with tasks and responsibilities only they take care of – repeating these actions over and over again will become second nature and will (hopefully) teach them to take initiative in the future with similar tasks.
While I can’t say that this will automatically mold a child with high work ethic and a strong independent side, I will 100% back the notion that this is the BEST thing we can do for our children as they grow under our roof.
Planting the seeds early will only lead to a better chance of blooming in adulthood.
Teaches leadership
This goes hand-in-hand with independence.
I don’t mean that if you become a “lazy” Mom, you’re going to be raising the next president or influential leader of the world, but I do believe learning skills early in life will nurture confidence.
More confidence in oneself leads to leadership and helping others in the form of teaching, mentoring, and looking after those whom might need a little extra care.
That is what defines a true leader – it has nothing to do with being able to lead millions in a political speech or taking a tour around the world.
By building skills, our kids can learn to pass on & share those same skills to their peers.
And what a better way to become thriving adults than passing on those skills and responsibilities to their very own children one day?
By letting go of the reigns a little bit, we can allow our kids to learn, spread their wings, and conquer more than they ever could if we always had to be there doing it for them.
Want to be an awesome Mom?
Let your kids learn without the need to be constantly corrected and guided, and watch them blossom into amazing human beings.
Gives you more freedom
Ever heard of self-care? Yep, that’s where this is going.
Nothing can make you a better Mom than letting go of everything and taking some time to yourself.
By giving your kids tasks and responsibilities, this frees up more time for you to get other things done, take a breather, and just relax.
Related: How busy is too busy? 5 signs you’re doing too much
And I’m not implying to work your kids to death so you can lounge in the bubble bath and sip on several glasses of sangria all day, but just because you are Mom doesn’t mean your kids can’t share some of the load.
They live and breathe in your home, so why shouldn’t they take on some of that work and lessen the workload for their beloved Mother?
I promise that doing this will help everyone all around – in the short-term and long term.
Now you just have to envision what you’ll do with that extra time – even if it’s only 15 minutes of the day.
If you’re a work from home Mom, this is the icing on the cake. Being able to delegate tasks to your pack can free up more time so you can make the extra minutes count for your work or business.
This is definitely true for me.
If my kids didn’t make themselves breakfast, put away their clothes, and tidy up the home, I’d be facing at least an extra 2 hours of tasks every day – 2 hours that could be spent working so I can continue to stay at home with my kids and make a living.
If you’re a fellow Momprenuer or Momboss, then I invite you to download our FREE Momboss guide today & help pave the path of a better work/life balance and calming the chaos in your home.
Being a better Mom doesn’t have to be complicated, but I would be lying if I said it was easy.
Teaching your kids life skills, letting go of some of your perfectionism, and granting them some independence takes time, effort, and lots of dedications.
But, the rewards are tremendous.