The Lazy Person's Guide to Gentle Parenting

[Ginger]

we're planning on doing au natural toilet training this summer with ds. in other words, let him run around naked all day on the deck and lawn

[Winter]

See Boomba, you've started a trend with ANTT!!!

[boomba]

Woohoo reckon we could now write a book

[Early Kids]

biggest load of bollocks fed to me by my visiting MACH nurse when DD was all of 8 days old that my daughter needed (at her age ) to 'play' before sleeping...i mean, seriously, did she want me to stick DD in the sandpit with a plastic shovel and bucket??!

I had to giggle at that... I could just imagine people in the sandpits with their newborn LOL.

I love the ANTT... thats what we are going to do this summer! Well hoping to anyway hehe

With the feeding to sleep... I cant help that my baby falls asleep when feeding.... I certainly am not going to wake him up for doing it either!

[Jennifer13]

Plenty of gentle lazy parenting here too.

Still bfing 'cause I'm too lazy to get out of bed in the morning at 6am and it's the only way guaranteed to convince her to go to bed.

Still cuddle and occasionally bf before bed time 'cause she'll fall asleep on the couch in my arms and I don't have to deal with convincing her to stay in bed.

Love reading to my DD because it means we can all sit still and quiet for a good 15 mins AND I can pretend I'm mother of the year.

DD knows how to put away all her toys by herself (and many other things beside) because I'm too lazy to have to tidy up after another person in this household. (If toys get put away by Mummy they can't be played with for a few days).

I encourage social behaviour by organising plenty of time with other kids. DD plays with other kids while Mummy sits on her twaddle and sips tea in peace, happily chatting to other 'lazy' Mums.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

MiL did ANTT with DH so it's not new! (Laziness has been around forever LMAO - I plan to do this with DS again next summer, he is rather attached to his nappies atm.) Downside is that DH loves to pee in the wild. His advice is to not pee on electric fences... but that was just earlier this year, so don't worry about the toddlers!

I agree with Jennifer, reading does make you feel like a good mother. Even when the book is Harry Potter to your newborn. Actually, DS enjoyed Discworld books too - although he won't sit still for a full one any more.

DS puts toys away too. It's a lot of effort now, but I'm lazy enough to realise that in a couple of years it will be more sit-down time for me.

[Cassius2]

...hmmm i have tried the discworld too with DD...she aint buying it...maybe i should the witches one when nanny ogg goes to take a bath?? that should get a laugh!

my other lazy gentle parent tactic is to use the sling. i get strange looks by people when i have DD hitched up on my back in the ring sling. yes, she is big enough and fast enough to walk, but seriously, it is a PITA to have to walk down a busy street with cafes and shops that all have steps that DD NEEDS to sit down on...like every.single.one. i sometimes dont have the half hour it would take to do a 5 minute milk run...bad mum alert LOL!

[Winter]

I haven't tried Discworld but I have tried to read her some Ian M Banks Culture books - especially when I'm up to a bit that I really need to concentrate on and DD wants my attention!

I had to laugh Cassius at the .every.step!! Sounds like good reason to use sling!

[Indadhanu]

I can't be arsed to explain why I can hit and DS can't, so don't smack.

LOL YES!

Breastfeeding: solves everything, stops crying, causes sleep, great excuse to say "can you do xyz, i need to top her up...", pop boob out and go! Too cheap to buy formula!
Cloth: so i can avoid the shops as much as possible
Co-sleeping: too lazy to keep trying to put her back in the cot and have her whinge
'Real' food. Because I'm too cheap to but jars and by 7 months was too lazy to blend/puree/mash! lol
No-cry house. No set bedtime: because, seriously, who wants to put a baby down too early and hear them cry for ages?
One of us showers/bathes with Jazz: saves time, saves water.

[Winter]

LOL YES!
'Real' food. Because I'm too cheap to but jars and by 7 months was too lazy to blend/puree/mash! lol

Have you tasted those jars of baby "food"?? Urgh! I had one as an emergency backup and had a taste, seriously, they taste foul. The one I tried was organic & all natural but I know that I couldn't put my 100% vegie mix in a jar and leave it on the shelf and expect it to still be good in a week let alone longer so not exactly 100% natural!

[ladybird11]

Headphones and an iPod work in our household (for me to wear)...i have more patience when my ear isn't being screamed off by bubs ...

Sorry, I'm a bit off track - but all my other ideas were already mentioned!

[skeetaboat]

Great thread. It's all been said!

Only one I can add is DS (2) goes to bed when we do... firstly because why battle? Secondly coz we like his company. Thirdly he sleeps in and I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn (I have to wake *him* up when he has daycare hahaha). Fourthly we can go out visiting at night or have our childless friends over, and DS is happy hanging out and playing while our other friends are stuck at home after 7pm.

[Winter]

This is a tip I got from Alan and it works!

If bubs is not going to sleep , reset the sleep routine, starting back at the bath stage, do a massage and whatever the rest of your sleep routine is.

I also tried a shower with DD today after she was having a bit of a melt-down because she was overtired and that seemed to calm her down & get her ready for sleep.

[Campari]

Great thread! I am so lazy I do just about all the things listed already...

I also make sure my DD eats homemade healthy food with no preservatives/colourings, as I am too lazy to deal with the tantrums and restlessness and general psycho behaviour caused by all those additives.

[Hummingbird]

This is a great thread...you ladies have had me in stitches!!

[Tinks]

I encourage creative play by giving my kids a bucket of soapy water, a sponge and a paint brush and let them go to town on the windows! It kills 2 birds with 1 stone...I get clean windows (all I have to do is squeegy them afterwards) and it keeps them quiet lol. I have also been known to do this with the kitchen sink and dishes....obviously without the paint brush lol.

[beckoes]

Love this thread....all the things that *some people* try to make you feel bad for doing....

As soon as DD wakes in the night be it 12 or 3 she comes in with us....who wants to sit up for hours in the night trying to get baby back to sleep when you can snuggle down and have a cuddle and fall asleep together.

Feed to sleep 100% of the time. she will sleep most places aslong as she can have boobie!!

I used to feel presured to keep house tidy but i gave up....i tidy once a day (if your lucky) after DD has gone to bed for the night...If you want a clean house come round after 7pm!

Did BLS aswll, tried mashing for about a week....spent all my spare time boiling and pureeing...NO THANKS.

Save laundry...eat in the nude (DD not me)

Winter...i thought i was the only one doing the 'roll and squish'...sometimes its too comfy to swap sides!

looking forward to more time saving tips lol

[~Saram~]

I am loving this thread!!! And ladies it's not laziness it's the fact that you are following your instincts and doing things the way your human nature intended them to be done that makes life easier!

And it gets better
you breastfed so later in life bub has less allergies and gets sick less often
you coslept so bub is more confident/less fearful which leads to a more settled independant child
you wear you baby so bub has a better understanding of social cues and a better relationship with you so less tantrums/less discipline issues

And best of all a calmer, happies household and happier mummies :-)

Love your work, can't wait to hear more!