While we don’t glorify neglecting parental responsibilities, there’s something about children who don’t require constant supervision. The era of super-parenting seems to be fading, with more parents embracing a style often referred to as “hands-off parenting.” This doesn’t mean kids are left idle, watching YouTube all day, but rather, they’re encouraged to develop proactive skills and pursue their own interests. Parents are stepping back and allowing their children to learn and explore on their own, which may indeed be a highly effective strategy. However, being a “lazy” parent is not as straightforward as it sounds. It demands patience and self-restraint as you let your child navigate challenges independently, but the rewards are plentiful. So, could you adopt this approach, and what might the outcome be for your child? Continue reading to find answers to these important questions.
1. They Learn To Take Care By Themselves
Life is never as rosy and simple as we make it out to be for your kids. And eventually reality is going to catch up to them. The pressures of adulthood will be way easier to handle if you have prepared your little one to be self-sufficient and independent from a young age. So trying to make life easier for your kids when they are young will only make the growing and learning process harder for them in the future. It’s best to let them figure out how to overcome challenges and hurdles on their own from childhood.
Lazy parents give them the space to do just that while still being present to oversee them and support them. However, keep in mind that being a lazy parent doesn’t mean that you are absent. And your kids should feel like they can come to you for advice and guidance. But it’s okay to allow them to pack their own lunch or find their own stuff. Chances are that it will result in better organization skills and an empty lunch box for once. As a parent you can either do things for your kids or let them figure it out for themselves. Lazy parents would much rather do the latter.
2. Encourages Kids To Believe In Themselves
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Independence can do wonders for your child’s self confidence and self-esteem. After all, everyone wants to believe that they are capable of doing tasks well. Allowing your child to do things by themselves shows that you believe in their competence and potential. As opposed to parents who rush to help their kids at the earliest opportunity which can lead to self doubt and indifference in the child. Allow your child to fail and learn from their mistakes. This way they learn valuable life lessons and gain wisdom and knowledge from experience.
3. Children Get To Spend More Quality Time With Parents
By allowing yourself to relax instead of stressing about fluffing the pillows and keeping the house spotless from sun up to sun down, you retain more energy to do important things like spending time with the kids. Instead of worrying about an endless list of chores, you can spend more time playing and making memories with the kids. Then at the end of the day, you can all clean up together. Remember, a happy parent equals a happy child so don’t sweat the small stuff.
4. You Let Them Live Their Childhood To The Fullest
Your child has their entire lives to adhere to schedules, rules, routine and endless checklists. Lazy parents know that, which is why they’d much rather their kids have a magical childhood while they can. They allow them to play and indulge in activities that they naturally gravitate towards. This way the kids cultivate interests for a broader spectrum of things. They are not pigeon-holed into a box of stereotypes and feel free to explore every avenue of life. Taking a step back and allowing your kids to evolve and grow is the best thing you could do for them. Allow your kids to be kids. Sometimes a hobby can turn into a career and other times it’s just a hobby that lasts for a short while and that’s okay! Eventually your children will figure out what they want to do with their life without attending 7 extracurricular classes every week.
Being a lazy parent doesn’t mean that you are a bad parent. On the contrary, you might be a great one. Trusting your kids and knowing when to take a step back and step in is a mark of good parenting. And it clearly pays off. Would you take the lazy parent route? Let us know in the comments below!