13 Lifesaving Tips for When You Want to Be Lazy Mom (and Proud Of It!)
The journey of motherhood is filled with laughter, love, chaos, and exhaustion. This role requires constant energy, patience, and multitasking abilities that rival those of an air traffic controller. Let’s face it, sometimes you want to blaze. But not in a bad sense. In a guilt-free way, where you give yourself a little break and enjoy the bliss of “good enough”.
Motherhood is relentless. Every day, it’s the same routines and to-dos. It’s like a hamster wheel that never stops. After a while, it can be exhausting.
If you are feeling “mum-fatigue” and want a lifesaver, a cheatsheet, or permission to relax a bit, here are 13 hacks that will save your day. Here are my Lazy Mum 101 tips that will help you get through those tough weeks, busy days, or moments where you just want to say, ay “Today I am embracing lazy.”
1. Can You Eat at Bunnings?
Let’s start with my favorite: dinner at Bunnings. You might scratch your head if you’re not an Australian, but if so, you will know what I’m talking about. Bunnings Warehouse, a large hardware store, has a famous sausage sizzle every weekend. You can get a snack with onions, sauce, and a bun for just a few dollars.
Last Sunday, a friend of mine texted me at 5:30 pm saying, “Well, that’s dinner sorted #Bunningssausagesizzle.” Did I judge? Not at all. Her lazy mum’s genius had me in awe. She has four children, so she is a seasoned pro.
You can take your family to Bunnings on the weekend if you are tired of cooking dinner. Then, you can grab a sausage for each child and head home. There are no pots or pans to wash. Just sausage. It’s quick, easy, and often just what a mom needs.
2. Make a Trip to IKEA: Your Day’s Activity
IKEA is another Aussie mom hack I use as my secret weapon. In Sydney’s inner west, IKEA visits after school are a sort of tradition.
Why?
IKEA offers a kids’ play area (as well as a place to let your wild toddler burn off some energy), an inexpensive and questionable café where you can get coffee and perhaps some overpriced Swedish Meatballs (which is optional), and some retail therapy that you can sneak into while the children are running around.
You win, and the kids win. You get to relax and enjoy some coffee, while the kids can go crazy. And you may even get that HURDYVERDEN television cabinet you’ve always wanted.
You can outsource the kid-wrangling and pretend that everything is perfect in a child’s play area.
3. School Photos Are NOT Compulsory
We live in a digital age. We live in the digital age.
Why do we feel compelled to purchase the complete school photo package each year, including bookmarks, calendars, and trillions of copies of that same awkward smile?
About three years ago, I stopped purchasing the premium packages. Instead, I only buy the class picture–the one where every child looks like a slightly bewildered meerkat. It’s cheaper and saves you time filling out forms. Plus, the photo is a great reminder every year of your child’s school years. It’s also a good conversation starter when you show off the faces of the students.
Save money to save your sanity.
4. Use the Dryer as a “Socks and Underwear Cabinet”
This is a great hack for lazy mums. After washing socks and underwear in the washer, throw them into the dryer. Declare it to be the “socks and underwear cabinet.”
Why waste time sorting socks if you will have to do it all over again in a couple of days? Send them to the washing machine when someone asks you where their missing socks are. This is a great way to save time and mental energy.
It’s normal for your laundry basket to look chaotic. Life is messy.
5. Use a Washing Basket as a Multi-purpose “Crap that Was All Over the Floor” Collection Vessel
Is your home a bombing site? Are you expecting guests in ten minutes? Don’t panic. Grab a laundry hamper and sprint through the house tossing in all the random books, toys, clothes, and “stuff”.
Voila–instant tidy.
The mess can be dealt with later… or you don’t have to. You can tell anyone who asks where their stuff is that it’s “in the junk basket”. This will save you time and keep you sane.
6. Keep a Packet of Wipes in Your Bathroom for Quick Cleaning
It can be a daunting task to clean the bathroom, especially if you have a toddler who is more interested in splashing around water than being clean.
My hack? In the bathroom, keep a package of disinfectant wipes. If you’re able to spare a few minutes, wipe down the counters, sink, or toilet seat. This doesn’t require much time, but it keeps the bathroom clean and tidy without having to spend hours cleaning.
It’s important to note that you should not flush the wipes down the drain, even if they say “flushable” on the package. I found out the hard way when a plumber had to dig up my garden for Hito Mm to remove a huge wad of wipes that was blocking the pipes.
7. The Night Before, Put Your Preschooler’s Breakfast Out
The mornings can be chaotic, with toddlers running around and the ticking clock. Prepare your child’s breakfast for the next day to save at least 15 minutes.
Pour the cereal into a bowl and cover it with a plate or placemat. Place a small milk jug into the refrigerator. You can let your child get started on their own without your assistance, and you will have some extra time to prepare yourself or enjoy coffee.
8. Use the Stroller to Retrain Toddlers (Hannibal Lecter Style).
It may sound a bit ruthless, but it works. My friend, who has two children under three years old, told me how she survives the evening rush. She straps the older child into his stroller and parks him in front of their favorite cartoon while she sorts out dinner.
You might feel like you are imprisoning your kid, but sometimes, 30 minutes of peace is all you need to prepare dinner, without worrying that your child will accidentally hit their brother or sister, or ruin the kitchen.
This is a quick fix for evenings when you’re busy. It’s one of those hacks to remind you: Survival first, guilt second.
9. Breakfast for Dinner
Who says that breakfast is only for the mornings? When I’m tired and can’t answer the question “What’s for Dinner?” any longer, I resort to the lazy mum’s classic move: breakfast at dinner.
The kids love it because it’s quick and easy. Imagine scrambled eggs, toast, pancakes, or cereal, served after dark. This is a great way to break up the routine and have some fun.
You can get bonus points by letting the children help you cook. They will feel like a chef, and you can take a break.
10. Rock the 10-second Hairspray Hairdo
Flyaway hairs can make mornings stressful. Try the “10-second spray hairdo” if your hair is a problem.
Pull your hair into a ponytail or bun, then spray those flyaways all around your face. They will stay in place the entire day. You might look like a bowling ball with eyes, but it’s worth the effort when you can breeze through your school run with neat hair and no fuss.
11. You Can Skip Ironing by Hanging Washed Shirts on a Coat Hanger
It’s a task that no one enjoys, but it isn’t necessary if your shirts are hung properly.
My mother never ironed, but instead hung the freshly washed shirts straight off the line on coat hangers. This method will help shirts dry without wrwrinklesand you can save time by not ironing.
Once they are dry, simply remove them from the hanger and place them in the wardrobe. Ideal for mums on the go who don’t want to sacrifice appearance but still save time.
12. Buy a Stick Vacuum and Make it a Feature of Your Living Room
Vacuuming is not a pleasant task, especially if the vacuum cleaner is hidden under furniture or inside a closet. My hack? Buy a lightweight vacuum cleaner and place it in your living room.
You may not like the way it looks, or it might even clash with your IKEA television cabinet. But having it right in front of you will make it easier to use it for quick cleaning. It makes vacuuming less of a chore and more like an easy, spontaneous clean-up.
13. Play “Depression Era Dinner Game”
Have you heard about the Great Depression, when families had to survive on limited resources and be creative in their cooking? It’s not necessary to go through that kind of hardship to be inspired by their resourcefulness.
You don’t have to rush to the store every evening to buy what your toddler wants. Just play the “Depression Era Dinner Game” and find whatever you can in the pantry and refrigerator and make it into a “vintage dinner”.
You’re likely to create something delicious, and at the very least, you’ll avoid a mad dash to the supermarket.
14. Cut up the meat with Kitchen Scissors
Use kitchen scissors to break up your child’s meat instead of using a fork and knife.
This is faster, cleaner, and safer. My mum, who was the original lazy mom queen, taught me this trick. It will save you time and keep your sanity during mealtime.
Conclusion
You don’t have to be a perfect mum. Sometimes, you just need to do less. These hacks aren’t about shirking responsibility–they’re about being smart, practical, and kinder to yourself when life gets hectic.
Next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t forget that it is okay to rely on these lazy mom strategies. These aren’t just hacks, they’re your permission to recharge and enjoy this crazy, wonderful journey of motherhood.
Let me know if you enjoyed these tips and would like more laziness mum wisdom! I have a lot of survival techniques up my sleeves. You can be lazy whenever you want to.
