Parenting short cuts - things you skip or do the bare minimum on

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is a hack that makes it easier to dress my kids in the morning.

Before dressing them for the day, I spin their clothes in the clothes dryer to warm it up. My kids do not fuss to change if their clothes are warm and toasty.

I don’t know if it fits the purpose of a thread but THIS is a good hack. It’s not environmentally friendly but I don’t care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Love to see all the honesty here. Definitely refreshing to know not everyone else is perfect.

I really don’t limit screen time that much. Non-screen time is also required, but there are no set time limits.

Daycare potty-trained both kids completely and we did nothing.

Same meal for them every night essentially and we eat a nice adult meal.

Kids come into our bed every single night.

What is the meal?? I need meal ideas

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Imagine that - lazy parenting. How revolutionary. The smugness is astounding. Real race to the bottom in this thread.

I'm sorry, who here is being smug?

(hint: it's you)

This has been one of my favorite threads on DCUM for a few reasons:

1) realizing that some people GET OFF on making this as hard as possible because the WORST thing to be is "lazy." I'm so glad (honestly, not sarcastic) that you have this thread to make you feel superior. I mean, why on earth would you even click this thread otherwise? And then COMMENT when clearly no one on this thread wants to hear from you? You'd just be like "Oh, no, I'm not really the bare minimum type, nothing for me here" and move on. Glad we could help.

2) Everything else in DCUM, and a lot of parenting in general in the professional circles of DC, is insanely competitive. And competitive parenting SUCKS. A race to the bottom for once, in one thread, here on DCUM, is such a refreshing change of pace.

3) There are some damn good ideas on here. After reading this, I'm for sure never doing a goody bag.

4) It's good to sometimes feel like you're doing okay, and other people are cutting corners, too.

Re: #2, I completely agree with the hacks to reduce structured activities, throw simple parties, and not over-schedule with a billion play dates. I don’t think anyone is judging those things. But I don’t agree with the poor hygiene hacks, and that has nothing to do with competitive parenting.

But it has to do with being American. Not showering every day is NOT poor hygiene!

[Anonymous]

I starting letting my 6 year old start her day with 1 tv show. Suddenly getting up for school is not a battle. I brush her hair while she watches and get breakfast ready.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole thread is why I chose to stay at home. Inkmow mot everyone has that choice but man every day so just a hurdle for people to clear. Considering cleaning my children and brushing their teeth something that is negotiable. Nope. That’s no way for me to live.

+1. I still work, but we have flexible jobs and a nanny, so all things big and little get done. If I had to resort to these bizarre no-bathing-or-brushing type hacks, I would quit in an instant.

Also, those of you non-bathers, are your children not physically active? I make sure my 4yo sweats every day, whether at the playground, during playdates, or just running laps or playing tag with me chasing her around the house before dinner. Can’t imagine sending her to bed without a bath after that.

Why are you commenting on this thread? Either of you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Imagine that - lazy parenting. How revolutionary. The smugness is astounding. Real race to the bottom in this thread.

I'm sorry, who here is being smug?

(hint: it's you)

This has been one of my favorite threads on DCUM for a few reasons:

1) realizing that some people GET OFF on making this as hard as possible because the WORST thing to be is "lazy." I'm so glad (honestly, not sarcastic) that you have this thread to make you feel superior. I mean, why on earth would you even click this thread otherwise? And then COMMENT when clearly no one on this thread wants to hear from you? You'd just be like "Oh, no, I'm not really the bare minimum type, nothing for me here" and move on. Glad we could help.

2) Everything else in DCUM, and a lot of parenting in general in the professional circles of DC, is insanely competitive. And competitive parenting SUCKS. A race to the bottom for once, in one thread, here on DCUM, is such a refreshing change of pace.

3) There are some damn good ideas on here. After reading this, I'm for sure never doing a goody bag.

4) It's good to sometimes feel like you're doing okay, and other people are cutting corners, too.

Re: #2, I completely agree with the hacks to reduce structured activities, throw simple parties, and not over-schedule with a billion play dates. I don’t think anyone is judging those things. But I don’t agree with the poor hygiene hacks, and that has nothing to do with competitive parenting.

But it has to do with being American. Not showering every day is NOT poor hygiene!

It really is an American thing. And it uses a lot of clean water. Someday, standards may have to change. Personally, every other day is ok for my kids at least in winter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hear about other kids doing "enrichment" stuff, like Kumon or tutors or whatever.

We don't do that.

That is fine, the world needs ditch diggers too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hear about other kids doing "enrichment" stuff, like Kumon or tutors or whatever.

We don't do that.

That is fine, the world needs ditch diggers too.

Troll score 2/10. Pretty weak.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay the only thing that bothers me at all is the bathing once a week. Sheets once a month, fine. Sleeping in next day’s clothes, incredible, I do it myself sometimes for the gym in the morning.

We aim for every other day for a bath. Ignoring everything else like sweat, scalp oil, and environmental grime, once they’re potty trained this is legit gross. Idk about you guys, but my kindergartner isn’t the most fastidious wiper. I can’t imagine the stank of her butt after six or seven days! Do you once a week bathers have bidets, or wipe them down with a wet rag between the cheeks or something?

We bathe more than once a week. However, my DD is incredibly regular and poops once a day, at home, after school. She always gets a wet wipe on her butt after she’s made her pass with toilet paper because I know she’s still bad at it. So if she goes a few days between baths, no, I don’t worry her butt is gross. If I thought her butt was gross, I’d give her a bath.

I wonder if the people insisting on daily baths just have dirtier kids. Like maybe those of us bathing less frequently just have tidier kids who don’t play in the dirt or sweat as much.

.
When she starts menstruating I hope you encourage her to use more than just a wet wipe.

Not OP but by time that happens her DD will be showering daily by her own choice.

You’ve never met a teenager who grew up in a home with poor hygiene practices during menstruation . Not a pretty sight or smell

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact that the pearl clutchers showed up to this one just proves how American parenting is all about making your own life hard and difficult to prove you’re a good parent. I wonder what the French parenting hacks would be. Or if we’d even recognize them as “hacks”. Who cares how often someone washes their sheets, or if they sleep in their clothes! If you cannot smell them, it is all good. Put down your torches. Different strokes, man. And if we can parent good kids without their having matching socks, or if their teeth are fine without dentist visits at age 3, then… who cares?! (I don’t love the self-congratulatory tone of some of these posts, I must admit… don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back for training your child to carry their own bag. I mean, that’s good- but not the point of this thread!)

I remember reading that when different ancient civilizations encountered Europeans they considered them very smelly. This entire thread makes sense in that context.

So true! Europeans never bathed or washed their hair.

And their descendants are in this thread continuing the tradition. Yuck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Imagine that - lazy parenting. How revolutionary. The smugness is astounding. Real race to the bottom in this thread.

I'm sorry, who here is being smug?

(hint: it's you)

This has been one of my favorite threads on DCUM for a few reasons:

1) realizing that some people GET OFF on making this as hard as possible because the WORST thing to be is "lazy." I'm so glad (honestly, not sarcastic) that you have this thread to make you feel superior. I mean, why on earth would you even click this thread otherwise? And then COMMENT when clearly no one on this thread wants to hear from you? You'd just be like "Oh, no, I'm not really the bare minimum type, nothing for me here" and move on. Glad we could help.

2) Everything else in DCUM, and a lot of parenting in general in the professional circles of DC, is insanely competitive. And competitive parenting SUCKS. A race to the bottom for once, in one thread, here on DCUM, is such a refreshing change of pace.

3) There are some damn good ideas on here. After reading this, I'm for sure never doing a goody bag.

4) It's good to sometimes feel like you're doing okay, and other people are cutting corners, too.

Re: #2, I completely agree with the hacks to reduce structured activities, throw simple parties, and not over-schedule with a billion play dates. I don’t think anyone is judging those things. But I don’t agree with the poor hygiene hacks, and that has nothing to do with competitive parenting.

But it has to do with being American. Not showering every day is NOT poor hygiene!

Bits and pits need to be washed daily.

[Anonymous]

I'm one of the previous "my kid sleeps in her clothes" posters. Another hack I forgot to mention: I make a batch of pbj and melted cheese on toast sandwiches, and freeze them for school lunches (or incredibly quick dinners in a pinch). I'd rather make 8 pbj sandwiches in a row then 1 per day. They freeze incredibly well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm one of the previous "my kid sleeps in her clothes" posters. Another hack I forgot to mention: I make a batch of pbj and melted cheese on toast sandwiches, and freeze them for school lunches (or incredibly quick dinners in a pinch). I'd rather make 8 pbj sandwiches in a row then 1 per day. They freeze incredibly well.

Yes! I used to do this when I packed lunches for myself as a kid - the trick to to put peanut butter on both pieces of bread with the jelly in the middle so the jelly doesn't soak into the bread. I also ate almost exactly the same lunch every week day from the time I was seven until I was eighteen and always figured other people would get really bored with that routine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm one of the previous "my kid sleeps in her clothes" posters. Another hack I forgot to mention: I make a batch of pbj and melted cheese on toast sandwiches, and freeze them for school lunches (or incredibly quick dinners in a pinch). I'd rather make 8 pbj sandwiches in a row then 1 per day. They freeze incredibly well.

Batching tasks is so smart!

[Anonymous]

My freezer is full of things you can cook really quickly (freezer meals from trader Joe's or those like frozen raviolis) . I try to always cook a big pot of something towards the beginning of the week so I'm too tired or busy to cook we can always have chili or soup or whatever casserole I made