Growing up as a child out of a brood of six children doesn’t sound easy. As an only child, it’s hard to comprehend having to contend with older siblings. Not to mention always being under constant pressure to do as well or better than them. I can’t imaging having to share my parent’s attention all the time. And then also never having a moment to myself.
This mom of six is being labeled a lazy mom because of her unconventional way of managing her children.
As a parent now myself, I can barely wrap my head around one, let alone having even one more. So, naturally, you can imagine how I feel about this next woman—Australian mother of six, Constance Hall, also known as the Lazy mom.
Mom of six is being labeled a lazy mom
When you are a parent, you take any opportunity to be as quick and effective as you possibly can, especially when you have a large family. Sometimes, it’s okay to cut a few corners, says Constance. She goes on to say that dishes are always the worst part of dinner time and that the only way she survives meal times is by leaving a pile of veggies on a plate next to a plate of sliced ham and other meats and then just letting them go at it with their hands. This is one reason the internet has decided to label her the lazy mom.[1]
She explains that “picnic dinners” are a fantastic alternative to the traditional meal set-up because it gets it done and out of the way. She also revealed that she does not bathe the children every night because “skipping one-night won’t kill them” She explains that they often skip that part of their routine and that she’s fine with it “Go to school stinky and gross everyone out, I don’t mind.“
“Call me lazy mom, sloppy mommy, I’ve heard them all before, but when you’re raising 6 kids, you’ll change your tune.”
Constance also shared a tip that she got from another mother with a large family regarding laundry. She uses colored baskets, a different color for each child with their name on it. When their clothes are dirty, they know to put them in their basket, and the same goes for clean clothes. Once the laundry is done, you put each child’s clothes back in their baskets for them to fold and pack away.
The check-out
Constance preaches the necessity of the “check-out time” for all parents; hers is 7:30 pm, after that. Her approach is rather unconventional.[2]
“I am no longer your mother; I’m not here, I’m not your slave, I’m just a statue of a woman who an hour ago wiped your bum and is now drinking wine chatting to her sister on the phone.”
Not a lazy mom!
“I share my big family shortcuts in this article. Call me lazy, call me slummy mummy, but when you have this many kids, you soon realize how thinly you are spread.”
She says that it’s about not wasting time on things that don’t matter so that you have time for the things that do. She’s not a lazy mom; she’s a smart one.
Constance shared a picture of her pregnant belly from 2015 when she was pregnant with twins Rumi and snow.
“So many people thought this picture was a beautiful memory and it was, but only to the outside world. Inside I was dying. I couldn’t change position without panting for 5 minutes. My depression was through the roof, I cried every day, my two other kids missed their free-spirited mum, I couldn’t even get up to answer the door, you can see my swollen lips and fingers but I purposely shadowed my swollen nose and eyes that I could barely open due to fluids in my face.“
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Sources
- “Lazy mum-of-six says she only bathes her kids three times a week and lets them eat with their hands.” The Sun. Lucy Devine. March 16, 2021.
- ‘In a big family, corners must be cut.’ Constance Hall on the reality of raising six kids. Mama Mia.Constance Hall. November 5, 2019.