Feeling Lazy

I had to smile at the article one of my friends linked to on Facebook: 5 Reasons to Stop Wearing Sweatpants to Class. In my day, I was definitely guilty of a few days where I went to a good proportion of my classes and meetings in sweatpants. In my defense, most of those days I was also wearing a leotard and tights for ballet class and my schedule really didn't give me the time to run back to my room and change. While I ostensibly took it easy my senior year of college, I was practically living in the fine arts building between ballet, a cappella rehearsals, orchestra, woodwind quintet, and private flute lessons. Then I took two history classes (for fun, mind...this was my major for a reason), finished off my GenEd requirements with jock chemistry (seriously, I was the only one who didn't play a sport for the school in my class), and - again for fun - studied Greek Myth and Iliad, Odessey, and Aeneid with the amazing J.T. Powell.

So yes, while I could easily give myself a fairly thought-out reason to run around in sweats all day, I tried not to do it unless I had ballet class, and only until I had a moment to head to my room and change. But I think this sort of lesson still applies. I mean, let's face it, as a stay-at-home mom it's pretty easy to rationalise your way into wearing your pyjamas nearly 24-7. You're tired, you're napping when the baby naps, baby will just sick up all over you anyway, caring for your kids has left you no time to do the laundry...the list can go on. But I'm sure there are 5 good reasons why - as a mom - you ought to make an effort with your appearance.

1. You'll feel slightly more prepared to tackle the day ahead. Because, if we're being honest, sometimes the extra pinch of motivation that you need to have a productive day is to fake it until you make it...and that starts by dressing like you care that other human beings might actually see you. Unless you're lying in bed with the flu and feel like death, getting dressed usually puts you in a good mindset to get things done.
2. It sets a good example. Sure, a few scuffles over whether Halloween costumes are appropriate church attire are bound to come up at some point with many toddlers, but do you really want to set the precedent that it's okay to roll out of the house in footsie pyjamas on a regular basis? "Do as I say, not as I do" isn't really the world's best parenting tactic...
3. It makes you feel better. Yes, unless you're Gwenyth Paltrow or J.Lo, you're going to have month after moderately depressing month where you realise that you still don't fit back into your pre-baby wardrobe. But I'm not saying that to get dressed means you squeeze your postpartum muffin top into some Spanx so you can wear that slinky top and skinny jeans that have been lurking in the back of your closet even before you got pregnant. Just take stock of what you have and figure out, at your own pace, what you own that still works for you. When you realise that you still have clothes that make you look cute and not at all like a beached whale, it'll help with the self-esteem.



This is definitely not reality...but it can be good inspiration if you let it!


4. You have to dress like a grown-up again eventually. Whether you lose all the weight you gained during pregnancy or not, your body will be different after having a baby. This may seem obvious, but in all honesty, there's probably some tiny corner of your mind where you harbour the illusion that this rule doesn't apply to you. If you're like me, this corner of your mind is in close proximity to the one where you still plan your wedding to the celebrity crush of your choice. In any event, it's good to wear normal clothes so that you can discover what sorts of looks work for you now. Do you need to embrace button-downs and easy-up tops so you can breastfeed? Should you work in more patterns and colours so that baby sick doesn't show up as well on your outfits? Would a mommy-friendly update to your accessories save your sanity (and all the money on replacing broken necklace chains)? You don't realise if you have these sorts of baby-wardrobe incompatibilities unless you're actually wearing your clothes!



One day, Daniel...


5. People are judging you. Normally, I wouldn't let this be a valid excuse to convince people to do something, but come on now. Do you really want to be that lady in the spaghetti-stained Christmas pyjamas wearing her husband's oversized college hoodie, tatty trainers that haven't been worn on a run in 5 years, and un-brushed hair in a messy ponytail walking down the aisle of the grocery store? Especially when you have an immaculately dressed baby chilling in the child's seat of the shopping trolley. Other people know that if you have the time and energy to put your kid into a nice outfit (especially when they'll just spill or sick or pee on it in an hour or two), that you can do the same service for yourself. Just because you're a mom doesn't mean you need to become a fashion martyr.

So not okay...

So there you have it. Go brush your hair. Wash your face. Put on something you haven't slept in. You're welcome.