A 90s star has been slammed online for being a ‘bad mum’ after she revealed her time-saving parenting hack.
Former 90210 actress and mother-of-five, Tori Spelling, shared that she dresses her seven-year-old son Beau for school the night before, making him sleep in his clothes for the next day.
‘It’s so bad. I’ve gotten so lazy with my youngest one… that at night I put him in his clothes for the next day,’ the 51-year-old admitted to listeners on her MisSPELLING podcast.
‘And [I’ve] convinced him that it’s cool to do that… So, he has dinner, he takes his bath — sometimes — but then I’ll be like, “Hey, dude. It will save an extra five minutes if we get dressed now and then you can sleep later.”‘
Tori jokingly questioned at the time ‘Am I a bad mum?’, but what was meant to be a lighthearted confession has received a lot of backlash online.
‘Yes, you are a bad mum,’ wrote one online commenter. ‘Sleeping in your clothes isn’t comfortable plus results in wrinkled clothes for school the next day,’ said user Cheryl.
‘So her kid is wrinkled and stinky at school… she’ll act all shocked… when he’s bullied,’ wrote another.
Others branded her ‘lazy’ and condemned her for sending her child to school in clothes he’s ‘sweated’ in.
But any parent will know that getting your little ones ready for school can be a nightmare. A study found that a quarter of parents struggled to get their kids dressed in the morning, and more than half (58%) said school mornings were the most stressful part of their day.
Recently, in the Parenting subreddit, one mum shared that getting her child dressed in the morning is one of her ‘biggest challenges’. ‘It’s always a big battle,’ the mum wrote. ‘I’ve found that after her nightly bath, putting her in the clothing for the next day pretty much eliminates that struggle in the morning.’
Another parent commented: ‘I do this. Kid hates to change his clothes. He also dislikes the typical tight fitting PJs. Why make the first thing in the morning be a battle, when he’s already grumpy from having to get up.’
Popular TikToker and Youtuber Ms Rachel, who creates educational videos for tots, went viral when she admitted to doing this too – her TikTok video hit nearly 10 million views and more than 600,000 likes.
Parenting expert, Dr Beth Dawson is keen to point out that we should never shame a mum for doing their best – but there are other ways to save time in the mornings.
She tells Metro.co.uk: ‘One of my golden rules as a parent is never to judge other parents, and my first reaction is to commend Tori for finding ways to make mornings less stressful. She’s certainly on the right track.’
But if making your child sleep in their clothes for the next day is your solution, Beth reccomends other hacks.
‘I always suggest time-saving strategies for busy parents, but a simple alternative is to lay out the clothes the night before and get dressed upon waking. The time saved by sleeping in the school clothes is actually quite minimal,’ she explains.
Beth also advises saving time around breakfast, by whipping up some overnight oats the night before.
‘You prepare them the night before, and in the morning, just add some toppings such as berries, peanut butter or honey, and yogurt for a tasty and quick breakfast. It’s far better and more nutritious than sugar-laden cereals,’ she adds.
Beth does also point out that sleeping in their school clothes could affect your child’s sleep.
Beth explains: ‘Sleep is just as important as punctuality, so it’s preferable for a child to wear breathable, comfortable clothing that won’t disrupt their rest, while keeping the school clothes ready by the bed.’
She also adds that kids need a chance to unwind: ‘My main concern is that the child might struggle to switch off from the day if they’re wearing their school clothes, which is crucial for a good night’s sleep.
‘As an adult, would Tori go to bed in full make-up and formal attire? I doubt it, and if she did, it would likely lead to poorer sleep quality and difficulty in switching off. The same principle applies to children.
‘I don’t think an extra 10 minutes in bed in the morning is beneficial – instead set the alarm to get up slightly earlier and ensure the morning is as stress-free as possible.
‘Take that extra time to prep breakfast, an outfit, get to bed on time and you’ll find that school mornings are easier for everyone!’
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
MORE : I want to propose – but my sister is stopping me
MORE : Alarm bells rang when our baby boy started drinking less than usual
MORE : ‘When you are little, you hurt bigger’: Gaza’s children have a right to play
Sign up to our guide to what’s on in London, trusted reviews, brilliant offers and competitions. London’s best bits in your inbox
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
