I used to wear suits to work. I’d wear tight dress pants, three-inch heels and a slim suit jacket. I stood taller in my “power suits.” My legs looked longer and leaner. I clip-clopped down the hallway with confidence so people knew I meant business. Or at least I looked like I did.

But, I was also uncomfortable. And zipped up. And I couldn’t really breathe. Or move. But, I looked confident, so…

Plus, where I worked there were no casual Fridays. Jeans were not allowed. And leggings? Those were something to be kept behind closed doors or to wear to your yoga class—definitely not in the office

Then I became a mom.


No, actually—back up. Then I became pregnant. And all of a sudden, I saw how immature my “leggings aren’t pants” mentality had been. It made me wonder what other amazing things I had been missing out on. (We all grow wiser with age, don’t we?)

The first time I put on that oversized maternity shirt and—gasp!leggings, I was hooked. When you’re pregnant, no one is going to tell you that you can’t wear leggings to work or to the store or a fancy restaurant. And the only thing better than regular leggings are—wait for it—maternity leggings.

But I digress.

As a new mom, leggings became my constant companion. Along with a somehow smaller bladder, bags under my eyes and brain fog.

If I had to run to Target? I have a pair of leggings for that.

A quick at-home yoga workout while the baby naps? Leggings.

Bible study? Leggings with oversized sweater and boots.

A walk around the park? Leggings.

Date night? Leggings with a fancy tunic. Ooh la-la.

I can easily wipe up tomato sauce spilled on them. I can wear them for three days in a row without anyone being the wiser besides me, myself and my cat. They never let me down. Leggings are one constant that always has our back, err, I mean, backside.

And best of all? I can move in those babies. If I want to show someone how high I can still kick even though I haven’t taken a kick-boxing class in over 10 years? Leggings.

And if I need to jump across a room to catch a plate of spaghetti mid-air that’s been chucked by my fed-up toddler? Leggings help me get it done.

I can wear leggings anywhere and at any time. I can perform superwoman-type moves thanks to its stretchy fabric, and as I recently learned, leggings may actually make me a *better parent*. Yes, stick with me.

Decision fatigue is a real problem many of us face on a regular basis, so the fewer decisions we have to make each day, the more we actually get done. By making the exact same thing for breakfast each day, following the same routines and even wearing the same clothes—these things give our brains more capacity to focus on the important things.

Why do you think Steve Jobs wore the same thing every day?

By wearing leggings, I have one less decision to make in my busy schedule as a mom. I get up, I pull them on and I start my day. Which is a good thing because it’s very likely that my toddler is probably dumping cereal all over the floor.

So, in other words, yes—wearing leggings every day can make us better parents.

I could go on and on but you get the point.

No, leggings may not be “pants,” but I don’t care anymore. They are my new power suit, and they’re getting the job done.