Simplicity, part two...

-
Whew... I've really been thinking lately.

I recently snagged a copy of Simplicity Parenting thanks to Misty and it has been an eye opener.
My interest in this book began several weeks ago at the mom's group I attend.
Our group leader provided a thorough summary of the book's contents and after much discussion I knew I had to get my hands on it.


The book explains how many parents are throwing their children into adulthood long before kids are ready.
Often times it's not even a conscious decision we are making.
Kids are exposed to too much, too fast, too soon in life.

Parents are busy with work, and chores, and 87 news stations telling us the world is about to end and our kids soak all of that in. 
They hear our stresses and breathe them in like oxygen.
Our stress becomes their stress.


Kids have closets and rooms and tubs and bins overflowing with toys.
They have soccer practice and piano lessons and homework and no regular bedtime or meal schedule.


Kids don't have the opportunity for creative play because we have televisions and X-boxes and DS-thing-a-ma-jigs telling them how to shoot people and what's the hottest toy and how to raise a virtual family.


We take them shopping and can't find a toothbrush or a box of fruit snacks not plastered with Hannah Montana or Disney Princesses or whatever things boys like. (I wouldn't know since I have girls.)


And all of this takes a toll on our kids.
They act out through violence, through inappropriate adult behaviors, through desperate attempts for simplicity.

I know a 1st grade teacher who struggles with the effects of this every day.
She has students who occasionally regress with their potty training - in 1st grade!
She has students who are completely disrespectful of her.
She even had to call the police due to a violent 1st grader.

Now, I'm not going to pretend I run a perfect house. FAR FROM IT!
And you'd probably agree if you were at the bakery for lunch today around noon. :)
BUT...

I'm trying.

Sure, my girls have Disney Princess stuff. They have toys. We watch cartoons.
But I work at keeping them young. I want them to enjoy a long, happy childhood.

Building tents, riding bikes, eating with the family, having a day with nothing to do but play, reading kid books, snuggling with attentive parents...these are goals for my family.


How about you? How have you simplified your life?

Comments

Great Gramma Smith said…
l I think Matt would have them going to Iowa State NOW!
May 17, 2011 at 2:39 PM
Julie Ulven said…
I am trying to spend more time at the park, in the yard and at the craft table (as in artsy craftsy, not your table, Sarah :o). Mieke doesn't really like her toys or play with them so I am wondering what would happen if they just sort of disappeared....a few at a time?
May 17, 2011 at 9:43 PM
Alissa said…
I am definitely on the "simple life" bandwagon. Haven't read that book but it's definitely how we choose to raise our kids.....I have a feeling they will be happier in the long run! Great post!
May 18, 2011 at 8:44 PM
Heather's Henhouse said…
Phil and I just talked last night about me simplifying my own life and slowing down myself. I am a project person but sometimes it consumes my time, then I don't have time for the basic daily tasks and I get overwhelmed. So in the next few weeks I plan to finish up my projects and then stop creating new ones unless I have reasonable time planned out to do them. GOAL: Slow down and spend time with my kids.
May 22, 2011 at 4:06 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The dark day of June 27th...

-
 June 12, 2023 We typically don't share a lot of updates about Kate's health, primarily because she wants to remain "a normal teenager." However, we still get asked how Kate is doing and I started thinking maybe it's okay to share updates now and again. Most people care about her and our family, some others could maybe be labeled as "tragedy junkies," but I'm going to operate under the assumption that most people have the best of intentions.  Today is June 12th and we are quickly approaching the dreaded dark day of June 27th. Have you watched, "Gilmore Girls?" It's a witty, comforting television show from the early 2000's. In it one of the main characters has what is dubbed, "a dark day." This is a day the character dreads each year and in response he goes into hiding from the world with no communication. Well for Kate, and the rest of us to some degree, the dark day of the year is June 27th and that date is closing in on
Read more

The other side of the dark day...

-
 Kate's dark day of Jun 27th came and went like any other day. Kate swam 100 fly in the Independence meet and finished 1st (she was the only swimmer in her age group to sign up, but who cares about details) and then she and Matt hopped in the car to drive up to Rochester for next-day appointments. The worst part of Kate's dark day was probably Matt trying out the Grimace meal at McDonald's. It was death by milkshake and yet he drank the whole thing. Can't let food go to waste, or something.  We braved June 27th with dread and came out on the other side. We enter year three into the cancer life. Two years of appointments, scans, blood draws, IVs, endless chemotherapies, daily medications. It is difficult to remember life before all of this, when Kate was able to get up at 6 a.m. to swim, play basketball, ride her bike, go to school and chase her sisters. We've all adapted even though no one wants to. Hand to God I keep hoping to have a tantrum and wake up from whatev
Read more

October things...

-
Image
It has not been the easiest October on record. Kate had a couple of hospital visits to Rochester but she is somewhat better at the moment. She continues with chemotherapy and has not been back to school for quite some time but she is doing her best to set aside time for online school work between naps, loving on cats, and hanging out with her family. I was able to get the girls to visit their great grandma in western Iowa a few weeks back. Here's Claudia shortly after arriving at great grandma's house. She is very into jewelry and lots of it. Grandma had several questions for her about the number of bracelets and thankfully Claudia loves talking about them. Many she has made, some were gifted to her...it's a lovely hodgepodge of middle school girl goodies. Clearly the girls and I were blessed with height genes from relatives not named great grandma. We spent time relaxing, taking four wheeler rides, eating candy and we also received a visit from my aunt and uncle. Aunt Deb
Read more