{"id":12786,"date":"2017-03-31T13:09:41","date_gmt":"2017-03-31T18:09:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nosidebar.com\/?p=12786"},"modified":"2024-03-01T10:45:51","modified_gmt":"2024-03-01T17:45:51","slug":"minimalist-parenting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nosidebar.com\/minimalist-parenting\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Parent Like a Minimalist"},"content":{"rendered":"
When I was pregnant with my first child, I had big ideas. I wanted to give my children the world. Like most new parents, I had the best of intentions.<\/p>\n
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Every generation wants to give their children more than they had themselves. My intention was no different\u2014I wanted to give my children more. More love. More protection. More opportunities. More toys.<\/p>\n
More, more, more.<\/p>\n
This desire for more was rooted in love.<\/p>\n
After I had children and they began to grow, there was a shift. This desire for more became rooted in fear.<\/p>\n
If I didn\u2019t play with them enough, would they be happy? If I didn\u2019t stand at least two foot from them at all times on the playground, would they fall? If I didn\u2019t land a spot in a top preschool, would their education be impacted?<\/p>\n
In the words of Erin Loechner<\/a>, \u201cNo one ever told me how much fear is hidden in love.\u201d<\/p>\n All this fear, camouflaged as love, quickly started to take a toll on me. Trying to be everything and do everything for my children left me depleted.<\/p>\n My desire to give my children more left me feeling less.<\/p>\n Less energy. Less joy. Less calm.<\/p>\n Then I found Minimalism.<\/strong><\/p>\n Minimalism is more than just getting rid of all your stuff (although I am on that bandwagon too<\/a>). It\u2019s about filtering out the noise to focus your energy on what’s important.<\/p>\n Families of today have noisy lives. I know this in my personal life, but also in my professional life. I have a Ph.D. in Child Development with a specialty in Family Wellness. I work with families to find calm amongst the noise.<\/p>\n In families, the calm lies in balancing the needs of each individual while simultaneously tightening the strings that hold them all together.<\/p>\n Sounds tricky, right?<\/p>\n Fortunately minimalism has a secret formula for parents: Less is More<\/a>. Here are some lessons I\u2019ve learned on my journey toward a simpler family life:<\/p>\n 1. Hover less and your children will live more.<\/strong><\/p>\n We spend so much time protecting our children, we forget to let them live. When we hover over them and perseverate over safety, our fears can undermine a child\u2019s confidence. These fears rob them of their independence. Instead of hovering, let\u2019s instill a sense of responsibility and natural curiosity for the world.<\/p>\n Allow your children to live life to the fullest<\/a>. Even if that means climbing to the top of the jungle gym without a spotter.<\/p>\n 2. Entertain less and your children will innovate more.<\/strong><\/p>\n In many ways, Pinterest is a trap. The abundance of art, craft, and activity ideas that abound leave us feeling as though we need to do more to entertain our kids. Wouldn\u2019t it be easy if we could just flip a switch and provide unlimited entertainment for our kids?<\/p>\n Oh wait, we can. We can limit screen time for our kids.<\/p>\n When we provide endless varieties of entertainment for our children, we leave them with very little opportunity to create and explore new ideas on their own.<\/p>\n So hear me out: Follow my lead and skip the Pinterest activities<\/a>. Then cut back on the screen time. Let kids be bored. Give them space. The innovation that results will astound you.<\/p>\n 3. Schedule less and your children will rest more.<\/strong><\/p>\nHow to Parent Like a Minimalist<\/h2>\n