Book Study Week 5: Schedules
We had a great discussion earlier in this study about simplifying material things in our children’s environments – and this week we apply the same principle to our schedules. As Kim says in this chapter, “Just as too many toys may stifle creativity, too may scheduled activities may limit a child’s ability to direct themselves,…
Book Study Week 4: Rhythm
“Meaning hides in repetition: We do this every day or every week because it matters. We are connected by this thing we do together. We matter to one another. In the tapestry of childhood, what stands out is not the splashy, blow-out trip to Disneyland but the common threads that run throughout and repeat: the…
Book Study Week 3: Environment
Welcome back to our Simplicity Parenting book study. This week, one of my personal favorite chapters! I hope you enjoyed it, too. We will be discussing Environment. Our Stuff. And Toys. How much stuff is too much? What kind of environment is most healthy? What environment is most conducive to nurturing imagination or to a…
Book Study Week 2: Soul Fever
Thank you to all who are participating in the Simplicity Parenting book study! If you are just finding us this week, you are welcome to join in the discussion in the comments below. I am enjoying the thoughtfulness of your comments and the opportunity to learn from others’ experiences! This week’s reading, Chapter 2,…
Book Study Part 1: Why Simplify?
What a wonderful group that has formed for our online book study! I’m looking forward to sharing ideas and growing together on the simplifying journey. Please know, if you haven’t already joined us, you are welcome to join in at any time. You can get a copy of Simplicity Parenting here, and jump into the…
FREE Simplicity Parenting Book Study begins next week!
We all need the support of good community if we are to make any lasting change. When I read Simplicity Parenting for the first time, I found so many new ideas to implement and I wished that I had a small group of parents with similar goals who could encourage me. Many of you have…
Becoming More YOU: Finding Your Family’s Voice
“When you act to limit what you don’t want for your family, you clarify what you really do need, what is important to you. Your values clarify. Simplification is a path of self-definition for the family. It is quieter when the insistent noise of popular culture, competition, and consumerism are turned down several notches. Just…
A Simple Way to a Simpler Day – Rhythm Chart Giveaway for Simplicity Parents
Today, our first giveaway for Simplicity Parenting readers – a daily rhythm chart, just in time for those new fall routines which are (shhhh!) sneaking up on all of us. I have Simplicity Parenting to thank for the inspiration behind this idea, as it was this book which convinced me and motivated me to get…
Leaving Room for Wonder
If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in. Rachel Carson Many of us are intentional about giving our kids time in nature, giving them…
Making room for MORE
Today was a big day in our 4 year old’s eyes – the day we left for vacation. A day he’d wake up at 5am, crawl into our bed, and tell me again and again how “‘cited” he was about our trip. It was also at 5 am that he began making serious logistical plans…