I’m a huge fan of the book Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne. Before I became a mother, I had definite ideas about certain aspects of parenting, and many of them coincided with the author’s premises ( although I only recently became aware of the book). Since becoming a parent, my views in this area haven’t changed much, but I have learned that there is nothing simple about implementing them!
I live in a small house, have only one child, and have a relatively small extended family. So in theory, I’m a great candidate for simplifying. In some ways, my lifestyle and parenting style probably is simpler than average. Yet, I still struggle to achieve the simplicity ideals that I held prior to parenthood.
When I was anticipating parenthood, I definitely wanted to avoid the over-scheduling trap that so many parents seem to fall into, even during the toddler years. This has been one of the greatest areas of irony in my parenthood journey. By the time my son was two, he attended organized activities nearly every day of the week: indoor playground on Mondays with my local mother’s group, Story Hour on Tuesdays, Kindermusik on Thursdays, and open play at our local Community Center on Fridays. Each outing was only about one hour, but daily outings meant an end to the fantasy of providing my child with unhurried mornings.
Why the discrepancy between my conviction versus my reality? Because my son is an only child, I felt that it was important for him to have lot of opportunities to socialize with his peers. Each activity had something different to offer us: Kindermusik allowed him to explore his love of music in a small group setting which worked well with his reserved temperament, Story Hour gave him a taste of Circle Time in as a backdrop for future preschool experiences, the Community Center offered great crafts, etc.
Like anything else in motherhood, my approach to scheduled activities has evolved over time, and remains a work in progress. This year I decided to eliminate Friday mornings at the Community Center. This was a hard decision to make, because it’s so tempting to take advantage of inexpensive community resources. But my discovery of Simplicity Parenting motivated me to re-evaluate and streamline, and I’ve found that his existing activities provide opportunities for crafts, socialization, etc that he was getting at the Community Center. It’s an ongoing balancing act.
What ways do you use to try to find some simplicity in your life and the lives of your children?
Claire is a regular writer at Catholic Mothers Online.
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What a beautiful post! i can totally relate. I have 2 little ones under the age of 2..and as much as i love chill time i am also a very active person i create to-do lists at all times haha. i always have something i want or “need” to do or think would be fun!..we are the same way with having activities many days of the week..and at first after having my second, as soon as i was able to get around without having a complete mama meltdown, i was always doing stuff out n about with the 2 of them. but i’ve found that the play time at home has been sooooo beneficial for my girls. they relax and are really good at entertaining themselves (way more than i give them credit). and so i try to keep a balance of the outside fun stuff and the home-simple-play time. sometimes i have to just remind myself to enjoy the simple moments with them..and have a tea party. sorry for the novel.
and now i need to go. my time gap of getting a shower in is quickly vanishing! haha. God bless!
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