Living Simply with children: A voluntary simplicity guide for Moms and Dads and Kids who want to reclaim the bliss of childhood and the joy of parenting.
By Marie Sherlock.
This book claims to create more free time to spend with your children, give you clues why you don't need a lot of stuff to have fun and give you ways to have simply holiday celebrations your kids will treasure. And it fulfills it's claims.
What did I take away?
It's not enough to wish that you lived more simply, you need to (as a family) make a values list with descriptions of each. Also include how your family can live this list and what might happen if the whole world practiced it too.
I was pleased to see that many of the recommendations we already do. No TV, 90% of the time we eat dinner together, we find ways to cultivate interests that involve the whole family like star gazing, bird watching, hiking, selecting timeless toys carefully, limiting each child to a few things that take them away from the family... to just name a few.
Things that we could still do: family meeting nights. Things we could discuss? growth and changes, encourage more money management-we haven't gotten into a consistent habit of allowances yet...
So here's to the bliss of childhood and the joy of parenthood.
This list was too good to not share:
How to live simply together as a family---
play board games and cards
Read and visit the library frequently
Call friends up for a pickup game of soccer or baseball
swim at the local pool
make dinner together
play charades
write letters for sick people at the hospital
visit relatives
volunteer together
cuddle with the cat
play with the dog
go for a bike ride or walk
listen to music
put on a skit or recital
listen to a radio program
learn a foreign language
work in the garden
share hobbies with kids-woodworking, knitting, etc.
work on photography albums
make a scrapbook
put on an oldies station and dance
de clutter closets and donate contents
attend a local high school play or concert
listen to a book on tape
have another family over
work in the garden
bake bread
sit on the front porch and blow bubbles
paint together
go on a nature walk
attend a town meeting and get involved
teach someone how to balance a checkbook
Can you think of anything to add?