I've Been Inspired

I have recently been inspired to try to live and parent in a more minimal, natural way. The source of this inspiration comes from my son’s daycare, where they have incorporated nature into their play not only outdoors but indoors.

I am always interested in learning new ways to encourage my kids to want to learn, so I did some research. I looked into Child-led play, loose parts and such. There are so many benefits for children; calming neutral colors, using their imagination to create things and learn new about things.

These kinds of things scare me a little bit because I like things organized and done the “right” way, like when it comes to things like games and crafts. In certain situations I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist, however I am looking forward to challenging myself to let go and allow my children, as well as myself to have fun and create memories.

When I think about it, looking back to when I was little, I don’t remember much about new toys or shows. My fond memories from when I was a child are playing “yucky kitchen” in the sand box with the kids my mom babysat. Exploring the back yard, picking leaves and flowers and collecting twigs and pinecones. I remember swimming in the river and the lake, searching for golf balls and and feeding the squirrels and ducks. Those are the kinds of experiences I want my children to have.

I don’t think I could ever be a 100% minimalist, I hate throwing things out. However, moving forward to trying not to buy as much and use what we already have. I am hoping that this will also help us to declutter and really think about what we need and don’t need. I have been searching Pinterest for minimalist and declutter challenges, once I find one that I really like I will share it and hopefully update on my progress through instagram. If you have any tips or whatnot, please share them with me!