Friday, October 16, 2015

Minimalist Parenting

I recently read “Minimalist Parenting” by Koh and Dornfest.  It was recommended by unclutterer.com, a blog I have followed for a few years.  As advertised it is definitely geared towards women, but there are several pearls that I found among the following chapters:
  1. The Road to Minimalist Parenting – Make small adjustments, know your family
  2. It’s Your Time:  Tuning In and Prioritizing – What do you want More and Less of in your life?
  3. Time Management Tricks for Minimalists – Chores, prep work
  4. A New Way to Think About Your Stuff – Items that add value, items that don’t
  5. From Clutter to Curation -  
  6. Financing Your Minimalist Life -
  7. Playtime:  Good, Simple Fun – Kids need a balance of structured, unstructured time
  8. Education In and Out of School –
  9. Strategies for Simplifying the School Year – Get to know other parents
  10. Beyond the Schoolyard
  11. Meal Planning for Real Life – Plan menu, then go grocery shopping
  12. Simplifying and Enjoying Mealtime – Have kids set the table, don’t get up every two minutes
  13. Celebrations and Vacations – Know what your kids want
  14. You, Minimalist You – Put your own oxygen mask on first, before assisting others
Nothing was brand new to me and I have thought and re-thought reducing clutter in the house, dinner plans, enrolling the girls in activities, and trimming time sucks like watching television.  The presentation is pretty good and it is a fast read.  I was able to read the book and work the written “exercises” in about 5 hours.  In the end, I have a dozen tricks I want to try and we will see how it goes.

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