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Alison's Reviews > Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids
Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids
by
by
I am feeling extremely ambivalent about this book.
On the one hand, I agree with most of his thesis. I think we all could do with simplifying. I think clutter, mental and physical, is distracting, and I can imagine it would be even moreso for children, since they are going through so much growth and development.
That being said, I think the author makes simplifying seem superficial. Like, if you clean up your house, turn off the TV, and do things in a lovely rhythm, your life will just magically improve. I see it as choosing to make changes on the inside, in your relationships, and so forth, that then are reflected in a desire to declutter.
I also have somewhat of a problem with the idea that for our children's childhood, we would have to change our lives so much, in the fear (ugh) that if things aren't simple enough at home, kids will become ADHD, overstimulated, asocial robots. For example, sometimes my husband and I like to cook elaborate meals. It is a hobby. Sometimes we like to have dinner later, sometimes earlier. In their thesis, I feel like this would be a big no-no. I see it as a way to model for our kids what it looks like to have a healthy hobby that is practical and fun. We love to watch cooking shows as well. Well, that is TV. We could find a lot of cooking shows, food programs, and travel programs to watch that would fill up some hours of TV a week, but I think are a fun, social way to spent time as a family. I feel the same way about movies.
It seems like Payne observed how beneficial it could be to simplify, and then started to see EVERYTHING through this lens. And sometimes it is just a bit much, ironically. By the end I was kind of sick of the idea of simplifying.
However, the book was still good in that, I still want to keep the flow of crap out of our house. I want to keep the tide of plastic and brand name toys out, too. I want to make sure video games and TV are not the focal point of the house. These are all goals I had before I read this book, but now I have another reason for why that might be a good philosophy to have.
On the one hand, I agree with most of his thesis. I think we all could do with simplifying. I think clutter, mental and physical, is distracting, and I can imagine it would be even moreso for children, since they are going through so much growth and development.
That being said, I think the author makes simplifying seem superficial. Like, if you clean up your house, turn off the TV, and do things in a lovely rhythm, your life will just magically improve. I see it as choosing to make changes on the inside, in your relationships, and so forth, that then are reflected in a desire to declutter.
I also have somewhat of a problem with the idea that for our children's childhood, we would have to change our lives so much, in the fear (ugh) that if things aren't simple enough at home, kids will become ADHD, overstimulated, asocial robots. For example, sometimes my husband and I like to cook elaborate meals. It is a hobby. Sometimes we like to have dinner later, sometimes earlier. In their thesis, I feel like this would be a big no-no. I see it as a way to model for our kids what it looks like to have a healthy hobby that is practical and fun. We love to watch cooking shows as well. Well, that is TV. We could find a lot of cooking shows, food programs, and travel programs to watch that would fill up some hours of TV a week, but I think are a fun, social way to spent time as a family. I feel the same way about movies.
It seems like Payne observed how beneficial it could be to simplify, and then started to see EVERYTHING through this lens. And sometimes it is just a bit much, ironically. By the end I was kind of sick of the idea of simplifying.
However, the book was still good in that, I still want to keep the flow of crap out of our house. I want to keep the tide of plastic and brand name toys out, too. I want to make sure video games and TV are not the focal point of the house. These are all goals I had before I read this book, but now I have another reason for why that might be a good philosophy to have.
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Reading Progress
March 9, 2012
–
Started Reading
March 9, 2012
– Shelved
March 12, 2012
–
Finished Reading
