Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Taking your Kids Toys Away.

I'm not a parent however I think one day I would like to be.  I enjoy educating myself on homeschooling and ways to raise children.   I read a really interesting article about what happened when a mother took her 2 daughter's toys away.

I admire parents who are able to teach their children true values in this over commercialized world that drives us to constantly buy stuff.  In an effort to be more frugal I've tried to cut many things from my life.  I don't have TV and really I feel better for it.  I do have Netflix and on occasion I may also have Hulu Plus for a month or two.  Both services together cost lest than basic cable and on Netflix I don't have to deal with commercials.  It's bliss!  

Right now I have too much stuff.  I found this mother's story inspirational despite not having children currently.  I've wanted to and need to go through my house and just get rid of as much as I can.  I don't need all of this stuff. 

The mother in the story decided to basically strip her daughter's bedroom.  She removed every toy and even their plush pottery barn comforter. She started and after a few minutes without prompting her daughters joined her in the removal process. The room was just basic, clean, and uncluttered.

Now instead of constantly cleaning their room they can read or color or play games involving their imagination together.  The girls actually say they enjoy not having so many toys because now they can just play and not really have to clean.

She didn't throw their toys away, in fact she kept some in a tub and would allow them to occasionally play with one toy at a time.  The mother noticed that instead of fighting over things her children fought rarely.

Before the removal they had went on a family trip to Orlando, Florida and the girls often asked for things. One of the girls was fixated on Build-your-own-dinosaur and they basically had to divert her attention to make her realize all of the great things they did.  On their most recent outing after the purge her daughters looked but didn't ask for things.  The girls were just content in being in the moment and could fully take in what they were experiencing.  

Maybe less is more?  I do think it's better to raise children without materialistic expectations.  I can tell you without a doubt in my mind I remember more times I had fun playing outside in the grass or in the creek than playing with any single toy. 

Here's the original article if you would like to check it out:
http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2012/09/14/why-i-took-all-my-kids-toys-away-why-they-wont-get-them-back/

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