It’s a foreign concept to many parents in the modern lives we lead, but the power of less can bring you more. A key aspect of Simplicity Parenting, the power of less refers to the material belongings and the events we pack into our lives. Simplicity Parenting itself is the brainchild of Kim John Payne, a family consultant and counsellor. He believes that by ¬¢∞slowing down our lives and creating a rhythm which works for our own families, our lives will have better outcomes.
As mentioned before, Simplicity Parenting is something which resonates with me. In my previous article, I gave a summary of what it is and the benefits of using it. Today I’d like to dive deeper into understanding how to harness the power of less as a family.
What is the Power of Less?
First up, it would be helpful to explain exactly what the power of less means. Well, it’s about simplifying your life and environment, such as:
- reducing the number of scheduled events you participate in, such as after school activities. By slowing down a child’s day and reducing the pressure they feel to excel at everything they do, a child becomes engaged in the things they are really passionate about.
- reducing your child’s (and your) exposure to the adult world, such as the media, by reducing and careful monitoring of TVs and devices. This encourages a child to engage and interact with the world around themselves, rather than a screen.
- filtering out unwanted ‘noise’ so your child only learns about what is appropriate and needed for their developmental stage. Payne believes that children should only learn and see things which are appropriate for their developmental age.
- simplifying the household environment, reducing the number of toys, books and clothes. Payne says that broken and multiple toys should be removed, and open-ended toys are provided and stored away when not in use to reduce visual clutter.
- talking less and giving your child space to think and ask their own questions.
This may seem quite unnerving, especially when it comes to restricting access to the media and reducing the number of toys. However, Kim John Payne strongly believes that by letting kids be kids, and coming up with their own games and activities, the family unit as a whole is stronger, happier and less stressed.
I’d love to hear about your journey into Simplicity Parenting, and how your family is embracing the power of less in your lives.