When our parents were little, children would leave the house in the morning and be home by dinner. They were out playing, socializing, getting bloody knees and creating memories.
The world has changed now. Very few kids grow up that way anymore.
Now as parents we tend to give our kids more and more. More toys. More opportunities to play organized sports. More music and dance classes. More hovering and more structure.
In doing so, according to some research, we may be creating stressed children.
In one study, children's lives with ADD was simplified and within four months 68% went from being clinically dysfunctional to clinically functional and 37% increased in academic and cognitive aptitude. Another study found that children playing organized sports has shown to have significantly lower creativity as young adults.
Simplicity is a powerful tool that shows our kids unconditional love, strengthen our parent child connection and teach our kids that things don’t make us happy. Childhood is a time to protect and develop young minds, so they can grow into healthy and happy adults and by giving them a sense of balance and actively protecting their childhood we’re giving our children the greatest gift they’ll ever receive.
Here are seven ways you can simplify your children’s life:
Simplify the Toys – The easiest way to start to simplify your child’s life is to start by decluttering their toys. Fewer toys help kid by giving them the freedom to immerse themselves into imagination rather than superficial play. Kids who have too many toys often become overwhelmed, frustrated and bored.
Here are three steps to help you declutter the toys.
Decide on how many toys you want your kids to have.
Get rid of any toys that are broken, missing parts or that your children just don’t play with anymore. Then have your children choose which ones they want to keep.
Consider rotating toys so they have new toys to play with at preset intervals. Separate the toys into different categories such as, thinking toys, art and creating toys, active movement toys, building toys, musical toys and pretending toys. Help them choose and rotate toys from each category so they always have a variety of toys to play with.
Simplify the Information – Children should not have to deal with adult problems. Kids need to be aware of the world around them, but we need to safeguard against age inappropriate information that can paralyze them. According to the National Institute of Mental Health the brain doesn’t fully mature until our mid to late twenties. Children simply can’t process adult information.
Simplify the Screens – I still struggle with this one. A well-known pediatrician suggested that rapid image changes on screen when viewed by children during critical period of brain development, precondition the mind to expect high levels of stimulation.
Simplify the Language – There are so many ways to show our children we love them. According to two doctors there are five ways we tell people we love them. They are words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time and physical touch. Giving gifts is a great way to show love but it is only one way. Spending time with our children one on one, wrestling, laughing, hugs and more hugs and of course telling your children every chance you can that you love them are just as important, if not more important, than buying them things.
Simplify the Pleasures – Collect natural materials, fabrics, ribbons and pillows. Give them to your kids and let them use their imaginations to build forts, playhouses and castles. Go outside into nature and collect shells, leaves, moss and stones. Bring the outdoors and create nature baskets or tables.
Simplify the Rhythms of Life – Our days are full of highs and lows. The highs are school, sports, lessons and parties. The lows are walking the dog, getting ice cream or playing catch. The lows give kids a chance to relax, release tension and break from the pressures of life. They also give us opportunities to strengthen our connection with our kids.
Simplify Schedules – The amount of time children spends doing homework and structured activities has doubled in the past decades. By prioritizing time for free play over organized activities foster creativity, self-reliance and happiness.