Getting Started to Minimalism with Kids

Minimalist living can help help kids to be calmer, more peaceful and more focused. Learn more how to get started to minimalism with kids.

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Minimalism with kids? How does that work? White walls and one toy box with a couple of wooden toys? Not at all. Well maybe for a few families, but most us are really just looking for ways to simplify to give kids the benefits of less stuff and more fun.

So why minimalism and kids?

Simply put… when there’s too much stuff (toys, clothes, games, etc.), kids become overwhelmed.

Too many choices may make kids feel anxious, stressed out, or uncertain. The chaos of a closet filled with clothes or a room stuffed to the brim with toys and games can really take a toll on kids. Everything from anxiety, ADHD, and behavioral problems can worsen when kids are left with too much stuff, too many choices, too little time.1

Here’s a beginner guide to minimalism with kids, and how it can help the whole family.

1. They are more calm and peaceful

Simplifying childhood, such as eliminating toys, games, etc. can help them to be calmer, happier and more secure. Research has shown that fewer toys help kids to focus better and play longer with single toys (improving attention span).2

In addition, give kids plenty of unstructured play time so they have time to decompress after school. Let them be bored. Give them fewer choices and let them come up with creative solutions to entertain themselves without TV, video games, or toys.

2. They appreciate what they have

“Mom, I’m bored.” How often do you hear that when you actually look in your kids’ rooms and see that they have dozens, even hundreds of toys to choose form. It’s a common problem. Kids are often ready to move on to the next and greatest toy before the newness has even worn off their current must-have toys.

Minimalism teaches children to better appreciate what they have. When they have fewer things to choose, they play with their toys more and treasure what they have.

3. They spend more time playing outside

When your kids aren’t surrounded by toys and electronics, they become more interested in playing outdoors. Why? There’s less to do inside, so they go outside to look for other kids to play with, nature to explore, sports to play, and come up with fun games on their own.

If your kids aren’t interested in ever going outdoors, it may be time to adapt the minimalism lifestyle in your home.

4. They are more creative and imaginative

Too many toys, video games, and overly scheduled after-school activities take the imaginative play and creativity out of childhood. Remember when you were growing up? Chances are you had fewer toys than your kids and you were more creative and imaginative. You built forts and pretended your were a princess or a knight. You piled up pillows and pretended there was an avalanche about to hit. You used your imagination to create fun scenes and situations to play.

When your kids have less, they are naturally more creative and imaginative – just like you did as a child. They pretend that boxes are cars and blankets can be used to make forts. They come up with their own little worlds to play in.

5. They spend more time with family

Instead of wanting to play video games all the time, minimalism encourages children to be more with their family. It might be watching a movie together or playing a board game. It might also be reading aloud from a book. Regardless, your family will spend more time together when you practice minimalism.

6. They buy things intentionally

When you limit the amount of toys your kids can bring into the home, they more carefully choose the toys they spend their allowance on and ask for at birthday and holidays. This is the start of teaching kids about consumerism and why they want to buy things. This is something that kids need to learn early in life so that they don’t waste money in the future. Take the time to teach them about advertising and why companies do it.

7. They will opt for experiences rather than things

When you teach kids about minimalism and the benefits of enjoying more with less, they learn that buying more things won’t make them happy and will often opt for experiences like a family vacation, a movie night out, a dinner with friends, one-on-one time with a sibling, etc.

8. They learn critical life skills early

When your kids aren’t focused on stuff, they learn what’s really important in life. They learn that family, friends, self-improvement, etc. are more important than stuff. They learn that the buying In other words, you’re giving your kids a leg up in life. Being able to learn these things at a young age can greatly change their future.

Minimalism isn’t just for adults

This is a lifestyle and way of thinking that can greatly encourage your children to grow in so many ways. What are you waiting for? Learn to adapt this lifestyle for yourself and your children.

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Sources
1. Simplicity Parenting
2. The influence of the number of toys in the environment on toddlers’ play

Photo credit: Bigstockphoto.com / Kasia Bialasiewicz