Minimalism has always been an inbred part of me. I had minimalist parents who raised me to love and live simply. Focusing on the needful rather than on frivolous desires.
I grew up loving simplicity regardless of the excesses around me. It is no wonder that I would pass down the same to my own children. I'm currently a mom to a fifteen year old daughter and I can proudly say that I've been able to influence her on minimalism.
Parenting is no joke. There is no ”how to be a perfect parent manual” anywhere. Parents learn on the job with the aid of some parenting books that give tips on how to be a good parent. Oftentimes, we only reproduce the parenting styles that we were raised with. Striking a balance as a minimalist and as a parent would have been a herculean task if it wasn't ingrained in me.
The kids of this jet age have better opportunities than in the past because of the amount of exposure that the world is experiencing. Just visit a candy store to see what I'm talking about. You would find candies in different varieties
The simple ways that I balance my minimalist lifestyle with my parenting are…
I practice gratefulness. This is so important because I understand that no one can have it all and some people don't even have it at all. We say life is not balanced and that we cannot control the cards that life deals to us. So I choose to be grateful for the little and big things that come my way. My daughter understands the importance of gratitude because she knows that it is not just a right that she has whatshe has , but it is also a privilege to have it.
There are many kids that sleep under the bridge and many who have no home to call their own. Being grateful helps us keep a healthy esteem of ourselves and to others.
The second tip that helps me keep balance is mindful consumption. It is a known rule in my home that we don't consume recklessly. Be it food, money or any other thing at all, we pay attention to value and needs more than wants or frivolosity.
This does not mean that I don't fulfil some of her girly desires..... I do that occasionally but not as a form of compulsion neither is it on a regular basis.
I teach my daughter to be mindful of her actions. She understands that her actions can affect someone else and so she is self-aware to act and behave responsibly even at her age. We say no to cluttering and regularly declutter as the need arises.
Two weeks ago, she unpacked some of her clothes from the wardrobe. She began to sort them out and when she was done, she showed me the clothes she wanted to give out. It was beautiful to see her thinking of others as well as herself. No tantrums displayed neither was there any blackmail of me taking her shopping. She did it willingly and voluntarily, embracing minimalism.
My daughter and I budget my monthly income together. I carry her along and she sees how I prioritize value added commodities to other things. She also keeps me in check anytime I try to go astray to buy something that is not on our budget list. Except for urgent or an emergency, we stick to the budget judiciously.
I am proud of who she is growing up to be and I am glad that I can influence her in my little way. I'm trusting that she will grow up with this upbringing and even raise her own kids as a minimalist parent.
Thank you all for reading. This my entry to the #kissblogidea #166.
Images are mine.