Photo: EvgeniiAnd (Shutterstock)
The season is upon us: Mailboxes are filling up with letters from children to a jolly bearded toymaker/reindeer breeder while we frantically shop for the things our children think will make them happy. But are these items really going to spark joy for them in the months—or even weeks—ahead. If we get them everything they want, will it cease to make things special or rob them of their creativity? Plus, they’ve got too many toys already.
Explaining to our kids the benefits of embracing a more minimalist lifestyle can seem challenging, but it actually doesn’t have to be in practice. Christine Koh, the co-author of Minimalist Parenting: Enjoy Modern Family Life More By Doing Less, explained to NPR that it’s about “tuning into what your kids are interested in and what they want to do to kind of go the path of least resistance.”
If you’re trying to steer your kids toward a more minimalist lifestyle even as the holidays approach, here are several ways to help teach them how to be happier with fewer things and learn the difference between what they want and what they need.
