The other day I stumbled on a website called Minimalist Parenting. The the sheer idea of minimizing anything in my life seemed appealing, so I read on. I've been trying to cut back on the number of obligations and chaos in our lives so I can focus on being more present, for a lack of less new-agey phrase.
It turns out I was just in time for their Min-Camp. Described on their site as:
In Minimalist Parenting, we share our prescription for enjoying family life more by doing less. But where to begin? That’s where MinCamp comes in.
Through a series of 14 daily tasks, you’ll make real progress in the areas many of us find challenging: managing your time, handling clutter (in your home, schedule, and mind), simplifying mealtime, and making room for self-care. Starting the day after you sign up, we’ll email you one MinCamp task per day. We’ve crafted each task to make an immediate impact on your life while being doable. At the end of MinCamp, you’ll be on your way to less clutter and more joy!
- See more at: http://www.minimalistparenting.com/mincamp/#sthash.MHctbGF1.dpuf
My first assignment was to make two lists - one of what I want more of and one of what I want less of in our lives. Okay. I'll play along. Here we go:
More
- church
- together
- family time without fighting
- time spent as a couple
- healthy meals
- time outdoors
- laughter
- enjoying the kids for who they are, not who we’re hoping they’ll become
- hugs
- common goals
- memory making moments (trips, game nights)
- silly pictures
Less
- on the calendar
- stress
- chaos
- mess
- unnecessary personal sacrifice (let's just buy a new car and stop driving the 11 year old clunker)
- arguing
- sighing
- worrying about the unhealthy choices of others we can’t control
- time spent with negative people
- Hurrying
So there it is. I've earned my badge for day one. And now we're off to deal with the County Science Fair (hooray for Katie!), an indoor soccer game (Go Graham!), and the second night of the high school musical (bravo, Jillian!). Oh, and the exhausting job of constant cuteness (Rock on, Connell!)
How do I minimize any of that?
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