Enjoying the minimalism with kids

Spending time with children brings a child in you. The love for simple things is life is at times lost in the myriad necessities like gadgets and fast life. It is good to show our children the beauty of enjoying a long lazy Sunday with basic necessities and minimalism.  Minimalism is not about depriving but making much use of what is available. Hoarding on clothes, shoes, food items for the sake of fashion and masked necessity creates a lot of confusion in the child’s mind. During counselling,  several parents come up to me about their child’s outrageous demand for an I pad, Kindle, branded windcheater or a sipper bottle. A firm ‘No’ with an explanation is important. Turning the ‘No’ to an ‘Yes’ diminishes the value of discipline.

Of late there is so much talk about minimalism. Urban life makes us attuned to necessities and luxuries with a very thin line that separates the two. Most times they are juxtaposed as comfort. Often parents also use spending habits to make for lack of time. Children imbibe it and also reflect it in the same way. The sudden outburst of the child for not accepting a non-branded gadget is such an example. But there is always a chance to change. Nothing is actually fixated when it comes to changing habits. Parents who adopt such roles themselves are able to guide their kids. Yes, role modelling.

Yogesh Thanvi, father of three gorgeous kids says, “A trip to the mall is certainly okay. Children must see both sides of life. But there is so much value when we walk to a temple as a family and visit a humble cowshed. My three children and nephew love to feed the calves there. They do not fear them at all. They no more have to wait for their yearly trip to the village to be able to do so. I often take them to these simple outings where they also realize that money cannot buy everything. My kids like the smell of cow dung, feed them hay and my little one was asking if he could give the calf a bath.”

Advantages of minimalism

• Keeps us grounded.
• Inculcates discipline and simplicity.
• Easy on the pocket.
• Kids imbibe the ability to master multiple skills.
• Optimum utilization of resources.

Activities for advocating minimalism

• Family room – All activities to be done in one single room. Saves electricity too.
• A simple meal regaling the beauty of healthy food.
• Celebrate Earth Hour.
• Replace the tiring trip to the mall with a rain walk .
• Make homemade sweets instead of the pricey cake for the birthday.
• Remodel an old dress and make it new.