Simplicity and minimalism are concepts that I am trying to incorporate into my family’s everyday lives.

When my husband and I moved to our current home, we tried to downscale how many possessions we had, but it was difficult.

At the time, my husband was working from home with his computer repair business and had parts and tools and inventory out the wazoo. I am somewhat of a packrat when it comes to art and craft supplies and have trouble giving or throwing things away, because, darn it- I might need that black ribbon or brown paper sack for something some day.

Eventually, we did get rid of a lot of stuff and I felt like I could breathe again. Then we had kids.

The amount of crap in our home quadrupled, at least. As any new parent will tell you, we were overtaken by items for our tiny humans.

As they have gotten older, it has only gotten worse. Are we finished having kids? We don’t know; so all the outgrown clothes, the crib, the swing, and all of the other baby paraphernalia is stuffed in the basement closets waiting in case it is needed again.

Have I mentioned how much paper kids generate? O.M.G., each day that my daughter came home from preschool she brought at least five pages with her. She enjoys coloring, writing, and drawing, so there are so many pieces of paper everywhere and it is all “important!” I store some in her keepsake box, but when she’s not around the rest get hidden in the bottom of the paper/cardboard recycling bin so that I don’t get in trouble for throwing it away.

And so, now you know the reason why I’ve asked the fabulous Brittany, who you may recognize from her great blog about living a minimalist lifestyle, Mind. Beauty. Simplicity. to share her thoughts on how to extend minimalism as something kids can practice too.

Even though I don’t have children of my own just yet, I still think about how I will raise them & whether I would teach them about minimalism & encourage them to follow my lead. I do know when it comes to a family, clutter expands with each family member. You think trying to keep up a clean home with just yourself or two people. Try a bunch of rugrats running through your house. I definitely think it’s important to develop a sense of structure within a household, but never become so controlling where your children feel they can’t have a fun childhood.

Here are 5 Different Ways To Maintain a Household But Still Keep it Fun

Create a Designated Space For Your Children Outside of Their Bedrooms

This ultimately depends on the size of your home, but I feel having a play area outside of a child’s bedroom is important.

Why? Because I think it’s key to differentiate the areas in which they sleep and where they play.

I personally love the Montessori style of play room where they have lots of open space and an open concept shelving unit with one toy in each cube. You can rotate and switch out the Toys weekly or every so often. This way, the Children don’t feel overstimulated by too many toys at once and the area isn’t overly cluttered. You can find great playroom inspiration on Pinterest. 

Make a Game Out of Decluttering

Why tire yourself out on always decluttering your children’s toys alone? Even as toddlers, I feel like they can at the very least watch you do the task and then teach them how to do it themselves. At an early age, you can teach them the mindset of owning less and determining what is a favorite versus what is not. Cleaning up isn’t the parents job all the time, the children must learn responsibility and the importance of keeping a tidy space. 

Find An Organization Method That Works For You & Your Kids

As much as I love bins for organization, I feel like it depends on the object.

For me, I would like to keep as much of my future children’s toys out at easy reach. I would store smaller items such as Lego pieces in containers but when it comes to larger items, displayed on a shelf works fine for me.

I also love wall shelves for displaying books. You can also switch out the books depending on the week, season or occasion.

I feel like when items are hidden in drawers or bins, they can be easily forgotten about. 

Teach Children The Importance of “Less is More“

When it comes to the amount of toys you let in your home, less is always more. I know it can be difficult especially when the children receive items from other family members and friends.

But even when it’s a gift, if it isn’t used, you shouldn’t keep it. Refer to my post on 5 Reasons Letting Go Is So Damn Hard for tips on decluttering the tough stuff. I also plan to talk about how Less Toys Are Better During the Holidays so look out for that post during Blogmas.

When you teach your children about living with less at a young age, when they get older they won’t know any better and not expect huge gratification. They can learn to really appreciate what they DO have and focus on experiences and relationships more. 

Keep Your Home A Fun Environment

Above all else, a person’s childhood is a precious thing. Never make minimalism a way to control their lives so hard. You still want to make their days fun!

A house lived in isn’t perfectly clean all the time. There will be toys on the floor occasionally, maybe some magic marker on the walls and even spilled food on the floor. There’s a give and take with running a household. And although I’m not at that phase yet in my life, I hope to have that mentality in the future. 

I hope these tips were helpful to you. If you are interested in minimalism or other lifestyle topics such as these, follow me on my WordPress page. 

-Brittany

Check out Mind.Beauty.Simplicity and follow Brittany on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest!

Thanks, Brittany!

Do you live a minimalist lifestyle? Do you have any tips or tricks for keeping the clutter under control? How are you teaching your kids to be minimalists too? I would love to hear from you!

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