Material minimalism : less is the new more

When our child is born we want to indulge the baby and buy toys for it and get all the stuff that we never had as children, but in the process what often happens is that the toys keep lying around and our baby plays with the packaging of the toy rather than the toy itself. Children will appreciate their toys more and learn to keep their room tidy, if they have fewer toys.

When my son got gifts for his birthday, I would try not to open all of them so that he could play with a few and then when he got bored I would take out the next set of toys, but not all of them at once.

Let your children have fewer toys and let them use their imagination to weave a story around those. Imagine your own childhood when we were kids, we used to make up our own games and we didn’t really need toys to play with. We used what was available in the environment to make-up our own game by using our imagination and innovating.

Using this approach ensures that our child is less attached to material things around him/her. He would give people and relationships more importance and would learn to enjoy what he/she has, if they don’t have too much of material possessions. By giving children everything they ask for, you are teaching them that the more they possess, the happier they will be, which is not true. A child will be happy playing with a cardboard box or even a spoon and make a game out of it.

When children have too many toys or things, they don’t value them either, and nor do they learn to take care of them; in the process they also learn not to care for (possibly) hard-earned money. We should teach our children the value of money at a very young age. We need to find a balance between what our kids need and what our kids want. We shouldn’t give them everything. 

You don’t want them to end up growing up spoilt. Don’t feel guilty when you don’t give them everything that they ask for. Studies have shown that a high level of materialism during childhood may even decrease life satisfaction in adulthood and Indeed, studies of adults have associated increased materialism with decreased life satisfaction, happiness, vitality, social cooperation as well as increased depression, anxiety. You don’t want your kid growing thinking he or she is superior than the other.

Every time my son asks for something, we first discuss whether it is something which is of use to him, does he really need it? Does he need it immediately? This puts clarity in his head that money needs to be valued and we should be thankful for what we have. Most of us can afford whatever I kids want but we need them to be realize that no matter how much you have money should not be squandered. 

Donate or sell things that you don’t need. When my son is older I plan to pay him for the household chores that he does at home. So he knows the effort involved while earning money. Here are tips on making your child realize the importance of money:

·        Set an example – if your child sees you budgeting and saving money. He or she will follow suit.

·        Want vs. Need – these needs to be followed like a mandate. Don’t give in and ask your child if they really need that purchase which can be avoided.

·        Take your child to a place for the underprivileged kids and show them how fortunate your children are and how they should value what they have? 

·        Open an account for them and teach them how money is deposited, for younger kids teach them to save in a piggy bank.

·        Teach them to compare prices and if they are getting the same thing for a lesser price they should purchase that.

·        Let kids pay from their pocket money or birthday money. This would make them realize how far their money would go?

·        Pay them for the chores they do at home so that they value the hard work behind earning money.

·        Discuss innovative ideas with them to raise money for a cause. You could also help them bake cupcakes or make lemonade and sell it in the neighborhood.

The origination of minimalism originated from Japan which is based on simplicity and empty or open spaces. It puts emphasis on the absence of what is unnecessary. This aspect is ever-present in the Japanese daily lives. Minimalism helps you focus on what is important. You spend less time cleaning clutter, focus on creating more and consuming less.

                                                                                                                                                               

The sign of great parenting is not the child’s behavior. The sign of truly great parenting is the parent’s behavior. – Andy Smithson