In my short 7 years as a mother, I don’t think I have ever felt so much stress and worry about my kids as I do right now. As a natural born “worry wart” I know I probably worry too much, but man these kids have a lot to deal with! Way more than we did as children!
I wish I was raising my kids back in the “olden days”! I wish they could ride bikes outside with friends all evening and know it was time to come home when it was dark. I wish we didn’t have to worry about strangers, bullies, media, the list goes on and on!
While I am no pro by any means, I have always had a strong desire to make my children’s childhood as “old fashioned” as possible! Times were just so much more simple, and kids had little to worry about as long as they did their chores and obeyed their parents. That is EXACTLY what I want for my little boys!
So today I’m sharing the few bits and pieces of things I’ve learned to help create a more simple childhood for my boys. There is nothing more personal than raising children so please know that this is just what is important to me and my husband. Each family is different and unique as is every child. I do believe we can all agree that our kiddos deserve a happy, loving, and simple childhood.
Teaching our kids to work
You know that feeling after a good day of hard work when you accomplished something big that you really wanted to do? When you’ve worked hard and can see the fruits of your labors? It feels great right? Our kids can feel it too! I have found as I give my kids “hard work” to do, they thrive! They try so hard to do the task at hand, and when they have done it, they are so proud of themselves. They too feel good for accomplishing something. My kids love scooping animal manure, harvesting the garden, pulling weeds, mowing the lawn, pressure washing, raking leaves, shoveling snow. Almost any task I have to do, I try to include them on a smaller scale. Setting them up for success avoids them getting frustrated easily, and helps them to learn and grow, and understand that working hard can be so rewarding, even without bribery!
It also teaches them responsibility and accountability. One of my favorite ways to teach these concepts is with our animals and our garden. My kids LOVE to help me plant seeds, water our garden, and especially harvest! It’s such a good opportunity to teach them how important it is to take care of our responsibilities and be accountable for our actions. Some of our best teaching moments and talks with the kids thus far have occured in the garden, barn, or at the kitchen table.
Encouraging play
This may seem like an obvious one. Kids all play right? Meaningful play is so important to kids! Get them outside and in the fresh air! Jumping on the tramp, playing make believe, climbing trees (yes I encourage my kids to do that!) mud pies, playing in the dirt, it’s all important! Yes, they will make a mess, and ya they might mess up your garden and your pots (speaking from experience), but really in the grand scheme of things who cares? Don’t forget to take a break and play with them sometimes too! My kids think I am the coolest mom ever when I show them up shooting hoops or jump on the tramp with them!
I want my kids to learn to be bored! They don’t need to be constantly entertained! If we can teach them how to play on their own and with their siblings, it teaches them how to use their own minds to get creative and make their own fun. Usually that means a giant mess for us to clean up afterward but if they have really earned a bath by the end of the day, I know they have played hard and it’s been a good day!
Limit Screens
Limiting the time spent on screens is so important to me! Don’t get me wrong, I love to cuddle up with the kids and watch a movie as a family, or put on a quick show for the toddler while I get ready for the day, but overall I think our kids are being taken over by the media. Every family and child is different and again, these are just my opinions, but I see a marked change in my children’s attitudes and overall happiness when they spend less time on screens and more time outside playing or cuddling up to read a book with me.
I’ve also noticed that the more I let the kids watch TV (especially streaming services) the less patience they have for the little things in life. They want what they want NOW. No wonder, they don’t even watch commercials with TV now. Entertainment is a click away with no waiting, and I think the instant gratification is spoiling them. Our kids have so many outside sources seeking out their attention. It is our job as parents to direct and teach our kids and for me, that is A LOT easier to do when our screen time is limited.
Get Rid of Unused Toys
In my experience… Too much stuff (I.e. toys)= too much clutter= STRESS
My kids don’t like to clean up their toys. Most kids probably don’t! The hard thing is they have soooo many! We love that they have family that want to spoil them with cool new toys on their birthdays and Christmas, but man they build up fast! I try to go through them as often as I can to minimize the amount of toys they have (especially in their bedroom) to make sure that it is easy for them to keep their rooms tidy and cleaned up. Of course they have toys they LOVE and play with a lot, but I try to minimize what they have to toys that are good quality and promote learning or creativity.
Teach Them to Cook and Eat Meals Together
Time in the kitchen is so fun for the kids. I want my boys to go off to college someday and know how to cook more than a pot of ramen or a bowl of cereal. They LOVE to cook and bake with me, and I treasure the time I have with them in the kitchen. It’s so fun to teach them new things and watch them get excited when they learn something new. Our oldest son (7) recently learned how to make spaghetti and meat sauce from start to finish, he LOVED learning to boil water, brown meat, add in spices. It was so cute to see the joy on his face as we ate dinner that night and every one raved about the wonderful meal he had made for us!
Being in the kitchen gives us a good opportunity to teach our kids about where our food comes from and how to eat healthy, be less wasteful, and the agricultural aspect of our food sources. That understanding and respect, can help our kids to be more open to trying new things and wasting less.
We try as often as we can to eat together as a family. No toys, TV, or phones are allowed at our dinner table. We talk about each other’s day, our goals and dreams, things we need to do, our schedules, meal planning, where we want to travel next, or what fun activities we want to do as a family. It is such a great time for connection and to give each child an opportunity to engage in the conversation. Dinner time is a great time to get everyone talking and communicating.
Adventure Together
Adventure is out there! Go have fun and explore with your kids! It doesn’t have to be a big elaborate trip, they really don’t care where you go as long as you’re together. Take the time to shut out all other distractions and just be with your kids and make memories. We took a trip over the summer to Yellowstone National Park and decided to take the boys on a short little trail/hike. It was easy and simple but we saw some beautiful scenery and the kids LOVED it. We even saw a cow moose and her baby! Our kids talk about it all the time and I’m so glad we spent that time with them down on their level, to create such a fun memory! Our family has also enjoyed learning to kayak, camping, hotel staycations, camping in the living room, etc. Be creative, and be present, and they will THRIVE!
Keep it Simple
The whole point of trying to live a “homestead lifestyle” is to make life more simple and get back to our roots. If you have been on this journey with us long, you know that is what I’m passionate about. Every family and child can benefit from this way of thinking. It is a journey to simplify our lives and trust me it is a journey that your kids will LOVE taking with you! Kids just want to be kids. Get dirty, get outside, have fun, and find joy in living a more simple life!
Wonderful wonderful!!!! I couldn’t agree with you more!!❤️
Thanks so much!