Have you ever, as a parent, read a book and breathed a sigh of relief? A book in which the author seemed to know exactly the pressures you face as a parent, and offered commonsense approaches to alleviate those pressures? I just finished one, and I highly recommend it. Simplicity Parenting, by Kim John Payne, M.Ed., inspires parents to remember that less is more, that simplicity trumps complication, and that rhythm and routine are key to reclaiming childhood.
The general idea is that today's kids are losing their childhoods, their time to just "be" because they are inundated with information, toys, busy schedules, and helicopter parenting. The author recommends finding ways to simplify all of these areas of our life in order to allow our children to develop in their own ways. This may sound like a philosophy that might work for "some parents" but over and over I've seen how this is true for students in the classroom; kids who are allowed space and time along with family rituals and simplicity at home tend to be happier at school.
So why, you ask yourself, is Sarah posting this on Mish+Mash? Ah hem. Family dinners and the importance of simplifying foods are discussed in detail. The joy of family dinners is not so much in making a grand homemade meal every night, but in the ritual of it; children helping set the table, wash vegetables, and prepare dinner are more apt to eat dinner. The author also recommends simplifying foods much the same way we would toys: take out anything that is marketing to your child or that takes away the simple pleasures in eating real food. He suggests limiting choices and complexity:
"Is this food intended to nourish, or entertain? To stimulate? More simply, was it designed, or was it grown?.... The first step, then, is to wean your child off those foods that have little or no nutritional value.... The grumbling will be short term, the benefits will last."
I wanted to share more, because this was such a great read, but you'll just have to check it out or purchase it yourself. Please, shoot me a line and let me know what you think of it!
