4Real Forums: Simplicity Parenting

Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.

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Philosophy of Education
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Topic: Simplicity Parenting

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CandaceC
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Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 3:52pm \| IP Logged

Thanks for sharing the link, Erin, I'm going to be reading it over! God has been laying this on my heart so much in the past few months!!

The book I mentioned, by Ann Kroeker, was so good in this aspect. What I took away the most from it is that when our lives are so busy and "cluttered" (with stuff or things or too much on our plates) we don't have time to worship. When we are so cluttered and busy, we don't have time to pray. Time to serve. The MOST important things get left behind when we are overwhelmed.

The story of Mary and Martha has impacted me yet again as well. Jesus told her what the most needful thing was...me running around like crazy is NOT THAT!

When I am too busy or too overwhelmed with my "stuff" I am too busy to sit at His feet...the most important thing!! I'm too busy to serve my family as I should!

I am learning that by saying no to many "good things" I am really saying YES to God!!

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Candace - wife to David since 2000...mommy to Hannah (Feb. 2002), Emily (April 2003) and Caleb (March 2005)

His Mercy Is New

Cay Gibson
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Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 3:57pm \| IP Logged

Erin wrote:

I was searching for my word this year

obviously I was real good at remembering it

and came across A Year in Simplicity back in 2007. Thought you might find it interesting.

Oh, dear,

to read what I wrote on this thread two years ago brings it powerfully to mind that each year at this time I go through this soul-searching, decluttering conviction...yet stay in my old habits.

Has anyone had any semblance of success from year to year?

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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks

Mimip
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Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 4:27pm \| IP Logged

CandaceC wrote:

I am learning that by saying no to many "good things" I am really saying YES to God!!

YES!!!!!

That is my DH's mantra. There are so many "good things" that we could be doing but we have to wisely, with prayer, know when to say no so that God can come to our hearts and speak in the quiet.

I'm totally in but our library system only has three copies and one is in storage (library under reconstruction) one is in "trace" and one is checked out:(

I think I am going to have to buy it:( I wish one of you was near by and we could share it

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In Christ,
Mimi
Wife of 16 years to Tom, Mom of DD'00, DD'02, '04(in heaven) DS'05, DS'08 and DS '12

jdostalik
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Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 4:33pm \| IP Logged

Hi everyone,

I am just catching up on this thread. I would love to join in on the discussion as my book arrives on Wednesday!

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Jennifer in TX
wife to Bill, mom to six here on earth and eight in heaven.
Let the Little Ones Come

SeaStar
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Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 5:42pm \| IP Logged

Cay Gibson wrote:

Erin wrote:

I was searching for my word this year

obviously I was real good at remembering it

and came across A Year in Simplicity back in 2007. Thought you might find it interesting.

Oh, dear,

to read what I wrote on this thread two years ago brings it powerfully to mind that each year at this time I go through this soul-searching, decluttering conviction...yet stay in my old habits.

Has anyone had any semblance of success from year to year?

Cay-

I feel your pain! I , too , posted in that old thread. I went over there to look, expecting to be mortified by what I had written, but... you know... A lot of my goals I have stuck to. I did indeed stop garage saling every week and I cut wayyy down on the amount of clothes the kids have. But, sadly, the one "splurge" area I allowed myself- used books- totally took over all my other good intentions.

I am flooded with books at my house. Letting them go will be painful, but they are a main source of clutter around here. And, let me be honest:
we do not need 20 dinosaur books. Really. I think... maybe... yep, this is why I make no progress....

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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)

SQUILT Music Appreciation

Willa
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Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 6:26pm \| IP Logged

SeaStar wrote:

But, sadly, the one "splurge" area I allowed myself- used books- totally took over all my other good intentions.

I am flooded with books at my house.

LOL, me too. With everything else, we really have cut down quite a bit. But books and papers undo the rest.

Onwards and upwards, though! I know I have made progress, though slowly, these past few years.

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AMDG
Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read

Sarah M
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Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 6:27pm \| IP Logged

SeaStar wrote:

And, let me be honest:
we do not need 20 dinosaur books. Really. I think... maybe... yep, this is why I make no progress....

amyable
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Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 6:36pm \| IP Logged

Cay Gibson wrote:

Oh, dear,

to read what I wrote on this thread two years ago brings it powerfully to mind that each year at this time I go through this soul-searching, decluttering conviction...yet stay in my old habits.

Has anyone had any semblance of success from year to year?

Well, I may regret saying this -- because typically if I open my big mouth something comes along to prove how prideful I was -- but YES, I've had success in becoming increasingly more simple in our lives.

Mostly it was due to necessity. We were planning on moving, and so to make this 1200sf house with no garage look nice, I had to continue to purge and purge again. Then all that house hunting went out the window when dh's company was bought out, so I'm realizing I want/need to continue to simplify if we need to stay here. The necessary purges have greatly fueled my desire to live simply in this and other areas. We are so much happier. Now, I'm far from where I want to be, but also far from where I was 3 years ago, YKWIM?

ETA: I'll be joining you all in reading this book as soon as I can get to the library.

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Amy
mom of 5, ages 6-16, and happy wife of

The Highly Sensitive Homeschooler

threeturn
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Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 7:55pm \| IP Logged

Hi. I am new to posting in the forums but I would like to join you. I got the Kindle version of the book and am reading it on my new iPod (thanks Santa). It has been fantastic so far. I can't wait to discuss.

Pam

Maddie
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Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 8:42pm \| IP Logged

SeaStar wrote:

I did indeed stop garage saling every week and I cut wayyy down on the amount of clothes the kids have. But, sadly, the one "splurge" area I allowed myself- used books- totally took over all my other good intentions.

I am flooded with books at my house. Letting them go will be painful, but they are a main source of clutter around here. And, let me be honest:
we do not need 20 dinosaur books. Really. I think... maybe... yep, this is why I make no progress....

I'm trying to get over worrying that the ONE book I'll get rid of will be thee book that one of my children will need to randomly pick up and be inspired by it.

I also hold onto books that are OOP, I guess I thought I was somehow a guardian to old OOP books that "you just can't find anymore" because of revisionist history.

Right now, I'm boxing up a good deal of my books in clear bins so I can still see the titles, once they are out of my way, I'll go back and decide which ones are worth keeping.

I never, ever thought I would be saying this, I love book sales, thrift stores, etc. but I just can't keep cleaning, replacing broken parts, organizing, and sheltering every good toy, book and Land's End dress I find.

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~Maddie~
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SeaStar
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Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 9:15pm \| IP Logged

Yes- that is my beef also... ALL my free time seems to go to organizing, sifting, cleaning, storing all these fabulous finds.

And I have book guilt, too, about letting them go.

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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)

SQUILT Music Appreciation

teachingmyown
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Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 10:39pm \| IP Logged

Okay, I'm in. Just ordered the book. Just promise me that this will be the ONE book that I actually put into action after I read it!

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Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today

Nina Murphy
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Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 11:17pm \| IP Logged

teachingmyown wrote:

Okay, I'm in. Just ordered the book. Just promise me that this will be the ONE book that I actually put into action after I read it!

I KNOW! I'm worried to get the book and start getting excited about it and then.....FAIL. AGAIN.

I am debating ordering....but hesitate to "commit". Someone convince me that I need to get in on this!, or should I just be a passive bystander....hmmmmmm...???

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~~Nina
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and 2 yet-to-be-met

Bookswithtea
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Posted: Dec 29 2009 at 7:47am \| IP Logged

Speaking of books, I am particularly musing on school curriculum/living books and purging while I wait for my copy of the book.

I have a harder time purging in this area. I've schooled through the 10th grade, and have 5 more in line. Our library area is overflowing. I need to make some hard decisions. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

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~Books

mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and

due 9/10

MNMommy
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Posted: Dec 29 2009 at 8:13am \| IP Logged

I'm going to join in if I receive my library copy in time. If not, I'm going to live vicariously through everyone else.

I love purging, decluttering, and organizing. I worry that this book doesn't have any new info for me. I know how to do all of it, and I love doing it. Sometimes, knowing how isn't the problem.

The good news is that just this discussion prompted me to go through one last box of school stuff I haven't unpacked yet, AND it relieved me from the guilt of keeping the contents. Most of it went into the recycling.

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Jennifer
Tired mom to - 10yo dd, 7yo ds, 6yo ds, 4yo dd, 2yo ds

amyable
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Posted: Dec 29 2009 at 8:22am \| IP Logged

Bookswithtea wrote:

Speaking of books, I am particularly musing on school curriculum/living books and purging while I wait for my copy of the book.

The one thing that helps me with decluttering books (not curriculum) is watching my kids and realizing that they are not falling in love with the books as much as I'd like- they seem to be just flitting from one to another because there are so many choices. Kind of like the way I feel when I'm in a store trying to pick a cleaner (or whatever) and there are 100 choices all of which claim to be great.

I think (and it seems to be working out this way here) that if I cull down to a much smaller select group, while still leaving choices, they'll return to the ones they loved. I can't give specific suggestions because I'm sure what interests one family is not what excites another.

I'm no help with curriculum - I just ordered 4 different algebra books off paperback swap.

But I *will* most likely pass the ones along that I don't like.

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Amy
mom of 5, ages 6-16, and happy wife of

The Highly Sensitive Homeschooler

jenk
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Posted: Dec 29 2009 at 9:28am \| IP Logged

I just ordered a copy and would love to join in. The two areas of over the top clutter are our school room (curriculum AND books) and my guest room soon to be baby's room. The latter is the catch all room- if something doesn't have a home or we are too "attached" to get rid of it immediately then I avoid making a decision by putting it in there. Also toys... too many toys- and I only have 2 kids!!!

Funny how God places these things in our paths just when we need them. I'd decided that my word for the year is also "Simplicity".

I have been trying for the past 6 months (not altogether successfully) to declutter- especially school stuff. I, like Books, am not sure what curriculum to hold on to in hopes to use with my younger son and what to get rid of. I discovered that the math program that I used with ds #1 is a poor fit for ds#2 but how to know ahead of time??? And there's a big age gap so I'll be storing things for years.

Looking forward to reading and discussing!!! Hope the book comes in time to start with everyone.

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Jen
with 2 boys, 14 and 8, and a girl expected 1/09

amyable
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Posted: Dec 29 2009 at 9:28am \| IP Logged

Just ran across this article and thought it was interesting in light of the present conversation.

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Amy
mom of 5, ages 6-16, and happy wife of

The Highly Sensitive Homeschooler

LucyP
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Posted: Dec 29 2009 at 9:55am \| IP Logged

What I really really liked when I read an excerpt was how it focussed on making changes to protect and bring peace to our children - rather than just cool ways to store stuff for my own gratification.

I do declutter, fiercely. And try hard to stop stuff that will become clutter coming into the home. But I have started to see how dh and I don't "declutter" media enough and keep conversation that is too big for small people to after bedtime. So I think I may get the book too, but probably joining in a discussion group will be more mental clutter for me so I will lurk for the most part.

Connections
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Posted: Dec 29 2009 at 10:56am \| IP Logged

I spent the last few years thinking 'if I just keep making a home for every last thing we own (think lots of containers and shelves), the messes will be gone, everyone will take good care of their things and we will always have what we need right at out fingertips.'

Alas, the shelves and containers have been purchased and organized (and reorganized several times). It has NOT done the trick.

I NEED to actually get rid of things (and WORK consistently on better habits for all).

I cannot wait to start a trash and donations pile (using some of those bins I bought). I am actually excited about this! I am also starting to think of groups and people I know who can actually USE the things I have lying around that go unused.

I think I may start with my closet and all of those clothes I might wear "some day." Chances are if that "some day" comes, I might just enjoy buying a new outfit for the occasion!

Thanks for the motivation!

Tracey

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