The Case for Minimalist Parenting

I’m over at Loving Simple Living, making the case for minimalist parenting when it comes to scheduling activities for your kids.

Here’s a bit of it for you…

Violin lessons, academic clubs, and sports practices filled my calendar to the brim every weekday. Recitals, competitions, and games crowded my weekends. Volunteering and church activities filled in the rest.

Sure, I got straight A’s, won tons of competitions, and made it home in time for dinner.

But I never formed a genuine bond with my parents. We didn’t have the time, and we certainly didn’t have the energy. Instead, all I remember is lying in bed every morning, dreading the day ahead of me – every over-scheduled minute of it.

“You’re so lucky to have a mother who can do all this for you!” the other moms would say to me after mine proudly rolled off the laundry list of activities she drove me back and forth to.

Everyone would nod together, and I’d smile. On the inside I was dying, but no one could see me crumbling behind my shiny medals, perfect grades, and flashy dance costumes.

After all, I was lucky.

Click here to read the article.