Enough is enough

Image Source: Chicago Art Department

Christmas, and the girls birthdays, are rapidly approaching. You all know by now that I have a real issue with clutter. Clutter and I are not friends. I've been doing a lot of reading about minimalism and while I don't think I could embrace it with extremism, so much of the minimalist life appeals to me. When it comes down to it I want my life to be spent with the people I love, not the stuff we're buried under.

For the past couple of weeks I've been trying to think of what I can put on a wish list for the girls for Christmas. I have been feeling a little frustrated that I couldn't really think of anything, and then my perspective changed. I can't think of anything that my girls need, because they don't need anything. My girls don't need anything. Isn't that wonderful? They have everything they need. We have been blessed with abundance, in fact, sometimes an excess of abundance! For that I am grateful.

Faith @ Minimalist Moms has this to say about kids and their clothing in her post How To Minimize Your Child's Wardrobe:

"Are they at the back of the drawer because they aren’t among the favorite choices or simply because they’re overlooked from having too many choices?"

This really struck a cord with me. By holding on to clothes that my kids are never wearing, am I depriving another mother of clothing she could be using for her child? It's gotten to the point where sometimes I have to stuff the clean clothes in to the drawer because it's too full, so it's more than likely that there are some things in there I could pass on to someone else.

There is a line from a hymn that comes to mind in situations like this.

"Because I have been given much, I too must give."

Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist has a number of great articles on minimalism with children such as Why Fewer Toys Will Benefit Your Kids. It's almost impossible to limit myself to one applicable quote, but here goes.

True joy and contentment will never be found in the aisles of a toy store. Kids who have been raised to think the answer to their desires can be bought with money have believed the same lie as their parents. Instead, children need encouragement to live counter-cultural lives finding joy in things that truly last.

You might remember the hidden shelving we installed in the girls cupboard. That has been great as it is makes very evident what toys they have, and how little space we have. I believe that if the toys no longer fit in that space, some need to go. We are at that point but it's so difficult to know what to let go of. I'd hate to decide to part with something only to leave Desana wondering where it went, but she's too young to be able to help with the sorting process. Although I did manage to sneak a few toys out of the house during the free weekend giveaway...

I still don't know what I'm going to do about Christmas and Birthdays. I need to think hard about wants vs needs. I don't want family and friends spending their money on things we are not going to keep, but at the same time I don't know if they would accept it if I told them we didn't want any more toys. What's a minimalist Mum to do?

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