How I got rid of the clutter + overwhelm to achieve a more peaceful family life
I have chosen to trade chaos for calm.

Originally posted on Becoming Minimalist.
As a child, I had the type of closet that you opened at your own risk. Because when you opened that door, only God knew what barrage of toys, clothes and “stuff" would come barreling forth. I didn't know it then, but as a kid I needed minimalism. I always said, “I am just messy, period." Like it was some kind of personality trait: Messy. Cluttered. Overwhelmed. Anxious. As a kid 30 years ago, I needed minimalism. But today…for my kids? Minimalism is essential. I grew up in the time before Amazon and one-click ordering. This was the time before snack-catchers existed for children to carry around snacks and mindlessly eat around the clock. The time before kids needed iPads hanging over their car seats to survive a trip. The time before you could get virtually anything on television at a moment's notice. The kids of today need minimalism more than ever. Childhood of today is beyond messy and cluttered. It's chaotic. Research shows us the way we are raising kids in America today causes stress and anxiety to overwhelm both children and parents alike. As parents, we have so much going on that we have resorted to “convenience parenting" to hold it all together. If your kids won't sit down for a meal, there's a device for that. If your kids won't ride quietly in the car, there's an app for that. As parents, we just try to survive. We struggle to hold it all together. Because it's consuming. It's heavy. Raising kids today is heavier than any parent can handle. I know this because I have two young children. They inherited my eyes and my hair. But they didn't inherit my messy, overwhelmed traits. That is because “overwhelmed" is not a life sentence. It's a choice—and I have made intentional choices for my kids and my family. I have chosen to trade chaos for calm. Not only is calm possible, but it's also good for our children and our families. In my uncluttered, calm grown-up life, I have a Ph.D. in Child Development. I specialize in Family Wellness. I know what a young child needs to grow, develop, and thrive. And I know a few things about what it takes to bring harmony and happiness to a family unit. So what's the secret? Minimalism.
As a child, I had the type of closet that you opened at your own risk. Because when you opened that door, only God knew what barrage of toys, clothes and “stuff" would come barreling forth. I didn't know it then, but as a kid I needed minimalism. I always said, “I am just messy, period." Like it was some kind of personality trait: Messy. Cluttered. Overwhelmed. Anxious. As a kid 30 years ago, I needed minimalism. But today…for my kids? Minimalism is essential. I grew up in the time before Amazon and one-click ordering. This was the time before snack-catchers existed for children to carry around snacks and mindlessly eat around the clock. The time before kids needed iPads hanging over their car seats to survive a trip. The time before you could get virtually anything on television at a moment's notice. The kids of today need minimalism more than ever. Childhood of today is beyond messy and cluttered. It's chaotic. Research shows us the way we are raising kids in America today causes stress and anxiety to overwhelm both children and parents alike. As parents, we have so much going on that we have resorted to “convenience parenting" to hold it all together. If your kids won't sit down for a meal, there's a device for that. If your kids won't ride quietly in the car, there's an app for that. As parents, we just try to survive. We struggle to hold it all together. Because it's consuming. It's heavy. Raising kids today is heavier than any parent can handle. I know this because I have two young children. They inherited my eyes and my hair. But they didn't inherit my messy, overwhelmed traits. That is because “overwhelmed" is not a life sentence. It's a choice—and I have made intentional choices for my kids and my family. I have chosen to trade chaos for calm. Not only is calm possible, but it's also good for our children and our families. In my uncluttered, calm grown-up life, I have a Ph.D. in Child Development. I specialize in Family Wellness. I know what a young child needs to grow, develop, and thrive. And I know a few things about what it takes to bring harmony and happiness to a family unit. So what's the secret? Minimalism.