Comments on: 7 Minimalist Lessons I’ve Learned From My Kids

By: Jesse

Jesse — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 04:14:58 +0000

I… HATE… KIDS!

I’m quite young and I remember the kindergarten and first grades very well. A very frustrating time for me. Why?

-The inclusiveness of kids means they disrespect my personal boundaries and get in my face.

-Total lack of hygiene standards is offensive (would we tolerate it in older people?), and when concerning ingestion, takes away my appetite.

-All play and no work. Again, do we adore adults that greedily leech off the sweat of others?

-Kids are unwilling to accept counter-intuitive evidence.

-Kids think they deserve special treatment even though they do nothing to deserve it.

-They are impudent and inconsiderate, blurting the first thing that comes to mind.

-#7 is right. Kids think they can take on the world, so they turn down TV/film/books/mentors and other sources of wisdom.

Admiration of these “qualities” does not mollify my anger at them. How do you manage to find them not only tolerable, but enviable?

In case anybody is offended by my cyberpresence, I am here because I am by nature a minimalist.

By: Best Things I Have Ever “StumbledUpon” — Faithfully Frugal & Free

Sat, 02 Apr 2011 13:33:41 +0000

[...] Minimalist Lessons I’ve Learned From My Kids – Less is more! [...]

By: Minimalism for Families: Is It Possible? — 4 Plates, 4 Cups, 4 Bowls

Minimalism for Families: Is It Possible? — 4 Plates, 4 Cups, 4 Bowls — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 23:47:00 +0000

[...] Joshua writes about massively purging, leaving space, and allowing kids to mess. Another post, 7 Minimalist Lessons I’ve Learned from my Kids, he writes about how simple things are more enjoyable then the complexities we adults tend to [...]

By: Zen Fatherhood « Just Add Father

Zen Fatherhood « Just Add Father — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 03:48:13 +0000

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By: Adam

Adam — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:43:18 +0000

It’s incredible of you to be so sure that a hike in the woods won’t ever get surpassed by those two things.

Can I express my opinion as fact too?

By: Things to Write Home About | Feels Like Home

Things to Write Home About | Feels Like Home — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:44:26 +0000

[...] posted minimalist lessons to learn from your kids at Becoming [...]

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Simple Living News Update — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:32:24 +0000

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By: Danielle

Danielle — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 20:09:17 +0000

Thanks for the post! I’m going to take more time this week to enjoy the ‘little things’ that are truly the big things.
Through the eyes of a child…. :)

By: Stanley Lee

Stanley Lee — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 22:03:47 +0000

Children don’t know how to be pretentious unless someone educated them to do so, which creates the problem associated with unnecessary possessions, clutter, and debt created from buying unaffordable things.

Not only do adults need to relearn certain practices, they also need to unlearn a lot of lessons accepted by faulty but popularly accepted assumptions taught when growing up.

By: Di

Di — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 19:19:12 +0000

Joshua, your posts are always so inspiring and practical. That’s what keeps me looking forward to your next one. My son is grown now and I don’t have grandchildren yet, but when I do, I will keep your ideas in mind. They are very similar to the way we raised our son. My husband and I always limited the amount and types of toys he had. He could never understand why his friends had to spend Saturdays cleaning their rooms. Since we kept things to a minimum and we cleaned up as we went along this was never a problem. We wanted to encourage his imagination as well as encourage him to play outside. We took long walks with him and he loved it, even when people thought we were being mean “for making him walk.” Even today, he does not sit around the house playing games or watching TV/DVDs, but loves to be active —-running, working out at the gym, swimming, camping, bicycling, exploring, hiking, rock climbing. It is important to remember that the values we instill in young children will remain with them for life.