avatar by on September 21, 2011   •   162 Comments Shopping Well Spending Wisely Your Family

A Birthday Alternative: Less Stuff, More Fun

Written by kids contributor Megan Tietz of Sorta Crunchy.

September brings a birthday celebration in our home. Our younger daughter turned two this month, so I have had birthday parties on my mind. As I purged the toys in our playroom before her birthday arrived, I thought about how quickly we accumulate stuff.

Thinking about all that stuff reminded me of The Story of Stuff, a short but powerful look at consumerism and consumption in Western culture.

At the close of this short film, the audience is challenged to consider doing things “another way”. I realized it was time for my family to have an alternative approach to birthday celebrations.

Here are nine ideas for “another way” to celebrate birthdays.
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avatar by on June 29, 2011   •   58 Comments Kids: Developing Character Your Family

Applying the HALT Method: A Checklist for Proactive Parenting

Written by Megan Tietz of Sorta Crunchy.

Recently, I learned from some wise like-minded parents about how to use the HALT method to both proactively guide our children, as well as finding a way to diagnose what is happening when things fall apart.

See, a key element in the successful practice of positive parenting is the ability to set our children up for success. It requires some effort to be thoughtfully and intentionally proactive in creating rhythms, routines, and environments in which they can feel their best.

Are you familiar with the HALT slogan often used in recovery programs? The idea behind it is that when a person is in recovery (specifically, addiction recovery), there are moments when he or she is vulnerable to making poor choices. HALT reminds us that when we are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired, there is a need to be more sensitive to good decision making.

I’ve been using this as a guide to constructing and working through my days with my children, and it’s been simple to apply! Let’s break down what applying HALT looks like in the realm of parenting.

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avatar by on April 6, 2011   •   26 Comments Kids: Developing Character Your Family

Spring cleaning, parenting style

The first weekend of April has come and gone.  After I took my seat in church Sunday morning, I had to grin as I looked around to see so many sunburned faces, necks, and arms. Spring has descended on our part of the country, and up and down the streets of our little town, people have been taking advantage of the sun-warmed days to get outside and clean up the remnants of winter.

Here at Simple Mom, many of you have joined together to do the hard but invigorating work of Project Simplify — clearing hot spots, organizing all that is useful and beautiful, and creating homes that reflect who you are as a family. Spring has a way of inviting us to take stock of what we have, who we are, and who we want to be, doesn’t it?

Perhaps it is a good  time for us to take a peek into our parenting toolboxes and do a little spring cleaning with what we find inside.  Inspired by the work going on in our houses, let’s take a moment to direct our attention on all that we do with the little ones whose footsteps and fingerprints fill the space of our homes.

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avatar by on January 12, 2011   •   67 Comments Personal Growth You

Building the legacy your children will remember

In a recent phone call with a long-time friend, we talked about her unexpected and unintended vacation from all things digital while traveling for the holidays.  She spoke about how not being able to keep up with her blogging schedule and missing out on her Twitter stream was stressful at first, but then she made a remark that the time away from life online allowed her the perspective to realize that her online presence was insignificant in comparison to what she wanted to leave behind as a lasting legacy.

That statement profoundly shaped my thinking about my plans and goals for the new year.

I spend far too much time worrying over subscriber numbers, social media influence, and writing gigs, and far too little time stepping back and examining what I am doing that will last long after I am gone.

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avatar by on December 17, 2010   •   115 Comments Friendship + Community You

How to avoid relationship strain on gift-giving occasions

A note from Tsh: I don’t think a week goes by where I don’t receive an email, comment, or tweet from a reader with this question: “How do you handle the bombardment of gifts from well-meaning grandparents?” Contributor Megan Tietz of Sorta Crunchy tackled this issue beautifully earlier this spring, so I thought it apropos to republish her words, just before the holidays. I hope this helps some of you as you brace for the upcoming influx of brown paper packages tied up with string.

In cultures around the world, celebrations of special occasions are opportunities for gift giving.  For those of us who want to encourage our children to live simply, these occasions often invite feelings of frustration when well-meaning family and friends bombard our children with gifts that are either excessive in quantity or questionable in quality.

Families who are committed to living thoughtfully must walk a fine line between protecting our personal convictions on how many and what kind of toys are allowable for our children, while not offending those who do not hold the same convictions that we do.

It is important to remember that gift-giving almost always happens within the parameters of relationship, and so with this in mind, we can set ourselves up for successful and positive outcomes when this delicate issue is discussed.

Here are some thoughts to consider as you approach this topic with friends and family.

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