Simplicity Parenting

August 17, 2009
Waldorf educator and consultant Payne teams up with writer Ross to present an antidote for children who are overscheduled and overwhelmed by too much information and a fast-paced consumer culture that threatens the pace and playful essence of childhood. Payne claims that a protective filter should surround childhood, rather than the competitive, stressful adult world that has encroached on childhood's boundaries, preventing kids from developing resiliency with a sense of ease and well-being. But Payne is not a doomsayer: he presents a wealth of practical ideas for reclaiming childhood and establishing family harmony. In chapters covering four levels of simplification—environment, rhythm, schedules and “Filtering Out the Adult World”—Payne explains how parents can tackle extraneous stuff and stimulation by reducing the “mountain” of toys, limiting scheduled activities, providing valuable downtime and employing such “pressure valves” as storytelling and periods of quiet. According to the authors, limiting choices and activities will lead to kids who are more secure and less stressed, and to parents whose days are calmer. With fewer choices, Payne explains, families have the freedom to “appreciate things—and one another—more deeply.” Though “simplicity parenting” may seem a stretch for some, others will find that Payne's program for restoring creative play, order and balance is long overdue.