https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 04 May 2026 17:43:44 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2716463 Sun, 26 Mar 2017 15:35:01 +0000 caterw 2716463@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ElbieKay: I feel like grandparents are the big offenders in our life. My MIL brought an enormous gift bag for each girl for THANKSGIVING- a book, a stuffed animal, an outfit, plus some other stuff as well. Totally unnecessary and I'm pretty sure none of it has been played with yet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2716460 Sun, 26 Mar 2017 15:32:32 +0000 caterw 2716460@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SweetiePie: I feel the same. I would like to drastically pare down what my kids have- a bin of stuffed animals and dress up, a play kitchen, a cube organizer, blocks, a barn, an art cart, a rocking moose, and a bookshelf. That feels like a TON of stuff to me! However we will go over to friends houses and I am overwhelmed by the amount of kid stuff. We have all the toys in the girls shared not-huge room except the art thing which lives right next to the kitchen. I can't believe the number of families we know that have full bedrooms of toys for each individual child and tons of toys in common living spaces as well. It's insane! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2716359 Sun, 26 Mar 2017 08:37:05 +0000 ElbieKay 2716359@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Most of our toys have been gifts or hand-me-downs. We have a huge bin of hand-me-down wooden train tracks and trains. And don't get me started on the cars and trucks. I think they procreate when we are sleeping.</p> <p>My parents buy my son a more excessive amount of stuff than I would like. I imposed a rule when I was pregnant: Any gift larger than a cubic foot must be pre-approved by me and my husband! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2716347 Sun, 26 Mar 2017 07:27:14 +0000 Anya 2716347@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I feel the same as @LemonJack: @SweetiePie: in that I am living very modestly when I compare to other family's homes that feel like a Fischer price factory. But it's not that I'm trying to achieve a minimalist philosophy or lifestyle, I just really dislike clutter and am very particular about the items that come into my home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2716346 Sun, 26 Mar 2017 07:21:54 +0000 SweetiePie 2716346@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Compared to everyone around us we are minimalists. But overall I don't think so? I think we just live amongst a lot of excess and even my pared down version of that is probably excessive to some. </p> <p>When we walk into other apartments for play dates or just visiting our adult friends with kids, I feel like I'm depriving him! Seriously living room and bedrooms are just wall to wall toys. Floor to ceiling shelving full of games and puzzles and cars and action figures, ride on cars, multiple strollers, overflowing kitchen sets, etc. I have one set of Land of Nod bins and a few canvas bins that take up one corner of our apartment, one play kitchen (almost more for my sanity) and he has 2 bigger toys in his room (a car track thing and his thomas track which are both deconstructed in bins and only comes out once a month or so). So listing what we have doesn't sound minimalist but when I see what everyone around us has it feels like it is. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2716329 Sun, 26 Mar 2017 00:28:57 +0000 hummusgirl 2716329@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I guess it depends on your perspective. I was reading Mrs. Bee's update on her family's life in the Philippines and compared to that (few possessions, homeschooling, no extracurricular activities, few meetups with friends, etc.), our lives seem very busy and typically American and not minimalist. </p> <p>However, in terms of toys I would say we have fewer than most in our area. I overheard a kid at our holiday party saying "There aren't very many toys here" which I took as a compliment. :-) </p> <p>We ask for no gifts at birthday parties and haven't had a party at all for turning 1. We tend to give experience or edible gifts on gift-giving occasions. But we don't really limit what other people give so we have our fair share of plastic things that light up. We will occasionally pick up toys or clothes at Goodwill. For clothes, we mostly buy what we need when we need it. </p> <p>I like this blog going around that's sort of related to what I think is a minimalist perspective:<br /> What if All I Want is A Mediocre Life?<br /> <a href="http://www.alifeinprogress.ca/?p=1065" rel="nofollow">http://www.alifeinprogress.ca/?p=1065</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2716315 Sat, 25 Mar 2017 22:04:13 +0000 Eko 2716315@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am working on our house becoming more minimalist. I write a blog about it. I consider minimalism not just about what you own and spend money on but as a way of thinking. We downgraded books. We do keep some, but he reads the same ones and we go to the library. I am working on being better about toys. I try to limit the toys that do come in. His birthday comes up soon and I told people not to buy him gifts, but if they did to try to think about getting experience gifts. I like to try experimenting with things, if you feel like you can't commit to something right away. Whatever you want to minimize just stash it away for 30 days and see if you feel like you needed it. If you don'the then you know you don't need it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2716309 Sat, 25 Mar 2017 21:14:26 +0000 LemonJack 2716309@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are not minimalist, but I dislike clutter so I know we have a lot less toys than a lot of people we know. I've noticed when we are somewhere where there are a lot of toys she can't seem to concentrate and bounces from one thing to another, whereas at home she has a super long attention span and will color, play with blocks, or look through books for a long period of time. That difference alone makes me determined to keep as much junk out as possible! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2716281 Sat, 25 Mar 2017 19:19:06 +0000 Greentea 2716281@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are super minimalist! We make great use of the library, kid scissors, and pens and markers, occasionally watercolor paints. Kid's super creative! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2716171 Sat, 25 Mar 2017 12:16:41 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2716171@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Pumpkin Pie: YES to your second to last paragraph! I really wish I had realized that when my first was a baby. It took me awhile to come around and not just try to distract all the time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2716169 Sat, 25 Mar 2017 12:14:55 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2716169@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Right now (although we are looking to buy/move) we are living four of us in 850 square feet. So we are sort of minimalist by necessity. I really try to buy open ended toys that both kids can use. We also don't have much in terms of home decor because we need to use every square foot for something that is also functional. But when I have the money to spend I do have a hard time talking myself out of books and CLOTHES! I also have quite a few hand me down purses that I can't bring myself to get rid of. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2716163 Sat, 25 Mar 2017 11:59:27 +0000 Pumpkin Pie 2716163@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO1 is 2 yrs old, and LO2 is 3 months. </p> <p>I consider us minimalists, and so is our parenting. For ourselves and our house, we buy what we need and strongly want. We try to be practical and frugal. </p> <p>We are lucky because we received a lot of hand me down clothes, which I've saved to use for LO2 also. I have also bought a few things here and there to supplement. </p> <p>We also received a very small pile of hand me down toys which we use. </p> <p>We make a conscious effort not to get a lot of stuff for our LOs, only things we think are really worth it. We also don't use tablets or tv much. LO1 gets 1 Daniel Tiger show on the weekend, and she is allowed to get 1 video each evening of the family. Its treated as a privilege. </p> <p>Kids really don't need much, and I don't think getting them a lot of stuff means they'll develop more/faster, be happier/less cranky, etc. AND think of what other stuff you can use the money for. I try to think of long term investments instead of the instant gratification. </p> <p>Some of our friends have commented on how we don't get our LOs much, but I am a HUGE fan of less consumerism/more minimalism. Its saved us a lot of money and time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2715309 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 18:32:39 +0000 petitenoisette 2715309@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not as minimalist with toys as I'd like to be. Though we almost never buy her toys. She just turned two and we didn't get her any gifts bc we knew she'd get plenty from other people. I would like to get rid of more stuff but my husband would not be into it. </p> <p>I'm getting better about clothes, I definitely overdid it when she was younger. I used to buy a bunch of stuff before the season actually started and I didn't really have a good feel for how much she actually needed. Now I'm trying to wait until I really notice a need for a particular item to buy beyond a small number of basics. </p> <p>We are definitely minimalist regarding activities. She's only two and so we haven't signed her up for anything yet. We need to do swim lessons but other than that I don't plan to sign her up for anything for a long time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2715098 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 13:54:26 +0000 littlejoy 2715098@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're "minimalists" in the sense that I don't think kids need a lot of stuff to be happy. </p> <p>We have an art cart, and several baskets of things like magnet blocks, little animals, cars, etc., but that's pretty much it. </p> <p>We don't do much screen time, and LO gets to do iPad coloring maybe once a month. </p> <p>I am very critical about what comes into the house (toys, gear, etc.), and really try to focus on quality goods that have open-ended application vs. plastic junk that just promotes overstimulation. Our home isn't huge either, so that's one part of it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2714962 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 12:25:46 +0000 Bao 2714962@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsLonghorn: I'm going to go check that out!</p> <p>ETA: this is great stuff! Thank you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2714959 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 12:22:46 +0000 PawPrints 2714959@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've never thought of it that way but I suppose this is what we do. I don't ever purchase toys or even clothes for DD; we get so much from gifts and hand-me-downs from friends and Buy Nothing. She's about to turn 2 and I've amassed what I think is a very exciting pile of gifts for her just from my Buy Nothing group. I would also say we're pretty minimalist in terms of parenting strategy too - I'm a big believer in the value of unstructured play and independent play, so that means a lot of leaving her to direct her own activities rather than coming up with a million structured things to do or signing her up for a lot of classes. And I definitely think one box of crayons and one box of chalk is plenty!</p> <p>[ETA] Oh yeah and we are very low-tech with DD. No TV or tablet unless we're on a plane trip. The most tech she gets is occasionally looking at photos or videos of herself on our phones. Plus skyping with grandparents. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2714948 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 11:50:26 +0000 MrsLonghorn 2714948@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Are you familiar with Simple Families on facebook? She also has a great, short podcast. We love it as a resource and just finished the Toy Detox. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2714937 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 11:39:38 +0000 lamariniere 2714937@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It is extremely rare for us to buy toys outside of holidays/birthdays. Last year, I don't think I bought any toys at all for DS other than for gift giving occasions. He still got plenty of things from friends and relatives. I try to get rid of things often. I will sell or donate toys when I can. I go through stuff every 3-4 months and ask if my kids are ready to get rid of things. At the end of the day, they probably only play with 30% of what they have. I'm not very crafty, so aside from some basic art supplies, we don't have much. We do have a lot of books though, but that's mostly because we don't have easy access to a library in our language. So we buy books whenever we want and probably have around 200 children's books. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2714927 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 11:27:08 +0000 wrkbrk 2714927@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@youboots: Slow parenting. That sounds so interesting!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2714920 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 11:21:04 +0000 wrkbrk 2714920@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Bao: I mean ... no. I would like to but it's just an aspiration right now! That said, my son has one small basket of toys on the entire first floor of our house (the rest are in his closet in his room). I didnt think this was particularly minimalist until I visited a couple sets of friends with a child the same age. No exaggeration, there were over 150 toys on the main level/in the family room/taking over the downstairs. 4-5 ride-ons, play kitchens, bikes, 3-4 push toys, 20 puzzles, stacks of books, 10-15 stuffed animals, blocks, legos, tents, you name it! I was overwhelmed, but hey - whatever works for them! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2714838 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 09:59:41 +0000 Bao 2714838@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: hmm I guess I'm the same with the game/marker thing, but I find those items "ok", I more like to avoid toys that don't really serve more than one purpose (loud, light up type stuff). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2714809 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 09:26:11 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2714809@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Compared to some, I feel like a minimalist with my time. We dont do a lot of extra activities or even social things beyond our family. We could probably go an entire month without an extracurricular activists for the kids or without seeing friends/family more than once or twice. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2714807 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 09:20:14 +0000 sauerkraut 2714807@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm pretty good with this in regards to my things, but not so much with kid stuff. I did a lot of conscious paring down of my things (especially clothes, but also books and other possessions) a few years before LO came around, then moved while pregnant and got rid of a ton more stuff. I am pretty terrible about kitchen stuff, though. I like to cook, and admittedly keep around a bunch of single use gadgets that I probably don't need.</p> <p>Kids stuff, though, is a whole other story. I've been pretty good about packing away clothes that I'm not using and keeping that manageable, but I find myself keeping everything. Newborn tub and bouncy seat that I can't use anymore? Shoved behind the spare bed. Hand me down clothes that she's outgrown or I never even used? Bagged up and sitting in the trunk of my car. Toys everywhere. So hard to get rid of this stuff, for some reason. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2714799 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 09:12:10 +0000 looch 2714799@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am not a minimalist. I regularly buy stuff to make my life easier. My son is the same.</p> <p>My husband, on the other hand, is a minimalist. He really doesn't buy things "just because" and thinks on it. He often asks me if we really need something before buying it.</p> <p>As for our parenting, I wouldn't call it minimalist. I am really big into learning tools, for example. Instead of printing off flashcards for free, I buy sight word games. Instead of the 8 pack of markers, I buy the 100 pack because I like colors and options. I think I could work on this and am trying, but it's not easy, we're bombarded with stuff and the ease of purchase. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2714787 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 09:03:41 +0000 Bibliolove 2714787@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I will try to be. My husband and I are on the same page for this. There are a few sources I like--the minimalism subreddit, the blog "reading my tea leaves" (she discusses minimalism and parenting/babies), and just being mindful in general of what I bring into the house. </p> <p>Books are always welcome however! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2714778 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 09:00:29 +0000 snowjewelz 2714778@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think I'm that minimalist, but I am forced to control the amount of toys due to space! If something comes in, something must come out! Also helps that I personally hate clutter! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2714774 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 08:58:46 +0000 youboots 2714774@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@atoz: yes I have this book but have not read it yet. Same with my husband he was raised in a very commercial/consumer way- no books only TV (he told me this and I did not believe him I thought he had forgotten but his mom confirmed) brand name everything, so sometimes it's a struggle with what comes in our house. @Bao: I've read a bit into slow parenting. I like the concept but it's not really how our life works. We limit TV- sometimes without turning in on for days but then other times we will watch a movie. T has never played games on an iPad and she's 2. I think it works more in the summer when the weather is nice and the days are longer to do low tech. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2714769 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 08:51:59 +0000 atoz 2714769@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree about books &amp; art supplies. I'm really interested in this topic and have long felt the urge to pare down in general, though my husband is resistant to the idea! </p> <p>Simplicity Parenting is a really wonderful book that,in part, discusses this idea. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/minimalist-parenting#post-2714750 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 08:26:04 +0000 Bao 2714750@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you consider yourself a minimalist when it comes to parenting? What about in everyday life even outside of parenting (since I think these really relate)?</p> <p>Do you limit what comes in the house as far as toys for your LO? What gets "approved" and what gets sent back out to be sold or donated? </p> <p>I would love to discuss this topic in general, as we are working towards this. We do live pretty minimally overall, but there are areas I would love to work on which really includes the kids stuff. I do feel like books and art supplies are always a welcome item though, however I do keep only certain books and choose more wisely these days. </p>