Minimal Living For Families

Let's face it, When you have a Family making life changes is different. The wants, needs, opinions, ideas, feelings, belongings, schedule conflicts, are exponential and you cannot force change. As a wife and mother, I had to be very considerate and strategic when I began to set goals that would accomplish the lifestyle changes I desired. I genuinely cared about my faith, my impact on the planet and its inhabitants, and the impact that our lifestyle made on our children. I wanted life to look different, and for the first time, I was starting to see alternatives that made sense.

Getting my family on board was not easy. But the only way to get to where you want to be is to start walking. I made small, considerate steps that were not overwhelming, invasive, intrusive, or controlling.

I Started by going vegetarian and purchasing "the life-changing magic of tidying up." (Now I want to be clear, I am no longer vegetarian, or vegan as I was, This was just part of my progression.) The Minimalists said: "Sometimes when you have been living to one extreme, you have to swing to the other extreme before you land in the middle."

So I became a vegetarian, prepared regular meals for my family but started preparing vegetarian side options to go with the meal that I would eat and serve to them. After a while, they became used to the vegetarian side items, picked the ones they enjoyed the most and were more inclined to have meatless meals throughout the week. Eventually, they all felt comfortable with the change and got on board to eat vegetarian at home, then we ended up going vegan, but were not legalistic or extreme about this. The goal was actually to get to the place where we would make less waste. I felt very strongly that mindless trash was a huge problem. So we also went Zero Waste for an extended period.

During this process, I was going through our home room by room the Marie Kondo way. So we ended up simultaneously reaching our first level of simple living. My husband's things were off limits. I did not touch his books, clothing, or personal belongings. My children's items were easy to go through. We talked about toys and how we should like everything we have and stay grateful. We went through and found things they didn't really like, and weren't really grateful for. I suggested that another child might really love this! So we began donating items. Then my children started to notice how good giving felt. They began giving their toys to their friends. At some point, I had to sit my four-year-old down and tell him to stop giving his favorite toys away.

Now my husband is far more supportive of all these changes and sees the benefit. He has chosen of his own accord to pair down his items. The changes for us were slow and steady, but we have now found a comfortable resting place in the middle of my extremes.

We are not Minimalists, but we are not mindless consumers. Our Christmases and Birthdays look very different than they use to. We are happier and more grateful. We have time for the things that matter to us. We are not Vegan or Vegetarian, but we consume very little dairy, far less meat, and eat a very healthy and balanced diet. We can now afford mindful choices like grass-fed beef, and cage-free eggs. Because of these experiences, I know how to supplement things like milk for oat milk and nut milks. I know how to purchase things without packages. I know which packaging is the most eco-friendly. If I see a cow and my heartstrings are pulled, I can respond to that compassion and eat vegetarian meals for weeks without suffering. My children can respond to their internal cues and convictions and act on them. When they feel ungrateful, they can count their blessings. When they feel compassion for an animal, we can go in and take actions that relieve those feelings instead of burying them. We are creating a space for our children where they can choose to live mindfully however they feel led.

It is a truly beautiful life.