I have two boys that are nine and eleven. They are not minimalists. They aren’t even a little bit minimalist. I’ve tried my best. I really have. But it’s just not happening.

I’ve dejunked their room while they’ve been gone. I’ve even spent entire days walking them through the process of decluttering. I’ve explained the benefits of having less to clean if you own less stuff. Less cleaning and more family time seemed to have the largest appeal to them. So why is it that every time I go into their room it makes my poor, little, minimalist skin crawl?

There is more to being a minimalist than getting rid of everything. One of the great things minimalism does is bring to light the simple pleasures in life that are far too easily overlooked. Life gets busy and complicated as we accumulate possessions and obligations in life. But looking at life through the eyes of my three-year-old daughter, life doesn’t seem too complicated at all.

If you are struggling with what to do about your child’s messy room, the person needing a pep talk isn’t your child. It’s you. The word “fault” implies a sense of responsibility. Kids aren’t born with an automatic sense of responsibility. It’s up to us as parents to teach it to them. Do they need […]