Block Party and Simple Parenting

"Children's play flourishes when we let it, rather than make it happen" Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier and More Secure Kids

Over the weekend our new neighborhood had a Block Party! It's the first one I've been to and I loved the casual easiness of it as everyone gathered on the street and just hung out. It was nearly an all day event and we were there for 4+ hours with a bounce house, slide, pinata and the teenagers on the street playing for the families. I love activities like this- easy, fun, simple, we just let our kids play and play and play and they cried when it was time to go. It was a side of Los Angeles I hadn't seen before, families and people of all ages in a community interacting and enjoying.



When I look back on the things I've read so far, across the board a common theme from the experts is that parents need to simplify life. Simplify life to connect with kids more, to not push them into too many stressful activities/events, to decipher what they really need, to keep their emotional tanks full and verbalize the positive things they are doing. Scheduling our day has been huge for me, mostly because I come ready to "be there" for them. I'm working on some big charts for my kids, a binder for me, and a checklist of all the goals I'm working on to take it one step further.
But there are still days when they resist my requests, and I want to continue to bring more peace to our home. While I realize it's not necessary, I'm curious to see what the experts say, if there are more tools I can use. I still have a lot of books to get through...