An Earth-Friendly, American-Made Back to Grade School Shopping List

Alright, it is that "Back to School" time of year again, and honestly, I remember loving it as a kid. When else could I get my Lisa Frank Trapper Keeper with awesome Lisa Frank folders, none of which would get much use during the year (organization has never been my game). I also loved getting dressed up for the first day  of school- I mean, come on! Who can step to that freshness!? It's a sunflower hat and a jumpsuit for goodness sake!

On the other hand, businesses like to create a panic that your students NEEDS about 100 things. Not true! My Dad, over at Curmudgecation, wrote a blog from the teacher's perspective about what exactly needs bought for Back to School- his bottom line? Chill. You don't need as much as you think, and good communication with the teacher might surprise you about what can be helpful to send with your student to school. If you really want to help them out, a box of tissues (which you can get recycled!) might be a lot more help than buying yet another single glue stick to dry out by the end of the year.

So, I feel for all the youths getting ready to shop for all the new possibilities and wonderfulness of a school year. I also feel for parents- how do you tackle this time of year without spending a bunch of cash on stuff they won't use andcan't be recycled? Still, there are some good options out there, so you can put money into things that use less energy, can be recycled, and create less waste.

Think of this list less as a prescriptive "YOU MUST HAVE" and more as a "If you want this, look here at a more Earth-friendly version!" The very first step in greening your household and shopping is to reject acquiring things you don't want or need (no matter how many lists tell you it's necessary- if you find your student does need it, you can always buy it then!).

The trick to making sure your bubs have what they need but minimizing your environmental impact takes three steps:

Three Steps to an Earth-Friendly Schoolyear

1. Shop what you already have- Do this first so you can cross things off your list. Yes, it's time to tackle your giant collection of pens and pencils and see what still works. You may have more than you think (and retire all the ones that are just done). Same for notebooks- if only the first few pages are full, you can probably reuse it! Think about getting fun stickers or decorations to make them feel fresh.

2. Get Things Used- Children's clothes are hard to get Made in the US and environmentally friendly. Companies don't want to splurge on ethical labor for kids clothes, because parents generally know better than to shell much out for things that may not make it all that long.

 If your kids are still little, baby consignment stores may still carry clothes in their sizes. Goodwill also has a huge collection of clothes. Buy Nothing circulates kids clothes daily. You can probably still go big on some new stuff, but lessen the blow by trying to fill out their wardrobe with used clothes (and while you're at it, donate what your bub has grown out of- someone else can use that!).  Bigger Goodwills may have craft supplies, notebooks, shoes, or even backpacks your kids will love.  I feel like when we were kids, stigma surrounded doing this, but really, we all wore hand me downs.,

We as a generation of parents can do things differently to show our children the true value of things and to make a better world for them to inherit from us.

3. Buy Things that are Recycled, Recyclable, or Made in the US- You can find a lot of these in local shops (just check the labels!) or make a big Amazon purchase (I only use Amazon to show the product I am talking about- shop where you want to!). It limits your choices, but maybe not as much as you think, and teaching our kids to consider how what they have was made will help them be critical thinkers in the future! I started a list, but I am sure there is more, so let me know what I am forgetting!

paper goods

Decomposition books from Amazon

Notbooks- These Decomposition Books are absolutely genius (100% post-consumer paper, soy ink, even eco-friendly manufacturing in the US!), and they come in so many cool and fun designs that they should be a blast to choose with your student, no matter their age. Kittens in Space really speaks to my Lisa Frank heart, and it looks like you can color it in! 9 bucks is a little steep for a notebook, but it isn't ridiculous, and the price varies dependent on the design. Good job Michael Rogers.

New Leaf makes a basic composition book out of 95% post-consumer waste that is cheaper, though it is made in Taiwan. Still they are sturdy, and maybe a good option for you!

TOPS Second Nature notebooks are also around 4 dollars- they are made in the US, but have a lower percentage (only 40%) of post-consumer recycled content. Not perfect either, but it might fit your priorities, and it has solid reviews!

Mead even makes a recycled paper notebook now (this is the dream- all mainstream companies see the value in taking care of the Earth instead of taking advantage of it). Nothing too spectacular, but they were my favorite books growing up, and these are about 7 dollars a piece.

Onyx and Blue makes a notebook of bamboo paper, which stands as another option if you are looking for an all sustainable option.

Binder Paper- If you would rather go loose leaf (a good argument for that is you can always take the paper out at the end of the year and hopefully cut down on the binders you have to buy), and it can be better for high schoolers, especially in math classes. There are plenty of options for you too!

Ecology also has a 100/ 40% recycled loose leaf paper set.

Aurora from Amazon

Binders- My favorite binders are from Aurora- 100% recycled with 70% post-consumer waste content. I think they look cute, and I really like the fabric binding (way to avoid that plastic). Wilson Jones has an awesome set of binders that are made of recycled cardboard and plastic. The simple kraftpaper look is cool too. Hopefully they get more use than poor Lisa.

Post-its from Amazon

Post-it Notes- One of those things we all have at home, but now they have ones made of recycled paper and plant adhesive, so we can all have too many of these from now on (there are multi-colored pads too, for the younger post-it noters).

Paper folders- Ok, I am underwhelmed by these Oxford folders, and not only because of their lack of neon magical creatures. I think we can do better than 25% recycled material, so I am going to keep an eye out here (also, could decorating new school stuff day be a thing in people's houses? Does anyone out there do that?

Pencil Case- I don't think anyone really uses these, but maybe I am wrong! If you or a (slightly older) person you love prove me wrong, check out Etsy's selection "Pencil Case" with the United States filter pulled up 13000 options, so you can certainly find something American-made and awesome.

Planners- I love a planner. Love it. As an adult, I still relish the new one coming in the mail every August. I am not an organized person, but I like feeling like my time is somewhat managed and that my goals for the day are clearly set out. I don't understand how people live without them! Because planners make life more wonderful, lots of people make wonderful planners. Here are a few:

At a Glance on Amazon

At A Glance- YES!!! Isn't it awesome when you can get something almost anywhere AND have it be made in America? The At a Glance company even has an eco-friendly option that I love (why they don't JUST do it this way is beyond me). They have 100% post-consumer paper, 50% post-consumer covers, and 90% post-consumer wire. If you see these in stores, please send me a picture so I can be psyched.

Belle Rousseur- They are a planner-making staple on Etsy (over a thousand reviews!) and their planners are comparable to anything you would get anywhere else. They are also consistently very pretty. I like this rainbow leaf one.

House of Doolittle Planners- They make planners in lots of bright colors, weekly and monthly, out of 100% recycled materials, soy ink, and made in the USA. That beats any I bought at Staples when I was in high school, and these might even be cheaper. If you aren't sure how much your student will use their planner, start here!

Gallery Leather- I get a planner every year, and this is the one I got this year. Smart and well-organized (that's important). I do find the leather cover and sepia maps inside pretty funny, since most of my plans in the coming year will be poop and puke-related.

Green Chair Press- Another cool source of planners, including this pencil-covered one. I love the designs and they have a pretty wide selection.

Nude and Loitering Tees- They make upcycled planners. They have one of Ron Swanson. My brain just exploded with happiness. Treat Yo Self.

The Nifty Studio- Sells printable planners, so you could print it yourself at home on all recycled paper if you wanted!

Ninja and Ninj- More pretty designs. All made in Michigan.

SHP Planners- More pretty feminine options. You can also pick which month to start on, so no waste months.

Ruskerville sells a planner for the Hogwarts-headed mini-wizard in your midst. I love this idea, and they have all sorts of goods for geeky type A's at this store.

Printer Paper- Another one of those ones I wonder why I ever printed things on non-recycled paper. Here's the list (2 cents unnecessary)- Printworks (Made in the US, Food containers, 100%),  Aspen (100% post-consumer), Staples Recycled (100% post-consumer), and Hammermill Great White Recycled (100% Post-consumer paper).

other class supplies

Calculator- Someone will have to tell me if you can get graphing calculators made of recycled materials, but if you are looking for a simple option, this Sharp one is a good one.This Onyx and Green one is made of bamboo, is solar powered, and has recycled packaging.

Crazy Crayons from Amazon

Crayons- Crayolas don't use any recycled material as far as I can see, but their crayons (not everything) are still made in the US, so they beat all other mainstream brands. If you want some recycled crayons, try Crazy Crayons. Etsy has so many amazingly fun options for crayons reusing those crayon nubbins- cupcakes, legos, and hearts, among many others.

Dry-Erase Markers- Pilot Be Green's V Board line has dry erase markers made of 90% recycled materials AND they are refillable, so they are the big winner. Expo makes all of their markers in the US, so that is a pretty awesome mainstream choice.

Erasers- Westcott makes a fun tie-dye set out of 80% post-consumer waste.

Zebra Eco from Amazon

Highlighters- Zebra has a set of double-ended highlighters (I love that trick) made of 74% post-consumer material.Onyx and Office Depot have recycled lines as well.

Maps- This map of the US from House of Doolittle is printed with Soy Ink on recycled paper.

Markers- Crayola is awesomely USA-made, and this set of markers is also made with recycled plastic! Plus, you can clean them off the walls easily, so making the world a happier place as well. They make their crayons and watercolors in the US as well, though none of the materials are recycled.

Bottle 2 Pen from Amazon

Pens- Plenty of choices here! If you have to buy more pens, there must be a good recycled option for you. Never buy brand new plastic pens again.

My Pick (x 1000)- Pilot's Plastic Bottle Pens- I am obsessed with this Bottle to Pens idea. Even as a bougie pseudo environmentalist, I can see plastic water bottles are the absolute worst: they create more waste to sell you something you can get for free (not to mention gross companies like Nestle taking so much water from the suffering California reservoirs).

 Anyway, making products that specifically use this waste is an awesome idea, so I think these pens kick ass. Plus, I have a bunch and they are genuinely great pens that I would recommend irregardless. The 18 Pack is 20 bucks, so it seems a pretty good deal as well (though it doesn't seem to be on sale on Amazon anymore). Really, no reason not to use recycled pens ever. If we all made this switch, maybe companies could get the hint, and recycled plastic could become a regular part of products like these.

Pen Company of America makes their pens, you guessed it, in America. They also say the tubes are reusable, so I am wondering if you can ship them back. I will let you know when they write me back.

If you are a gel pen kind of person, and who can blame you, they just feel so good to write with, try these Onyx and Green gel pens.

Tree Smart from Amazon

Pencils- I did not know about these until I started researching this list, but recycled newspaper pencils are a thing and they are all kinds of awesome. You can get them in all sorts of cool patterns, and they sell all over the place on Etsy. Tree Smart sells a set of 24, where no trees were harmed in its making (all out of "yesterday's news)- they have a set of 12 also, and I think both are Made in the US. Fox and Wit on Etsy has pretty color-dipped options. Social Good Co (check out this awesome store!) also sells a beautiufl set with different colors on the bottoms, to give it a bit of pizzazz.

You can also find tons of tree free options in colored pencils (even more than last year, if you want to feel good about the direction of the universe). Ashleigh Nicole Arts sell my favorites, and I think the containers might be very elementary-school friendly. Tombow doesn't make their stuff in the US, but they make beautiful pencils out of recycled materials, so might be worth checking out. Farber Castell has an option for colored pencils, but honestly, it's pretty lame in comparison to these newspaper material pencils.

I hate mechanical pencils, but maybe they are your deal. If so, these Zebra pencils seem great. But seriously, why does anyone like mechanical pencils?

Pencil Sharpener- Simple, but it gets the job done, and is made out of mostly recycled plastic. Good for pencils and crayons.

Rulers- If you can get a wood version, this Woodrow one, 100% made in America, I would lean that way. If you have to get a plastic one, there are Westcott recycled version.

Westcott from Amazon

Scissors- Are you really out or are they hiding somewhere? I know in my Dad's house, they just loved to live in my room.  Westcott's Kleen Earth Line has a set made out of mostly recycled plastic.They also have 8 inch ones, but for whatever reason, they don't look that kid-friendly to me.  Fiskars has a (super high-rated) pair with 100% post-consumer handles.

Tape- Scotch is making efforts to make "Greener" tape with a 100% recycled core, recycled packaging, and plant-based tape. The larger packs could be awesome around Christmastime as well, and it again raises the question why anyone would use regular non-recycled tape.

White Out- They even have white out with recycled packaging now. I feel like this is a thing you are supposed to buy, but never use, but if that doesn't apply to you, you have a better choice now!

packing lunch

This may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of greening your school shopping, but changing your approach acan make a big difference! You could use a cool set of bento boxes (they even have glass and steel ones- check out Wean Green and Kids Konserve!) to store sandwiches and snacks, and no matter who you are packing lunch for, they can use them much longer.

Wean Green on Amazon

Wean Green- This company makes all sorts of glass Bento Boxes for lunches out of glass with great lids in bright fun colors. Even if one gets lost now and then, it will be better long term environmentally to do these over anything else. Kids Konserve also makes steel storage containers.

Kids Konserve- Not only do they make nice storage containers for lunches, they also make simple lunch sacks, made 100% out of recycled plastic bottles, that would be fine for a young student or one in high school. This option has simple, but universal appeal, and it seems totally within the ordinary. They also have patterned versions.

from A Little Lark

A Little Lark- A Little Lark sells simple cotton bags with all sorts of hilarious and/or adorable designs silkscreened onto them- check out the horses if you are the mom of that girl. Cool and different, but also really affordable.

Lunch Packer- Simple Bag. 100% Post-consumer content Plastic bottles. Perfect, but listed as currently unavailable, so I hope they are holding up.

Apple Park from Amazon

Apple  Park- These Apple Park lunch boxes are pretty much the cutest lunch boxes ever, and they are made of recycled plastic bottles. Perfect for an elementary aged student and their lunches!

from Olive Street Studio

Olive Street Studio- Olive Street Studio makes sandwich bags in super cute patterns. Perfect for sandwich lunches!

from Dabbawalla

Dabbawalla- This company makes lunchboxes that stand and are biodegradable. I am slightly suspicious, so if you have one, let me know what you think. Still, it's another bright, fun option.

from Bag it Conscious

Bag it Conscious- this Etsy store makes reusable sacks for lunch bags and sandwich bags- never one time use a ziplock again!

backpacks

Honestly, your best bet for a cool back pack that was made in America is on Etsy, so be sure to poke around there, but I will point you to some other options I like as well. 

For Little Ones

from Beatrix NY

Beatrix Packs- These little bags are for your little little ones, probably pre-school age. They are made of recycled plastic bottles and pure sweetness. Might be a great first backpack!

Apple Park- Also makes bags for the pre-school/kindergarten age group. Can't you see a kindergartner walking in to their first day with this on? They say each bag saves 24 water bottles from being in the land, which makes you wonder why all bags aren't made of recycled plastic bottles. Also, why can't grown-ups carry monkey back packs? I would enjoy that a whole lot.

GJRD Designs- This Etsy shop sells made to order quilted backpacks in the Vera Bradley vein. Not my deal, but I think it would look cute on the right little kid.

from Oliday

Oliday- Oliday is one of my favorite Etsy stores, and they have adorable kid backpacks for only 37 dollars! Would totally go for this in a few years.

Sew Blessed- Makes an adorable seersucker bag for little kids.

Cat Bird Creatures- They make backpacks for anyone who is awesome, though they look a little less substantial, so a smaller carrier might be better. And come on. Disgruntled Hedgehog Backpack? Sign me up. This gem of an etsy store is based out of Pennsylvania too!

For Teens and Teachers

from Medium Control

Medium Control- This etsy store sells messanger bags  and backback out of simple cotton with a pretty cool looking monogram on them. This all cotton recipe means there are no plastic fibers involved. They mostly come in kind of masculine cuts and colors, but I think they could work for a variety of things even after class is over.

from Givbag Backpacks

Givbag Backpacks- These really sharp backpacks from Givbag Backpacks are made by small seasonal staffs in the United States (they don't sell enough to keep a staff all year), but the best part about them is they are buy one give one, so you can help a kid not as fortunate as yours by buying your high schooler this bag. So cool!

Targus Spruce- This laptop backpack is made of recycled plastic bottles (and you already know that I think that's the business if you have to use plastic). I have carried a Targus laptop backpack for many years, and it has survived international trips and about a thousand security lines. I bet they can handle a high school.

from Intercon

Intericon- Mostly simple, but beautiful bags, and they are handmade in Hawaii! Most are between 70 and 100 dollars, and they also make super affordable lunch bags (you may just see them again on that list!). You were just thinking your bags needed to remind you of summer right? They look like high school/ college age bags to me. Also check Oliday. 

LL Bean Totes- A classic tote, still made in Maine. I love these bags.

getting snazzy for the first day

Toothbrushes- These Preserve toothbrushes are also made of recycled plastic, so you can start your day with Earth-friendly styles! They have kid-sized ones as well.

from City Threads on Amazon

Clothes- Oy, as I said before, this an area of slim pickings unless you are willing to shell out some major cash. Buy Used. Buy as much as you can used before you get anything new. This is what I found:

City Threads- This is my current favorite brand for kids. The cotton is soft and the clothes have stood up really well to my toddler. Bright and colorful without trying to be overly kiddish or trendy. Just nice basics to fill the gaps you can't fill from Goodwill or kids consignment stores.

American Apparel is a weird brand with a weird history, but they do manufacture within the United States and offer nice, simple basics for kids.

Green Label makes cute t-shirts with Environmental messages on them. Honestly, I am not granola enough for this (and if you are, you definitely don't need my advice), but maybe one of them will speak to you. I personally prefer something with a little more style like Honest Elements.

1791 is a great American brand, and they always have a few items for kids.

from Rustiq Charm

First Day of School Sign- Please, dear friend, I love you- you do not need a new sign for every year. Buy one small chalkboard or white board (which you can probably get used), and you are set for the rest of your children's school career.

Whooo! We made it through, and you can absolutely rock your back to school shopping this year. Want more shopping inspiration? Check out the Giant List of Shopping Lists!

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Ten Ideas for Raising a Minimalist Kid

I want my children to have less than I did.

I know this sounds crazy. Who says that? The American Dream includes the idea that we all give our children more than we had. If we are good parents, we dream for abundance for our children. That if we are doing things right, our children have more than we had.

What happens if we want our children to have less?

At the very least, I want my children to have less stuff.

I don't think I have fewer dreams for my children than any other generation of parents did, and I do want them to have more in some ways- more adventures, more stability, more sushi than I did, but I think in the long run, we will do our children a tremendous service if they have less possessions, less spacious living, less baggage.

Before you get offended on my lovely parents' behalf (I am grateful for my upbringing and my husband's), hear me out. We are offered so many conveniences and gadgets to help manage our life, but those conveniences come at a deep cost that our children and grandchildren will have to pay.

-Too much costs our kids their healthy food and water. The (then still relatively new) disposable diapers our parents used for us 20 or 30 years ago still have 400 years on this planet, in the landfills and soil our children will eat from and the water they will drink. These options are way more prominent now- those HORRIBLE snack pouches can't be recycled, so you have saved 3 minutes now, but that pouch will outlive your grandkids. Not actually that great a deal.

- Too much costs our kids the environment. The plastic toys we played with will also outlive our children, and how many do you really remember? Why not only get used or recycled plastic toys for our kids?

- Too much costs our kids their future jobs. Because the market creates a demand for LOTS of toys (more toys is better than better toys), parents are looking for toys that are cheap. To make cheap toys, mainstream companies like Fisher Price and Melissa and Doug make all their toys in China. Those cheap toys mean someone is treated badly, fossil fuels are completely wasted in shipping, and more American jobs that can't compete with the prices fold. So fewer American jobs.

-Too much costs our kids their own happiness. Overconsumption when they are kids set them up for unhealthy habits through adulthood. If something breaks, replace it instead of fix it. More will make you happier (it's proven it never does). We all have to ask when these piles of stuff stop helping us and instead weigh us down.

- Too much costs our kids their time with us. It's well-documented that new American parents are pretty miserable. Some of these problems- like a cultural lack of a support system- can't be solved this way, but other's can. On average, our generation of parents lives in 1000 square foot larger homes than our parents did. What are we doing with all that space? And think of how much time all that extra space (and stuff that fills it) takes- we have to clean all of that! And if you have a toddler, you know life is like 80% cleaning. If we live in smaller spaces, our houses may not scream abundance and variety, but we win a lot of time back to just spend with our kids.

This dream of bigger and better keeps us working that much harder to just survive, when just surviving can be hard as it is. I see these beautiful pictures of children's spaces that look modern and pristine, not overun with toys, books, and clothes. I don't think my house will ever be that minimalist, and I am certainly still new at this. But the idea of effectively giving my children less has been on my mind a lot (especially as I fight the instinct to buy leading up to the birth of my second), so I thought I would share the ideas I have had.

1. Say Goodbye to Cable

Enough opinions are floating around about screen time (it rots your kids' brain vs. screenphobia is just the latest stand against Stay at Home Moms), but my beef isn't with a screen. Pick the amount of screen time that works for your family, Netflix it up, but stay away from media with ads. When you have cable, or you are watching any programming directed at children, you need to weed out these overstimulating and overpromising snippets.

Ads are designed to send a constant message- you aren't enough, you don't have enough, and that you won't be happy until you have this thing.

This is a pretty dangerous game of desire for anyone, much less kids. And before you roll your eyes and think your child is above it, just remember that these people really, really know what they are doing. They get degrees in how to send that message. They do research on how to do it most effectively. They get paid millions of dollars to do it. This is a serious business, and they are good at it. But, there is no law saying your kid needs to watch things that tell them what they want. You get to choose what normal is, and do your kids a favor by keeping cable out of your home.

2. Just Stay Away from the Toy Section

In the same way, kids can't want every toy on the shelf if they don't know what is on the shelf. Stay out of the toy sections of most stores, and they won't know every little thing that is out there. Will this save you from the occasional tantrum in the grocery store? Nope. Does it mean your child will never want toys they see at friends' houses? Nope. Is this guaranteed to save you from Elsa or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Nope. But it does make wanting stuff less a part of their regular life.

When we are at Goodwill, I will let my son pick out one thing to take home. Anywhere else, he can look, even touch, but nothing is coming home with us. The less time we spend in Target's toy aisles, the less I have to have this fight.

3. Slow Your Roll Out

My sister in law taught me this, and it is genius. When her son would get a giant pile of loot from a birthday or Christmas, she just packed a bunch back up and gave them out when he seemed bored with the last thing. After Christmas, let 2 or 3 gifts stay out, and everything else goes into storage. As the previous gifts wear out (over weeks and months), another new object can come out.

We love that feeling of abundance, that fantasy of the super full Christmas tree, but gifting that way isn't very practical and the kids can't appreciate it anyway.

Kids can only process so much at a time, so those big gift mountains seem cool, but lots of toys get lost in the shuffle. Most children do get sick of things. Instead of constantly needing new toys, you just use what they were already gifted and Christmas last much longer! Our son is too little to know the difference, and we can make one holiday last for months.

from Mum in the Madhouse

4. Make Giving a Family Tradition and Habit

At Christmastime, many families have an advent calendar with treats inside. What if this year, each member of your family gave one thing away every day in Advent. You could do it for Lent too! To teach your kids about taking better care of the Earth, you have to illustrate the act of giving. Let them pick toys to gift.every day during the holiday season, then go together as a family to give it away. Have your spring cleaning tradition include a big family day where you drop things off and donate things to charities. Let them participate with you on Buy Nothing once a month. Pick what works for you, but pick something and include your little ones.

 I whole-heartedly believe that we have to model the behavior we want to see from our children, so if you want them to be generous (and non-materialistic), then you have to make giving a regular part of life. It well help your house stay cleaner, help them assess what they really care about, and in the end could be such a fun tradition!

5. Clean Out the Toys and Clothes Every 3-6 Months and Give a Third Away

 Even two years in, I can see how quickly the toy collection flies off the rails.You receive gifts from grandparents or hand me downs from friends, and the pile gets bigger. Man, they can take over everything! The key is not only to buy less, but to clean out more, so get in there and send things off that never clicked with your kid.

Right now, The Bub is too little to really understand what is going on when I do this, but he is always present, and someday he will just think it is normal. It's not about throwing things away, it's about sharing with other people who might enjoy it more. I have gotten some of his favorite toys at Goodwill or on Buy Nothing, so I think it is my responsibility to keep putting back into these resources as well.

6. Don't Buy More Storage, Cut Out Stuff

It can be so tempting when the toys are taking over to think of more storage solutions. I get that, and I am not saying we don't have a plastic tub of toys in the basement, but before you get another toy box, book shelf, or hot wheels shelf, why not just give things away? To have a house that makes sense, you need places for everything to go. If you no longer have enough destinations for toys, maybe there are too many toys. If you have so much storage that your kid can't see all of their toys in a day, you probably have more than they need.

passed to us by a neighbor, passed on to a third child in the neighborhood

7. Swap, Borrow, and Get it Used

The difference between a minimalist lifestyle and a house full of toys is seeing possessions as temporary. Join a library and you always have a resource for new books (and a place to connect with other moms and kids). Join your local freecycle or Buy Nothing groups, you can pass kids stuff around. Just ask friends if they want to do book or toy swaps to switch things up in your house.

 I feel like as kids, we treated our toys and collections like they were essential parts of our identities, and it made it hard to let them go even as adults. But your kid can still love Frozen without having every Elsa and Anna item in the world (is that even possible? God bless Disney and their marketing genius). Only a few things can be precious, everything else should be moved around before it sticks to a spot on the shelf.

Every parent of a toddler is constantly encouraging them to share (it's tough!), but this is a way to push that a step further, treating sharing as a part of life.

8. Have Confidence They Have Enough

This is easy to say but so hard to feel. Parents right now are under constant pressure about how they manage their kids, their time, their money, everything. We can look around and see someone else who is doing a better job in various ways. We feel self-concious because that Stay at Home mom gives them so much time (and loves to talk about it). We feel frustrated because we can't give our kids everything they want. We try to compensate by giving little gifts because we can see how happy it makes our kids, even for a second.

We have to have confidence we are giving our kids what they need. Parenting is so tough, because success can me so hard to define or measure- how do you ever know if you are doing alright? Sometimes shopping is as much about ourselves as our kids, because we can at least feel certain we are providing. A bigger house or well-dressed kid makes us feel like we are filling their needs well, not just enough.

But you are doing more than enough just by caring. There isn't a void that you need to fill. It's a cliche, but your kid really does just want to be with you. Go to a playground instead of a store, and you will give them something worth remembering. Get clothes and toys used and save your money. Your kid doesn't know the difference, and you just have to keep building yourself up that you are  doing great at this job just by caring and getting in there. I don't know how to build this confidence more other than reminding ourselves, but it's a constant battle we need to fight. Buying mostly doesn't make us do a better job, but getting in there does.

9. Use What You Have

We all know kids love cardboard boxes, but it is amazing how far you can make one cardboard box go for play time. Blanket forts make amazing memories too, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

At my job, people donate all sorts of objects that could be "art supplies" for a shopping space and classes for kids. This includes baby food jars, toilet paper rolls, flooring samples, jewelry boxes, gift wrap, broken crayons- all kinds of stuff we tend to see as junk and throw away. But you reframe that for a kid (turn the jewelry box into a robot, use the toliet paper rolls to make fireworks, make a "home" for a stuffed animal), and you can provide hours of entertainment, conversation, learning, and creativity. This isn't conjecture, it is my job and I see it all the time. Junk, when mixed with creative framing, is always an opportunity. Need a rattle? Clean and fill an old bottle with beans.

 That kind of creative play isn't always easy to come up with, so thank goodness we live in the time of pinterest. You can find so many ideas on there.

10. Slow it Down and Just Be Together

I know I am so guilty of this one. As an introvert parent of an extreme extrovert, I often feel desperate for a minute to just catch my breath (or check my email), and some days I know I don't enjoy the time with my kid as much as I should. I feel sometimes like toys are partially just tools to give parents a minute.

Whenever an older generation parent tells me "Oh it goes so fast," I try hard not to roll my eyes. Really? Because this sleep deprivation is making everything move in slow motion.

But there is a lot of wisdom in the suggestion to let things go and slow down to our kids' speed. It doesn't mean we don't get those minutes or that we don't deserve a break while working and parenting, but when you are going to be there, really be there.

 The Bub and I have literally spent hours (this week) playing with a baseball hat and a pair of kitchen tongs. Even with older kids, you don't need many objects to have a perfectly great time. Go for a walk. Go to a playground. Just listen to them. Children are just tiny human beings, and they just want heard like everyone else. A game of tag (or robot tag) can be more fun than any toy, so the more you can focus when the quality time comes, the fewer things you need.



So there you have it, buy less and give more. Change the goals and you may just raise kids who aren't as caught up in this consumerist minefield we are all trying to navigate right now. We both know it creates a lot more work, a tremendous number of problems, and very little of the happiness or solutions that we are constantly promised. We can protect our children's futures from waste and from that constant want by shifting our attitudes now. Let's give ourselves a freaking break and give our kids less.

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