More fun with less

The Conscious Shopper posted the other day about having more fun and less stuff. And there's a lot of truth to that ideal.

You have less stuff, there's less time cleaning, and more time to play.

You have less stuff, there's more room for the imagination to grow.

You have less stuff, there's more appreciation of what you have.

The challenge is getting your kids to play along.

My kids have toys. Not huge amounts of toys, but there are days it feels like it. And they don't quite understand why their friends have more electronics, more dress-ups, more Barbie accessories, more movies than they do. I try to explain it's fun to play with different things at different friends' houses, but sometimes my oldest doesn't quite get it.

The idea of sharing our blessings, too, is a tough lesson to swallow. Lately I've been back on my cleaning-out kick, and we've been rustling out baby towels to toys. But any seldom-touched toy becomes "special" in a moment's instance the minute that the idea of sharing with another child comes up. Heck, we have two Chutes and Ladders games, both given as gifts, and we're having problems getting one out of the house to give to an underpriviledged child.

But at the end of the day, despite our clutter, we can - and do - have more fun with less. At the end of the day, there are but a few treasured toys that are played with each day. At the end of the day, it's those trips to go hiking or get the rare ice cream or go to a local festival that are remembered, not the days spent shopping or watching movies.

At the end of the day, we can have more fun with less. And it's just up to us as parents to sell it.