It seems like lately I have been spending time in the blog world reading about 2 major topics; parenting & frugal (simple and/or green) living. The reasons for this are obvious. With 2 little boys I am finding myself challenged daily as a parent. As new discipline issues arise I want to "do it right." And of course with the economic "situation" that we are in frugal living is all the rage now.
There is so much information and opinion out there. It is easy for me to be overwhelmed with the newest method of discipline or the plethora of money and environmental saving ideas.
Yet I am finding that many of the ideas or opinions I read about are not new to me at all.
I grew up in a home where frugal and simple living was a way of life. I watched my mom make weekly menu's, clip coupons, and shop for what was on sale. I learned how to cook healthy, yummy, inexpensive meals. It was normal in our house to wash and reuse zip lock bags, take short showers, turn off the water when brushing our teeth, turn off lights when we left a room, bring our own bags to the grocery store, shop at consignment stores, and save up our (meager) allowance to buy what we wanted. I remember being frustrated that my mom always packed our meals on road trips - I just wanted to stop at a restaurant! As kids we never were given the latest technological toys, we had to save up for them.
As far as parenting goes I remember a lot of trust, freedom and conversation and very little corporal discipline. As children we were encouraged to be who we were not molded into what society (specifically Christian society) thought we should be. We were allowed to make choices for ourselves even at a young age. I remember my mom pretty much always letting us chose our own clothes (those pictures of us with mismatched outfits may be embarrassing now but how freeing it was not to be controlled in such a way at that age). We were encouraged to talk about our faith, ask questions about religion, discuss hot button issues such as premarital sex, homosexuality, poverty etc. etc. We were encouraged to read, play, and discover. My parents involved us in the ministry that was their profession - we visited lepers in Nigeria, spent summers doing street evangelism in Amsterdam, and constantly had a stream of people from all walks of life coming through the house as we watched the ministry of hospitality in practice.
As I continue to mature as an adult I am thankful for the strong foundation that my parents laid for me. Trends in parenting and simple living will come and go but it is clear that I have been given the basic tools and building blocks to raise my children and care for my family in a way that is responsible, sustainable, and honoring to God.
Thanks mom and dad!
Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
There is so much information and opinion out there. It is easy for me to be overwhelmed with the newest method of discipline or the plethora of money and environmental saving ideas.
Yet I am finding that many of the ideas or opinions I read about are not new to me at all.
I grew up in a home where frugal and simple living was a way of life. I watched my mom make weekly menu's, clip coupons, and shop for what was on sale. I learned how to cook healthy, yummy, inexpensive meals. It was normal in our house to wash and reuse zip lock bags, take short showers, turn off the water when brushing our teeth, turn off lights when we left a room, bring our own bags to the grocery store, shop at consignment stores, and save up our (meager) allowance to buy what we wanted. I remember being frustrated that my mom always packed our meals on road trips - I just wanted to stop at a restaurant! As kids we never were given the latest technological toys, we had to save up for them.
As far as parenting goes I remember a lot of trust, freedom and conversation and very little corporal discipline. As children we were encouraged to be who we were not molded into what society (specifically Christian society) thought we should be. We were allowed to make choices for ourselves even at a young age. I remember my mom pretty much always letting us chose our own clothes (those pictures of us with mismatched outfits may be embarrassing now but how freeing it was not to be controlled in such a way at that age). We were encouraged to talk about our faith, ask questions about religion, discuss hot button issues such as premarital sex, homosexuality, poverty etc. etc. We were encouraged to read, play, and discover. My parents involved us in the ministry that was their profession - we visited lepers in Nigeria, spent summers doing street evangelism in Amsterdam, and constantly had a stream of people from all walks of life coming through the house as we watched the ministry of hospitality in practice.
As I continue to mature as an adult I am thankful for the strong foundation that my parents laid for me. Trends in parenting and simple living will come and go but it is clear that I have been given the basic tools and building blocks to raise my children and care for my family in a way that is responsible, sustainable, and honoring to God.
Thanks mom and dad!
Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
1 comment:
I find myself almost annoyed with all the "frugal living" things out now. To us most of it is the way we always lived.
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