Learning To Simplify

I often forget the simple things. I look at the whizzbang fabbo toys that spin and light up and play for my children and I get sucked in just as they do, they’re advertised with “Super Hydraulic Action!”, how can I say no?

Then occasionally my kids will bring me back down to earth, reminding me in their subtle little way that they don’t need, or truly want the super duper whizzbang toys, they want something that grows their brain, that actually challenges them to think, something that doesn’t play for them whilst they sit and watch.

Today’s entertainment was Declan’s collection of cars, driven around a map that I drew out the paper I’d torn off our butcher’s roll. Declan beeped and honked to himself as he drove each car carefully round each corner, Connor pushed them about before he decided that eating them would be the way to go. They had a fabulous time, and all it took were $2 cars, some paper and a marker.

It was that little push I needed to remind me to stop where I was with the Christmas presents.