11 practical ways to simplify your life with kids (slow motherhood)

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Our hustle culture loves to try and speed up the pace at which we live. We seem to think that pushing children faster down the path to adulthood at earlier ages, will help them become more capable adults, but I think the opposite is true. Just like sleep can’t be rushed, the same holds true with childhood. I hope this video can give you some practical, easy tips to start embracing slow living as a parent.

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If you're new here, welcome! I'm Madi, creating videos about minimalism and slow living every Tuesday or Wednesday. In my videos you will see my minimalist home, my capsule wardrobe, decluttering, inspiration for slow living with kids, intentional living, minimalist finances, things I no longer buy, things I no longer own, things I buy more of as a minimalist, and just overall my passion and inspiration for simple living!

#slowliving #minimalism #slowlivingwithkids

11 REAL ways to simplify your life with kids (slow motherhood)

Chapters:
00:00 why my kids have a slow life
01:01 daily rituals
01:40 quit an extracurricular
03:07 self-care with Pique
04:27 acknowledge feelings
06:41 recreate childhood memories
08:04 music over screens
08:41 setting the ambiance
09:44 planting seeds
10:49 watching sunset or sunrise
11:54 nature
12:19 chapter books
12:48 handcrafts
13:10 conclusion

DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description may be affiliate links. If you purchase a product with the links that I provide, I may receive a small commission. However, there is no additional charge to you. I appreciate your support!

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[valerieblomquist]

I decided my priority this week was learning to not yell at my kids. The first few days were a fail, but today was the first day I didn’t yell all day! This video gives me so much hope to have a peaceful home soon:)

[HerCupOfSIMPLE]

Madi, I'm a mom to 6 kids and I get often asked how I manage life with them... where there's simplicity, there's natural flow... less friction... steadier energy levels... the kids feed off the way us, adults, do life.
Always make time to be a good listener and quick to forgive. They are so compassionate and gentle by nature... I feel like I've learnt more from them than anything else I've read about motherhood!❤

[flamingofan]

My children are grown but I agree with all your points.
Raising my children was the very best part of my life! They truly are gifts from our Lord!

[emilymcclain]

Creating cozy places is one of the best memories I have growing up. It was the smell of home (always something baking or cooking) it was the sound of home (good music playing) and it was knowing my mother always was there with a hug and a welcome. I love creating that place now too as a mother. Loved this Madi! ❤

[ericawhitfield]

Love the vid, Madi! ☀️ I am so grateful that God is walking beside me as I try to be what my parents were not. Not giving my kids what I didn’t have, but BEING the parent I didn’t have. If I look back on years past, I think the #1 thing that made me slow down, be present, cultivate a good environment for my kids, and enjoy my days is to delete social media (FB, X, IG, snap, etc) and put my phone completely away. I do like to watch a couple people on YouTube and check the weather, but I do that during designated times. All the wonderful memories I have spending time with my Granny, she was never occupied with a phone. Yes, it was before cell phones, but I couldn’t imagine a world with her nose stuck in that screen.

[amandamorris]

Outdoor play is an " extracurricular " all of it's own ❤ And, our home is a million times more peaceful since fully embracing gentle parenting... Love this Madi, thank you!

[shesgoldenlikedaylight]

Setting the ambiance...thats been huge for me lately. "..make your home feel like a woman lives there.." I love having the opportunity to do this now. I say it to my older son often that my goal is to make our home feel peaceful ♡

[SaraHalling]

Thank you so much for your videos Madi 🙏🌼 We lost our baby boy right before his birth four months ago. Life is really tough but your videos brings calm and remind me that there is still beauty in life and to enjoy those small moments with my daughter even although we still grieve. The ones about just watching the sunset or the stars made me cry ❤️ Children are a blessing 🙏❤️

[everlybnb]

I am so grateful for you! You opened my eyes to permission to live differently and see the world differently. I have always been feeling behind and overwhelmed and tend to overdo and maximize everything I do. Feeling like a constant failure. Because of you I removed an extracurricular and can breathe. I reduced homeschool curriculum to basics. I have not left my house for ages because so overwhelmed by everything. Ending up doing the bare minimum and feeling like a failure for it. You turn the story around. Make it a mission to do the bare minimum and failure is attempting more. Sigh of relief. It’s just the start but already you have lightened my load inside and out. You are such a great inspiration. Thank you!

[lindsaysimplified]

One thing that made my parenting easier was to ignore mainstream Christian parenting books. Finding you and The Mellow Mama along with other gentle/respectful parents really changed my mindset.

I feel like there’s this expectation that kids should be mini adults, shouldn’t have feelings, and should be robots. Letting all that go and enjoying what is has become so freeing.

[AutumnnLeavess]

This.. is truly incredible. I suffer with severe social anxiety and I always feel SO bad that I can't and don't take my kids to the super busy soft plays at the weekend or the splash park that is filled with thousands of people when it's hot (not often as I'm in the UK) but my kids don't really mind and I realised it was just me and my thoughts.. my kids never have been the type to do loads of extra curricular activities apart from my eldest who started horse riding not long ago. They are home bodies like me and they enjoy it so much. This has taken such a load off my shoulders.. you have no idea how much you've helped me ❤

[cristinaturcin]

I have never put my kids in any other activities except swimming just to learn for a few years and then we stopped.

[nicollettesingleton]

I feeel the extra-curriculars. I was just talking with my husband about this a couple days ago. My kids are 2 and 5 and aren’t in extra curriculars. My 5 year old did a couple different ones but didn’t want to continue. All of my friends kids are in them (and multiple activities) and I just feel like I’m failing my kids somehow.

We decided not to push and let them tell us when they are ready.

[bekahrraine]

This was encouraging to me because while listening I realized we’re kind of already doing it. I struggle often feeling like I need to keep slowing more and more and more and THAT becomes the race. But as I was listening I realized we do a ton of these things. And the busy alternatives mentioned don’t describe our life anymore. It’s not about arriving or anything. But it is nice to stop and think, “oh, we’re kind of doing it… now.”

[catherineaube]

As a parent of an autistic son, society always make you feel as a bad parent… I juste trust my own intuition now and my son is happy. Not an easy child but I love him the way he is.

[lesliestanleyangles]

Thanks for sharing these tips! So many resonated with me… “set the ambiance, ” “make it feel like a woman lives here, ” and “the best time to plant a seed is today!” Unfortunately, we live in Ohio (zone 5) so it’s a bit tricky to follow this in the late fall & winter but I will definitely be doing this more often in the spring & summer with my kiddos ❤

[laurascott]

I am so inspired by you! I discovered your videos a couple weeks ago and quickly watched them all. I immediately started simplifying my life and feel more at peace and calm as a mother. I am so grateful I found your videos and truly believe they have changed the course of my life. Thank you.

[cristinaturcin]

Can you do videos with what your kids eat or you? What do you guys eat? Simple basic food or do you make meals from scratch?

[traceyevans]

That favorite childhood memory is key! My 2 year old loves to “drive” and I will drive around with her in our yard and driveway. It reminds me of when I was little and playing in my parents cars and makes me feel like a kid again playing with my daughter.

[miriamhochstetler]

Beautiful video Madison. Your the only minimalist slow living person I enjoy on YouTube. Thank you.