Living Simply or Not: A Tale of Two Families

My study of living simply and the simplicity movement started after we had only been married a year. I was teaching full-time and wanted to be home, even before we had children. Out of my study evolved many additional interests regarding simplicity such as:

• margin
• overload
• consumerism
• LBYM (aka Living Beneath Your Means)
• clutter
• calling
• downshifting
• home businesses
• homeschooling
• saving money
• homesteading
• The Great Depression

I find these topics endlessly fascinating. Out of this extensive reading came some significant changes in our own lives which this entire website is a testament to whether it has to do with homeschooling, parenting a gifted/2e child, or simple living.

That being said, David knew I would be very interested in this article when he saw it in the paper today. In our paper, it was called “Overextended Families” with the subhead: “The Modern American Household: Strained, In Motion, Child-Dominated, Losing Touch.” The copy I found online on MSNBC is called “Strained Life of the Non-Stop American Family.”

All I can say is read it and weep (literally). My heart breaks for these children and the hundreds of thousands like them throughout America.

Then, for a study in contrast, I recommend this article: “Tasha Tudor’s World” (on Wayback Machine).

While most of us will find that our life is not on either far end of the spectrum as exhibited in these articles, we can all find ways to find more balance, more joy, and more peace for our children and ourselves.