The Over Complicated Childhood

A matter very close to my heart is that of over consumption. Consumerism has infiltrated all facets of life and effects everyone. Regardless of where you fall on the consumer scale-whether a passive consumer or are consciously trying to consume less-with varying degrees of success-we are all effected by the abundance of 'stuff' that surrounds most people living in the Western World. 

It wasn't until after having our first son, Jarome, that I realised the massive influence advertising and marketing have on what you think you may need in order to prepare and effectively care for your soon to be arriving bundle of joy.

We definitely didn't have it all, simply because we couldn't afford too, however we certainly had a lot more than we needed. We had about fifteen different outfits, baby towels (all white and all were blessed with many a post shower and nappy-less poo), baby flannels, rattles and all sorts of plastic things that made all sorts of different noises and the list went on. The huge travesty is that in reality, you have your favourites and the majority of the items we did buy, were never used. As our son grew, we experienced Christmas' and Birthdays and the generosity of our family and friends was simply astounding, yet still, so many things came into the house and were not really used. He had few and very passionate interests, anything outside of those just sat in the house.

When Otis, our second son was due to arrive, I was a bit wiser and had purchased a few good quality and ethically made outfits, which were happily rotated. My wonderful sisters added to my small bundle of well loved items but with the confidence of a Mummy round two, I communicated my 'simple is best mission' and my loved ones supported the quality over quantity mission I was on. When Otis was two weeks old, we flew home for ten weeks. Because we were not in our own home, I kept things pretty simple. Floor play was on the floor, or a blanket if it was a cooler day. The realisation and appreciation for the beauty of shadows and light cast through a window dawned on me during this time. My wise little two month old already understood the natural beauty.

I observe the impact of the pressure to consume on a daily basis in my role as a Kindergarten Teacher as well as being a Mum. I am currently finding Birthdays-Birthday parties to be precise-quite confronting in this regard. The number of Pinterest worthy parties that take place for such young children is almost worrying. Jarome is definitely at the age where he has made a connection between number of people invited and the number of gifts possibly received. He is not alone. Many a Birthday conversation in my classroom will have mentioned the 1) number of presents and 2) the size and flavour of the cake. Should this be the conversation content of a three or four year old? 

Children really do not need much. They certainly do not need toy baskets filled with plastic items that easily break. A full bookshelf is certainly more valuable than a plush toy room. I wonder why we have stepped so far away from the simple needs of our children. Boundaries, love and time. 

The world of a child is one that is much smaller than that of an adult. Much more centred around the child and with a life of exploration stretched out ahead. The entirety of a child's world is full of magic. If we cherish and value the unimaginable and unmeasurable quantities of childhood wonder and insight we would realise that buying too much 'stuff' violates this, creates a norm for over consumption and quickly spoils our children. Our adult minds can so easily under appreciate the beauty of simplicity and the values set in having less.