Keeping it simple

“In the tapestry of childhood, what stands out is not the splashy, blow-out trips to Disneyland, 

but the common threads that run throughout and repeat: the family dinners, 

nature walks, reading together at bedtime, Saturday morning pancakes.”  
~ Kim John Payne in 'Simplicity Parenting'

I constantly revisit this insightful quote, as a guidepost on my own journey of parenting. It reminds me that a charmed childhood is not about giving kids lot of stuff, but about cultivating connection and imagination.

Last week, Adil came to me with a new and unusual request.
"Amma, I need money", he said.
"Really! What for?" I asked, quite unprepared.
"I need to buy a crane," he replied.
"A crane?! I'll have to think about that," I responded, trying to buy time.

Adil is totally obsessed with all kinds of construction equipment. His toy excavator is almost like a third hand and I'm always being corrected on the names of various heavy machines. "That's not a digger, Amma!" he exclaims, exasperated. "It's a backhoe loader!"
"Boys and their toys!" I sigh.

An indulgent mom, I'm easily tempted into getting him all the playthings he wants. But watching him improvise, is much more fun. Since he doesn't own a crane, he makes one up - using a fishing rod from a favorite toddler game, or kitchen tongs, borrowed from the cabinet, or an old, discarded drink straw.

"It's pretend, Amma" he tells me, authoritatively.
I nod and smile to myself.