By Nettie H. Francis
We recently downsized everything…(except children). One less car, one less payment, less television, one less phone contract, one less hobby, less shopping, one less school, one less weekly commitment, less media. In short, we simplified every aspect of our lives that we could. Not because of the struggling economy (although that is a great motivator), but because my husband just read “Little House on the Prairie,” by Laura Ingalls Wilder. He was inspired by the fact that the Ingalls family had fewer things and more time, less money and more land, fewer distractions and more quiet moments. In other words, theirs was a House of a Little Less.

If you haven’t taken the opportunity to read (not just watch) the “Little House on the Prairie,” series, I highly suggest it. Although I read it as a girl, my husband’s interest motivated our family to read the books again together. They are wonderful! The stories are inspiring for young and old, men and women, as Laura gives descriptions of both homemaking and homesteading skills, wrapped within the delights of a loving family. Wholesome examples of old-fashioned respect have also inspired our children as we’ve read.

Besides feeling inspired to simplify our lives, the Ingalls’ experiences have also helped us to feel grateful for all the conveniences we enjoy. And, when we had squash for dinner one night, our children reminded each other to “be grateful,” since Laura and Mary had only coarse, brown bread during The Long Winter.

Our recent transition to living with less – especially with less distraction – has also given us memorable family experiences. We’ve spent several evenings as a family, just sitting in the living room and reading. We even gathered around the piano and sang for a while. Just like a Christmas card! We’ve found ourselves entertaining each other with funny jokes, performances, and songs, rather than leaving home for amusement. Quiet evenings and walks under the stars or dinner on the lawn have become the norm. We often express our gratitude for what we have to each other, and find joy in simple pleasures. Our children are grateful for hot cocoa, what a treat! And we all love nights with plenty of popcorn and apples for dinner.

While we can’t simplify everything in our lives, we can simplify some things. And, enjoy less much more. “’Tis a Gift to be Simple,” sang the Amish people. In this season of gifts, perhaps it’s the simple things that mean more. Here are a few thoughts to get by with a little less – on the prairie or in the city.

Return to Resources

While planning our Christmas gifts for extended family, missionaries, teachers and neighbors, we tried to consider what we could make or give from materials we already had at home. Putting together missionary boxes was fun using cocoa packets from the pantry, homemade cards from the children, and extra ties from the closet. Since long-distance grandparents don’t need another knick knack to clutter their shelves, we instead performed instrumental songs and recited poetry in front of a video camera, then made a fun DVD for them to watch. Instead of buying small gifts for each neighbor, we invited the neighbors over for an open house with Christmas goodies to eat and warm wassail to drink. Resources around the house were also used for family gifts – brown paper bags for wrapping paper, yarn for homemade slippers, and wood for crafted picture frames. We’ve found that the gifts we make from items we already have often turn out even better than we could have planned with purchased goods.

Looking is Free

When the stores opened up their spread of holiday delights and decorations I couldn’t resist doing some window shopping. Everything was a Christmas wonderland! The children and I slowly went up and down aisles filled with ornaments, decorations and every imaginable holiday trinket. At first, we wanted to purchase so many things! But we resisted the urge to put them all in our cart, and continued looking.

It soon occurred to me that if we did purchase things, we would simply take them home and look at them some more. But looking at the store is free! We had a delightful time examining and exclaiming over the wondrous assortment, and then went home without spending money, to either make our own, or just enjoy the memory of what we had seen. To some, looking only for fun may seem a little extreme, but the truth is, we already have many beautiful decorations. We can still purchase what we need, but we don’t need it all to be happy.

Growing Gratitude

Gratitude is sometimes hard to come by in children these days. Parents generally have the means to give a child whatever he wishes to eat, when and where he wants it. And, although we may feel that our purse strings are tight, our families generally enjoy much more than people did in the past.
Whenever we’ve sensed an undue amount of “expectedness” from our children, (where they expect certain things with an ungrateful air), we’ve tried to give them a little less. For example, when children start to be picky about food, we simplify our meals. Soon, children are grateful for basic pleasures again and their level of gratitude grows.

Simplicity is Gain

When Laura Ingall’s daughter, Rose Wilder, encouraged her mother to leave her simple home life and move to the big city to write and become famous, Laura responded, “Why should we move to a city and work fifteen or twenty years to get money enough to retire to a farm? We already have the farm”(A Little House Sampler by William Anderson, p.133).

Most people in life are looking for peace and satisfaction. Those gifts generally come in quiet moments and simple ways, not during rush hour traffic or while balancing a crazy lifestyle. While today’s world is fast paced and does require our attention and involvement in many ways, we should take advantage of simplifying what we can, to gain and appreciate what is truly important in life. A little less usually equals a lot more.