Simplify Your Life With Kids: 100 Ways to Make Family Life Easier and More Fun

by Elaine St. James, Vera Cole

Simplify Your Life with Kids, first published in 1997, has sold over 250,000 copies. Here is the paperback edition of Elaine St. James's best-selling guide to making life with children easier, simpler, and happier.Everyone with children has experienced the frustrations of trying to juggle softball practice, PTA meetings, meals, laundry, and comforting a crying child with marriage, a hectic career, and what used to be a social life. It's a familiar challenge in many of today's harried households. In fact, in nearly three-quarters of American homes with children under eighteen both parents are employed full-time. Life can quickly get complicated.Simplicity expert Elaine St. James now has solutions for beleaguered parents everywhere. Simplify Your Life with Kids offers practical, down-to-earth advice for the vital, time-demanding, perplexing issues that all parents face; it promises to be an easy read for busy parents whose lives are so hectic they don't have the time or energy to wade th

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Reference, Self Help, Family

384 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1997

About the author

Elaine St. James, former real estate businesswoman, is the author of the national bestsellers Simplify Your Life and Inner Simplicity. She lives a quiet, simple life in Santa Barbara, California.

Reviews

[Jesse · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting 100 ways of simplifying life with kids...you know, mom hacks and such. Out of the whole book, I got 1 decent one...having my kids put their clothes directly into mesh bags so I'm not having to figure out whose socks belong to whom. Other than that one thing, the whole book was a very basic manual for how to raise kids...keeping them safe, having some mom time, when to call the doctor, being involved with their school etc. Pretty basic stuff...except for the mesh bag trick.

[Lyndsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book isn't very insightful. Perhaps I should take it as a compliment that we already do most of the suggestions she gives. I guess our lives are as simple, fun, and easy as we can get right now! :)

[Dianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found an old reading journal from 2001.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. I’ve been reading this over about a month and a half (it’s broken into 100 small chapters). The title doesn’t necessarily fit the material inside... a better one might be “How To Parent.” It has ideas on every aspect of parenting: morning routines, family meals, house rules, wardrobe, logical consequences, praising in specific terms, encouraging creativity, what to keep around for a first aid kit, talking to your kids about drugs and sex.

I really liked a chapter about saying yes - “Can we go to Disney World?” “I’d love to! As soon as we find the time and save up enough money, we are on our way.” “Can I have a cookie please?” “Sure, after you’ve finished your dinner.” “Can I have a new bike?” “Great idea. Save up your money, and I’ll drive you to the bike store and help you pick out your very own.” Some of the material was dated (published in 1997), but you can still apply it!

Shoutout to my lovely mama who let me borrow this book.

#simplifyyourlifewithkids #elainestjames #livingthesimplelife #andrewsmcmeelpublishing #parentingbook #bookreview

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best practical book ever for those starting a family. If you have babies/toddlers, I strongly suggest you buy this book NOW. I raised four children, and I wish I had this book at the very beginning - it would have saved me much frustration, time, and agony!

[Crista Colvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Outdated in some areas, but otherwise solid.

[Melanie Landon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good to read

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

100 ways to simplify your family's life.

I got this book off of Buy Nothing Burbank years ago. At the time I had younger children (maybe it was just one child; I don't exactly remember), but it sounded like it would be a helpful book. I promptly didn't read it until now, using it as a book that I would read little by little as I brush my teeth. The book itself feels dated, for sure. I would also say that either life has calmed down a bit (which, having slightly older kids now, it has) or that the advice given isn't quite that helpful. There is maybe a tidbit here or there but, by and large, I've already figured out a manageable flow to my life as a mother.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed her first book called Simplify Your Life. It tells you all the things you can do to make your life easier and more enjoyable. I am still trying to CLEAN OUT (an ongoing process).

This book includes kids and all the things that can make your life with them more simple. I liked it a lot - easy to read in small spurts (key for having kids) and has some great parenting advice too. I'm now in the process of getting Maria into the habit of cleaning up after herself. So helpful. Hard to get started, but helpful!

[Janene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had a lot of great ideas, I don't remember this one being as "life-changing" as her first, but I agree with the emphasis on the simple joys of child/parent togetherness, and the reminder of what a fleeting time it is.

Was the author having a hard time trying to get to 100 items?...I became bored when it veered towards discipline, etc. Not that they were bad ideas, just not so much what I was looking for in this book.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well. I bought this used at Bookman's, and the pages I read while browsing seemed pretty smart (esp. about how to wash kids' socks and not lose them or have to sort them). Much of it, though, as with many advice books, seemed either common sense or preachy/weird... but it was marginally interesting and helpful for the scattered gems.

[Cher · Rating 3 out of 5]

not as good as the first book I read by this author. Here I was expecting actual tips on simplifying my life (with kids) instead I got a lesson on parenting which was not what I was looking for ... also the author's ideas of parenting don't necessarily Meld with my own views on the topic so ... eh? take it or leave it ... whatever ...

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Written by someone without children this offered little practical advice and was generally quite annoying. I suspect the author really thinks you ought not to have kids in the first place if you truly want to simplify your life. This view has some validity but is not so helpful to those of us who,you know,already went and had kids and have grown quite fond of them ;)

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! Another great fantasy series. I wonder why they made The Seeker a separate book instead of doing the entire series? It could be another Harry Potter. I love the scenery it invokes when reading: Cornwall and the sea. Oh to jump right in the book....wonderful.

[Cortney · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can pick and choose what would really help simply your life. The sections are divided into different areas of our lives: money, house, job, etc. The chapters are short but give excellent ideas on how to make life more peaceful and simple...which I am all for!

[Cary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this when my babies were 10 years old. I wish I had found it when my oldest was a newborn because she has some terrific ideas. I was able to incorporate many ideas of Elaine's into my family's life. For many years this is the gift I would give at baby showers especially first time moms!

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alot of the points in this book are self explanatory ...However I did enjoy reading it to get additional ideas and also to remind myself what can be improved, because I am in no way.... a perfect mom

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a hard time accepting advice from this author that doesn't have children at the time that she wrote it. However, there are methods that she mentions that we already practice. Not sure if that's good or bad. :-]

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was pleasantly surprised to find that I already have taken on many of the habits and suggestions in this book in my own family, but it was still an interesting reference, and had some new ideas that I would like to implement.

[Jess Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

i'd read another book by Elaine St. James, and found it useful, so i was interested to see how she applied her simplification strategies to parenting. i found this full of helpful tips - many common sense, but all compiled in one quick, easy-to-read book.

[Kylene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good. It has some helpful suggestions of how to have a better relationship with your kids. I learned a few things, but most of the other information was stuff I've already heard or already tried. Easy read, and I'm sure I'll use a few of her suggestions.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enlightening and helpful book... every mom needs one :-)

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to do less, and enjoy more. Worth the investment.

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The information in this book is somewhat interesting and helpful but the layout of the book bothered me. The first section of the book was most enjoyable and then I ended up skimming the rest.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good practical advice and a short read which I like when I am recieving advice.

[Shanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting to see how many things we were already doing as a matter of survival with four kids, lol. I took lots of notes.

[Tommi · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was more a parenting how-to guide than ways to simplify. They were all great ideasfor being a great parent but I didn't find any helpful suggestions for simplifying.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd say about 25% of the stuff in this book was helpful. Most of it is common sense, but it was nice to be reaffirmed, I guess.

[Juliet Ezati · Rating 2 out of 5]

good

[Heaether · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is great for toddlers and up, but not so relevant for a mom-to-be but i will definitely read it again in the future.