Minimalism for Families: Practical Minimalist Living Strategies to Simplify Your Home and Life

by Zoë Kim

Share the joys of minimalism with your whole family.

Make room for what really matters. Minimalism for Families shows you the real costs of the things you own and helps you discover that cutting non-essential items makes for a happier, more satisfying home and life.

Spend less time stressing about your stuff and more time together. Filled with practical advice to help you and your family clear out your house, Minimalism for Families helps you build stronger bonds, spend more time together, and start enjoying the benefits of living clutter-free.

Minimalism for Families includes:

Bring the benefits of minimalism to your loved ones with Minimalism for Families .

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting, Self Help, Personal Development, Lifestyle, Reference, Family

164 pages, Paperback

Published October 24, 2017

Reviews

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has low-key, practical advice for getting rid of shit. It has less anxiety inducing procedures like The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The author suggests: Here’s good option, or you could do this option, or not. Whatever makes you feel good. More people need to read this because we get so much consumerist messages out there. Costco demands that we buy more shit, Amazon, store loyalty cards, FOMO.... it’s all to make a person scream. The author instead urges us to block out such messages to figure out what is really important and teach your kids that too. I put this in my little free library in front of my house so another family in my ‘hood could opt out too.

[Kelly Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is fine if you have never considered de-cluttering before. But it was mostly, "if you don't need it, get rid of it" over and over again.

[Erin Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good intro to minimalism and practical guidebook. I’d already done most of the things she advised so I’d say this is more for someone brand new to minimalism.

[Ruby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good information if you want to learn more about minimalism in families.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought minimalism a good subject to start the year off. Minimalism for Families was pretty motivating, but most of the ideas were already familiar to me. This would be a better read for someone new to minimalism and with a young family.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Although I don’t expect that my family will reach a proper minimalist standard there are lots of suggestions, ideas and methods that I can apply to get us closer. It was really easy to read and there wasn’t anything that made me think “no way! That’s impossible!” So it was encouraging. Definitely worth reading if, like me, you are trying to make family life more manageable.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had good information on decluttering your home, but I had hoped for more information about decluttering your schedule, time management, etc. I really shouldn't read more books on how/ what to get rid of, it makes me (even more) neurotic about giving stuff away. I did like the author's flexible, relatable tone; she focused on making minimalism work for you and not trying to achieve someone else's idea of minimalism.

[Bailey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wasn't as earth shattering as I expected it to be. Practical, yes, and inspirational in the sense that it was a quick read to keep me motivated in my minimalist journey. But it wasn't as detailed as I was hoping it to be, and got to be a bit redundant. I found Marie Kondo's "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" more up my alley for the kind of inspiration and practicality I needed.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clear and to the point instructions, but the read felt like i was going through someone's notes. Organized, but shorthand for key concepts that were discussed earlier. Very few "Action Items" to help direct newcomers or new ways to work with old concepts for those familiar with Minimalism.

[Amy Siemel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great review of minimalist principles, introduction to new strategies, and plenty of inspiration to keep going. Listened to it as an audio book as I went through the paper phase of my Kondo-ing process. My oldest child liked it, too!

[Stella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Haven’t visited the blog, but I am sure there is one, because the book reads as a collection of blog posts. Without any real substance. I really didn’t like it...

[Rita CO · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basically an interpretation of Marie Kondo’s books.

[MNBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I requested this from the library and it took eons to receive it due to all the requests— so I was expecting great things! For someone who has been on the minimalism journey for sometime, I found this to be a book more for those taking it to the next level. Get your own personal journey started with other resources and THEN get this book. I found the family mission statement (your why) to be very helpful. I am recognizing my family actually starting to come along and finally getting it.

This book suggests making a special place for kids and I was like “lightbulb”! After years of hating the clutter in my kids rooms we decided to remove all toys and make their rooms just for reading and sleeping. They have a few toys in there for decorations, but all other toys were moved into one play area in the basement. The kids were really excited and motivated buy this and my daughter actually got rid of some things (huge breakthrough because she is extremely sentimental about possessions). I plan to implement the maintenance rules and am looking forward to actually celebrating with rewards!!! This book makes minimalism fun for families if done right!!

One thing I did disagree with was never de-owning for others. Ok, yes if you have older kids they will take offense to getting rid of their things. However, I think younger kids use a lot of mental strain on decisions and need help at times. We had a 5 foot bin of stuffed animals that were never played with. I had the kids go through this bin twice and the results were always the same—all the animals were so SPECIAL and nothing was removed!!! So earlier this year stuffed animals started disappearing from the bin and then the entire bin just went away. It has been five months and no one noticed— my oldest is nine. This was a huge, brightly colored bin. So the point is that obviously those items were neglected and not necessary, but it was hard to say goodbye. The special stuffed animals all were the ones being played with and having special homes—not in the bin. Now we use that space on things the kids do enjoy and they are much happier with the change!

On the flip side my husband has gotten royally pissed at me for recycling bottles that I thought were trash and I later found out they were actually important to him. So I do see that taking care of your own stuff is critical if you are talking about not getting your family to hate you and your crazy minimalism! Just be sure to get your act together first and your family will come along with the project after they see the benefits!

[Fran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Minimalism has become trendy in the past several years, as a result its everywhere...TEDtalk, YouTube, even Pinterest. As a result I feel like the tried and true methods remain the same. If you are new to this idea, or in need of a quick simple book to offer encouragement, this is short and sweet.

[Arianne Askham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Functional guide to minimalism!
This book was different than I was expecting. It really is like a quick read to help inspire, motivate, and teach you how to go minimalist. Loved the second half that had a chapter devoted to each room. Perfect for a refresher when you are ready to tackle those spaces. Made me excited to declutter the basement!

[SOMDReigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is joy in living with less.
Filled with tips and advice to live with less in order to focus on what matters to you most.
Strategies for de-cluttering every room in your home and breaks in down for age groups.
You can de-clutter all you want, but if you don’t develop a habit, then you will find yourself constantly decluttering. This book will offer guidelines to help you with that. You need to recognize what is vital to you and what contributes very little to your needs and happiness. I really liked that she broke down bedrooms by age groups (adult, baby, toddler/preschool, school-age, and teen-age). Probably the easiest room to start with would be your bathroom as it is most likely the smallest room and has the least sentimental items. I personally took everything out of the drawers and cabinets. There is no reason I needed 18 bottles of nail polish (I only use 3 colors routinely) or 14 different types of lotions (I use 2), or 4 brushes when I only use one of them. Now if I buy a new nail polish, I have to get rid of one of the older ones. I have decluttered almost all the rooms in my house. I still need to go back through and do another sweep. The hardest for me is all the sentimental, family heirlooms. Another area that needs additional work (okay, I haven’t attempted to tackle) are photographs. I have tons. I know I can get them scanned and that will clear up a lot of clutter, but that takes money. I do plan to organize them though and get rid of the duplicates and photos not worth saving (pre-digital age). Overall, I found this book helpful and contains good tips.
I obtained a free copy via the Publisher.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tend to go through nonfiction subject obsessions, and my subject of choice right now is minimalism. I am someone whose mood and anxiety is greatly affected by clutter, so as a current stay-at-home mom of a 19-month old girl and another on the way, I am been absorbing all that I can about this lifestyle that speaks to me on such a core level. Minimalism for Families: Practical Minimalist Living Strategies to Simplify Your Home and Life is a good, informative read on how to implement minimalism principles within the overall household, but after reading a slew of others at this point, I find there is nothings groundbreaking or earth-shattering here.

[Britta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the ideas this book gave me - I was just going to skim it but after I started I wanted to read the whole thing to get ideas and help change the way I thought about material possessions, and life in general! A few notes for myself:
-instead of keeping certain sentimental items, make a digital photo book that tells the story behind each medal, etc.
-Cookbooks: take pictures of favorites and put in a binder
-Does this spark joy?
-Toys: bin/shelf/drawer where everything fits. Benefit of having less=more time to play at the park; once finished have an activity with me or relative/friend. Does it have multiple uses? Giving.
-Command center for school papers
-Certain time each week (i.e. Sat morn) to go thru papers on desk
-Gifts: Give a wish list of experiences. Kids: Christmas wish list of things they'd like to give (help a neighbor, donate toys, thank-you notes to military/veteran, serve at food pantry). "No need to bring a present please, just your presence!"

[Jenny T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although there really isn't much that's new to me in this book, I appreciate the author's mindset.

My goal in becoming a minimalist is to keep forward momentum in my life, and to make space for the future. It's also to let go of the past, release obsessive and compulsive thoughts, and to make cleaner, better choices while setting limits and living intentionally.

Just from throwing most of my teaching files away last week, I felt freed up to tutor "on point." I don't need so many worksheets and lessons. I can't focus when I have so much.

I'm tempted to data mine everything I own in order to have the best of everything, but that's a waste of time and contradicts the efficient message of minimalism. I don't need to waste time and energy on perfection. I just need to do my best to pick around the fluff and zero in on the essence I need. I'll have to come back to this book for organizing tips.

Pages: 139; Publication Date: 2017; Part of my collection.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minimalism is a tool, philosophy, or filter to help you shed the excess stuff and live your life with purpose.

Minimalism directs your finite resources of attention, time, energy and money toward being and doing more of what matters the most.

Less stress and anxiety, healthy boundaries, more time, less stress about finances, a streamlined home, environmentally friendly, deeper spiritual life and freedom.

Practice one comes in, one goes out.

Use it or lose it.

Take photos of the sentimental things weighing you down.

Place all your hangers in the same direction. After You have worn an item, place the item on the hanger and place the hanger on the rid in the opposite direction.

Remove everything that you have worn in the last two weeks. Box up all the remaining items. See if you miss any of these items in the next thirty days.

Look at each article of clothing and ask if it sparks joy?

[Tri-reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very simple straightforward book. A lot of the information is on her blog, with pictures.

[Eva 'Nomad' · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first few chapters are about motivation - what it means to live a minimalist lifestyle, why you want to take this path, what it brings and what it takes to maintain it. I did not really need the pep talk, since I’ve been a self proclaimed minimalist for years. What I needed though is a more structured approach, a defined set of actions to start out (or re-start, because chaos has been creeping in since we moved into the house). I found those in the book, separated by room or children‘s age (if are looking to include your children as well). Some of the tips are repeated throughout the book, but alltogether its a valuable read.

[Annelise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical advice for living a minimalist lifestyle. My only critique has to do with her approach to children's puzzles (she doesn't like them because they aren't open-ended...but kids learn so much from them!) and books (she over-emphasizes a child's need for repetition and says it's good to limit how many books they read regularly...false...). Other than that, it's very good and I know I will be using it as a reference as we clean out and simplify our home.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short book, so the time I took to read it (almost a month) reflects that it wasn’t necessarily one that I kept wanting to pick up. Still, it’s a great starting place for some method to reduce unneeded clutter and to focus on freedom and experiences, rather than the “stuff” that ties people down and demands their attention. 3.5 Stars

[H. Dair Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great vibe. Instructive without being overly prescriptive. She has good ideas...she's putting them out there...but no judgment and no guilt. Plus, it's a quick read and the ebook is on sale right now. 😉

[Sharon Goss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick Read for Starting the Mindset Change

As the title states, there is a lot concerning families in this book. It was free so I got it anyway. Some good info to think about and for starting the process.

[K.J. Dell'Antonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, Laura Vanderkam just lightly mocked me on the podcast for this, but I LIKE reading books about getting organized and letting things go and choosing to do less. Even if I've mostly got that stuff down. They keep me honest. Enjoyed this one.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A practical and straightforward guide to getting a grip on your stuff. Though many of the principles of KonMari are echoed in this book, I prefer Kim's approach. Worth the couple hours it took to read.

[Ashia Pollen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic but lots of good practical suggestions especially for families with multiple young children. Nothing special if you are well read on the topic but if you are new to minimalism I would highly recommend starting here if you have a family.

[Caitlyn Rhorer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great start for anyone wanting to pursue minimalism with a family. A nice easy read with short chapters, very to the point. Provides practical tips for approaching a minimalist lifestyle with others in the home. Great if you are new to the idea of minimalism!