Diaper Swappers

wordbox · 07-21-2012, 10:14 AM

Saw this on my facebook newsfeed today, thought many of you would appreciate it!

http://www.inhabitots.com/ucla-resea...o-little-time/

I'd love to check out this book, but it's unavailable on Amazon right now. It's about research done on just 32 families (middle class, dual income) living in Los Angeles, and focuses on materialism, clutter, time spent together, etc.

Some of the findings reminded me of many of us that have been posting here, trying to declutter and simplify our lives.

Here's the UCLA article about the research, too:
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla...ucla-book.aspx

"Managing the volume of possessions was such a crushing problem in many homes that it actually elevated levels of stress hormones for mothers."

"Only 25 percent of garages could be used to store cars because they were so packed with stuff."

(Check out the gallery they link to!)

From the slide about toys:
"Only 3.1 percent of the world's children live in the United States, but U.S. families buy more than 40 percent of the toys consumed globally. The Los Angeles homes were no exception.

Several homes had at least 250 toys on display, and most had at least 100. Untold numbers of other toys were tucked away in closets and under beds.

CELF researchers estimate that each new child in a household leads to a 30 percent increase in a family's possessions during the preschool years alone."

Gosh, just reading these articles makes me want to declutter even more! haha... I'd love to check out this book, though, and I hope it becomes available soon. It looks really interesting.

I also like how they talk about not being able to find TIME to enjoy your family, how we're too busy and don't play enough, etc. I think that's a big part of becoming more minimal and simplifying, too... allowing kids to play and be outside and not be overscheduled. "Nearly three-fourths of the Los Angeles parents and about half of the children spent no leisure time in their backyards over the course of the study. They could not manage to carve out time to relax, play, eat, read or swim outside, despite the presence of such pricey features as built-in pools, spas, dining sets and lounges."

OurAllenBaby · 07-21-2012, 11:48 AM

That sounds pretty interesting. I would like to read it!

Now......off to clean out the toy box since we had a birthday party last weekend!

hsleonard · 07-21-2012, 12:51 PM

Thank you for posting this, I can totally relate especially to the amount of stuff causing stress. I have been purging my house for a while now but this really gives me the push to keep going. I know my family will be better off with less especially toys. They don't need them all. for now I am trying to rotate things, but eventually I plan to just get rid of.
Again thank you

wordbox · 07-21-2012, 07:52 PM

No problem!

And yeah, stuff has definitely caused me stress, too. It has been so much easier to maintain our house now that we have decluttered. I still feel like we have too much, but I feel like my anxiety has really decreased as a result of getting rid of so many things.

weareborgswife · 07-21-2012, 11:17 PM

I feel this! We had a garage sale today- kids picked quite a few things to sell so they could earn money towards some big purchases they want to make... Still have more I'd like to send on it's way, but figured it was a start... well the neighbor's closed down their sale across the street and my kids were there playing with their kids, and my middle daughter comes home with an ARMFUL of stuff- 3 stuffed animals, a wooden tool box (kid sized), 2 monster trucks, another car/thing... I asked her what she was doing and she said they told everyone the rest was free... UGH.

She was so tired, and I didn't want to deal with it right then, so I didn't do anything at the time besides say, "really? Didn't we just clean out your room and to make more space?"

I totally understand the stressed because of "stuff". Our main floor is fairly minimalist- but the kids' rooms are another story. I get so tired of asking them put things away! They have homes for everything, bins/containers/shelves, and they know where things go... but they do one thing and then pull out something else and then add a third and POOF you can't walk in their doors.

I am trying hard to get them to quality vs. quantity - Christmas is going to be different this year if I can make it work - One big gift and 1-2 smaller gifts- working to get family to go in together on things so it is less than previous years where sometimes they get 10-15 items. (I.E. my girls like American Girl- my youngest wants McKenna- so sis inlaw is getting the dog and one outfit, mom and I are getting doll and accessories with her gymnastics uniform- and hopefully that is it besides her stocking- which will probably be snacks, gum, and a new playsilk- ours are ripping and worn and she uses them a ton) This is a change for me as well, since I get to caught up in "deals" thoughout the year, and end up with too much when I get down to Christmas.

Anyway, thanks for posting and reminding me of my goals

. We do have lots of free play time around here, outside weather permitting, and we have several days a week that are less structured after we do chores and our school work (we homeschool)

SenoraE · 07-22-2012, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weareborgswife

Christmas is going to be different this year if I can make it work - One big gift and 1-2 smaller gifts- working to get family to go in together on things so it is less than previous years where sometimes they get 10-15 items.

Not going to lie - I really like opening Christmas gifts - but we do a lot of very practical gifts around here. The boys will both get clothes and shoes, toothbrushes and shampoo / bath stuff, as well as lots of their favorite foods (fruit snacks, cereal, animal crackers, etc). Then they usually get one nice thing from us, and one from each set of grandparents. That way everyone still has 10-15 things to open, but only three "nice" presents (and these are each on different occasions: Christmas Eve for MIL/FIL, Morning from us, and Christmas night from my folks). I have a colleague at work whose kids each get three presents because they really tie it to church / 3 gifts, which I think is a pretty cool idea too.

slimy72 · 07-22-2012, 07:19 PM

Very interesting article! Now I want to read the book. And dang, I suddenly feel like a failure that my car doesn't fit in the garage. But we are working on it and I do believe it will be in before the end of the week.

weareborgswife · 07-22-2012, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SenoraE

Not going to lie - I really like opening Christmas gifts - but we do a lot of very practical gifts around here. The boys will both get clothes and shoes, toothbrushes and shampoo / bath stuff, as well as lots of their favorite foods (fruit snacks, cereal, animal crackers, etc). Then they usually get one nice thing from us, and one from each set of grandparents. That way everyone still has 10-15 things to open, but only three "nice" presents (and these are each on different occasions: Christmas Eve for MIL/FIL, Morning from us, and Christmas night from my folks). I have a colleague at work whose kids each get three presents because they really tie it to church / 3 gifts, which I think is a pretty cool idea too.

I LOVE it too, which is why I've gone overboard- my family opens one gift at time and we all watch each other- when my sis and her three kids are there, plus my bro and his wife, and our family of five AND my parents it has taken up to 4 hours to open gifts- my sister's family and our family are on limited budgets this year and they don't have a ton of room in their house either, so we are all for the "less is more" this year. Plus my dad had a stroke/heart attack 2 years ago and can't work and my mom takes care of him full time. They are living on her trust fund and only in their mid 60's so I really don't want her overspending on things like she has in the past.

hsleonard · 07-23-2012, 05:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SenoraE

Not going to lie - I really like opening Christmas gifts - but we do a lot of very practical gifts around here. The boys will both get clothes and shoes, toothbrushes and shampoo / bath stuff, as well as lots of their favorite foods (fruit snacks, cereal, animal crackers, etc). Then they usually get one nice thing from us, and one from each set of grandparents. That way everyone still has 10-15 things to open, but only three "nice" presents (and these are each on different occasions: Christmas Eve for MIL/FIL, Morning from us, and Christmas night from my folks). I have a colleague at work whose kids each get three presents because they really tie it to church / 3 gifts, which I think is a pretty cool idea too.

I am LOVING this idea

We are totally going to do this is our home this year.
The kids get plenty of other presents from family so they will have things to open.Especially from my mom. She goes crazy!!!! but she shops all year and I know she can afford it but last year was insane, she herself has said it won't be like that this year but I know it will still be way more than we need.
I am thinking of asking her instead of gifts that we all go somewhere as a family.

On another note I have simplified the playroom like you would believe, it still is not minimal but i can't believe how much less is in there. It really is true, my kids are playing in there more, too much stuff really does overwhelm them.

browneyedgirl · 07-23-2012, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SenoraE

Not going to lie - I really like opening Christmas gifts - but we do a lot of very practical gifts around here. The boys will both get clothes and shoes, toothbrushes and shampoo / bath stuff, as well as lots of their favorite foods (fruit snacks, cereal, animal crackers, etc). Then they usually get one nice thing from us, and one from each set of grandparents. That way everyone still has 10-15 things to open, but only three "nice" presents (and these are each on different occasions: Christmas Eve for MIL/FIL, Morning from us, and Christmas night from my folks). I have a colleague at work whose kids each get three presents because they really tie it to church / 3 gifts, which I think is a pretty cool idea too.

We do 6 gifts each. Something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read. Then they get a gift from each sibling. We don't really do Santa, but say that stockings are from Santa.

07-21-2012, 10:14 AM	#1
wordbox Registered Users Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,848 Ratings: 13 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	UCLA research, new book about American families and too much stuff Saw this on my facebook newsfeed today, thought many of you would appreciate it! http://www.inhabitots.com/ucla-resea...o-little-time/ I'd love to check out this book, but it's unavailable on Amazon right now. It's about research done on just 32 families (middle class, dual income) living in Los Angeles, and focuses on materialism, clutter, time spent together, etc. Some of the findings reminded me of many of us that have been posting here, trying to declutter and simplify our lives. Here's the UCLA article about the research, too: http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla...ucla-book.aspx "Managing the volume of possessions was such a crushing problem in many homes that it actually elevated levels of stress hormones for mothers." "Only 25 percent of garages could be used to store cars because they were so packed with stuff." (Check out the gallery they link to!) From the slide about toys: "Only 3.1 percent of the world's children live in the United States, but U.S. families buy more than 40 percent of the toys consumed globally. The Los Angeles homes were no exception. Several homes had at least 250 toys on display, and most had at least 100. Untold numbers of other toys were tucked away in closets and under beds. CELF researchers estimate that each new child in a household leads to a 30 percent increase in a family's possessions during the preschool years alone." Gosh, just reading these articles makes me want to declutter even more! haha... I'd love to check out this book, though, and I hope it becomes available soon. It looks really interesting. I also like how they talk about not being able to find TIME to enjoy your family, how we're too busy and don't play enough, etc. I think that's a big part of becoming more minimal and simplifying, too... allowing kids to play and be outside and not be overscheduled. "Nearly three-fourths of the Los Angeles parents and about half of the children spent no leisure time in their backyards over the course of the study. They could not manage to carve out time to relax, play, eat, read or swim outside, despite the presence of such pricey features as built-in pools, spas, dining sets and lounges." __________________ Mommy to Grant (July 2010) and Greta (July 2012) Blog: O for Owl I purged 2,920 items in 2012! Working on 2,013 items for 2013. Progress: 855/2,013

07-21-2012, 11:48 AM	#2
OurAllenBaby Registered Users Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: NC Posts: 1,949 Ratings: 8 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: UCLA research, new book about American families and too much stuff That sounds pretty interesting. I would like to read it! Now......off to clean out the toy box since we had a birthday party last weekend! __________________ Proud mama -July '08 and April '10 my

07-21-2012, 12:51 PM	#3
hsleonard Registered Users Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,126 Ratings: 10 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: UCLA research, new book about American families and too much stuff Thank you for posting this, I can totally relate especially to the amount of stuff causing stress. I have been purging my house for a while now but this really gives me the push to keep going. I know my family will be better off with less especially toys. They don't need them all. for now I am trying to rotate things, but eventually I plan to just get rid of. Again thank you __________________ Helene WOHM to Natalie Rose 5/07 & Christian James 4/10 Married to the love of my life 7/05 My life is nothing like what I thought it would be, its way better!!!! Thirty-one gifts Come swag with me!!! I have earned over $100 in amazon gift cards so far Zycon Foods -"saving money on high-quality food products."

07-21-2012, 07:52 PM	#4
wordbox Registered Users Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,848 Ratings: 13 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: UCLA research, new book about American families and too much stuff No problem! And yeah, stuff has definitely caused me stress, too. It has been so much easier to maintain our house now that we have decluttered. I still feel like we have too much, but I feel like my anxiety has really decreased as a result of getting rid of so many things. __________________ Mommy to Grant (July 2010) and Greta (July 2012) Blog: O for Owl I purged 2,920 items in 2012! Working on 2,013 items for 2013. Progress: 855/2,013

07-21-2012, 11:17 PM	#5
weareborgswife Registered Users Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,534 Ratings: 51 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: UCLA research, new book about American families and too much stuff I feel this! We had a garage sale today- kids picked quite a few things to sell so they could earn money towards some big purchases they want to make... Still have more I'd like to send on it's way, but figured it was a start... well the neighbor's closed down their sale across the street and my kids were there playing with their kids, and my middle daughter comes home with an ARMFUL of stuff- 3 stuffed animals, a wooden tool box (kid sized), 2 monster trucks, another car/thing... I asked her what she was doing and she said they told everyone the rest was free... UGH. She was so tired, and I didn't want to deal with it right then, so I didn't do anything at the time besides say, "really? Didn't we just clean out your room and to make more space?" I totally understand the stressed because of "stuff". Our main floor is fairly minimalist- but the kids' rooms are another story. I get so tired of asking them put things away! They have homes for everything, bins/containers/shelves, and they know where things go... but they do one thing and then pull out something else and then add a third and POOF you can't walk in their doors. I am trying hard to get them to quality vs. quantity - Christmas is going to be different this year if I can make it work - One big gift and 1-2 smaller gifts- working to get family to go in together on things so it is less than previous years where sometimes they get 10-15 items. (I.E. my girls like American Girl- my youngest wants McKenna- so sis inlaw is getting the dog and one outfit, mom and I are getting doll and accessories with her gymnastics uniform- and hopefully that is it besides her stocking- which will probably be snacks, gum, and a new playsilk- ours are ripping and worn and she uses them a ton) This is a change for me as well, since I get to caught up in "deals" thoughout the year, and end up with too much when I get down to Christmas. Anyway, thanks for posting and reminding me of my goals . We do have lots of free play time around here, outside weather permitting, and we have several days a week that are less structured after we do chores and our school work (we homeschool)