Simplicity Parenting

A long overdue response to Marc’s post re: Starbucks, I am most interested in the concept of “simplicity parenting”. Sheila and I made the decision before we were kids and have thus far been successful in creating a childhood free of cluttered schedules for our kids. A quick judge may say that the girls only being one and three has made that easy. I disagree, we have plenty of neighbors and friends that have 1 year olds in an activity year round and 3 year olds in multiple activities weekly. For the Iowa City Baldwins, we spend a significant amount of time playing at home. There is lots of wrestling, tickling, just general horsing around with the girls. They also spend time playing without adults (us) involved. We see them have to resolve conflicts between themselves. It also makes for some pretty incredible and creative games, ideas, and stories when they aren’t limited by our organized and rational thought processes.

I believe that many children don’t know how to be creative today because they are always being engaged and entertained by external stimulus like video games, movies, dance classes or baseball games. The engagement through an externally generated activity basically allows them to only have to think reactively to the stimuli present, no proactively creating their own environment of engagement. I’ve told the story hundreds of times about how Mom would basically throw us out of the house and tell us to go find something to do, just be back by dinnertime. Because of that we did all sorts of creative games: weapons making, invention of 3 base, making boats to race at Redgate park. Would we have gotten that same level of creativity (and subsequently enjoyment) if Mom and Dad had allowed us to have video games in the house and to play asteroids all day?

Maybe you agree, maybe not. But regardless, why does creativity matter? I think forcing creativity at an early age enables kids to hone their creative skills that prove very useful within the more restrictive constraints of an adult world. If kids today are constantly entertained through video games, activities, and other entertainment that doesn’t force their active participation, it drastically limits their ability to be successful as adults. In a business context, there are fewer and fewer people able to think beyond the current borders of relationships, policies, and business paradigms. These self-administered limitations restrict their personal and their organization’s success in a wildly dynamic global business context. How often have you heard the cliché of “thinking outside the box” to describe a successful leader or company? Why are the most admired companies in our country also the most creative (think Google, Microsoft, Facebook)? Why are the most admired leaders globally also the ones with a unconventional approach to their business (think Warren Buffett, Colin Powell, Carlos Ghosn, Jack Welch)? I think the parallels between childhood creativity and professional success are telling, which is why autobiographies of great leaders are best sellers.