Reminders and Reflections

  When it comes to toys and activities, less is more for your child’s cognitive, creative, and compassion development.

  Having too many choices is actually correlated with an increase in anxiety and unhappiness.

  Which type of letting go discussed in this chapter might bring you the biggest challenges?

  What expectations do you have for your children’s future? Which ones are you willing to let go?

  Could you let go of, or not hold on to, your idea of what a perfect parent is supposed to look like?

  Use vacations and camping trips as opportunities to discuss how little you actually need and to practice sharing both space and stuff.

  Consider providing toys that leave room for creative imaginary play, not just single-purpose toys.

  If it’s hard to let go of all your kids’ toys, consider rotating some in and out of storage or rotating and trading with friends.

  Create and honor family time—be it dinners or days.

  Consider ways to create screen-free times and places.