Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Why would I want the toy when I can have the box?


Today Lillian announced that she wanted to make a boat. After choosing from the plethora of boxes in our attic, she and her Daddy got down to work. The boat soon morphed into a plane, but in the end they determined that Chitty Chitty Bang Bang would be the ONLY vehicle that could fulfill all their needs.

Boxes are the best!  When I was Lil's age, I made a house out of a refrigerator box, complete with windows and a porch, and spent weeks playing in it. Why Would I Want The Toy, When I Can Have The Box? is one of my favorite parenting books. It outlines 101 ways to spend time with your children without spending any money. The author, Rex Bowlby, describes buying an expensive, flashing, beeping toy for his son's third birthday, only to watch him spend the entire day making a robot out of the box the toy came in. I don't think the book was written with the Voluntary Simplicity movement in mind, but it's the best book I've found about living simply with children. 

I'm so pleased to have a lead on a large wardrobe box. We may be building a bungalow box in the near future, complete with craftsman windows and a cozy front porch. 


4 comments:

  1. Love your blog! Can't wait for more. Alison

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  2. Ooo, my first comment! Thanks, Alison!

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  3. Can you believe that the Atlanta Public Library does not have this book? I am totally upset. Guess I will go to Barnes and Noble and buy it myself. Sounds fun!

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  4. Kenzi, I think the book is out of print, but you can get it used for next to nothing either on abebooks.com or amazon. The author lives in Atlanta and has written another book about eating a vegan diet.

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