Simple Happy Parenting

I was very interested in reading Simple Happy Parenting by Denaye Barahona. After parenting for almost 9 years, we have experienced the feeling of complete exhaustion, overwhelm and burnout and have worked for many years to find the right balance in our family. It is certainly always an ongoing process as parenting is always changing and evolving as our children grow, but I loved Barahona's tips on how to simplify and prioritize what's important.

I love that at the start the book she recognized that there is no perfect way to juggle it all, and it made the rest of the book feel more approachable because I knew she was coming from a place of relatability. Pulling out of the race of parenting and doing what is important for your own family is such simple yet important advice.

If you set your goals and expectations of parenting by the world around you, you will never find contentment or peace in your own parenting journey. We are all allowed to follow different paths, but being true to ourselves and our own desires as a family allows us to pull out of the parenting competition and prioritize what is important to our own families. "Instead of chasing the impossible, choose to live simply and love immensely."

But how do you do this, one might wonder. It sounds easy but if you have parenting for any length of time, you know it just isn't. Barahona shares her Simple Manifesto:

1. Fear Less
2. Hurry Less
3. Entertain Less
4. Referee Less
5. Buy Less

After sharing this manifesto, she walks you through how to accomplish these goals. I especially enjoyed the sections on entertaining less(and letting your kids be bored) and refereeing less. Both of these concepts and shifts help everyone in our family lives happier and more successful lives but often seem really hard to remember when we are in the thick of daily life. Her practical advice was relatable and things that we could easily implement into our family foundation.

The photos and illustrations were a nice addition to this text. I don't think the photos were totally necessary, but it did help make this book feel more personal and helped connect me as a reader with this author.

If you are looking for tips on how to simplify your life as a family, I definitely recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley and White Lion Publishing for an advanced copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book and all of the useful, simple tips and tricks that can help all families, big and small. I especially liked the section on helping with clutter and meals. I highly recommend!

In a crowded field of organization and self-help, Simple Happy Parenting stands out as being direct, authentic, and relatable. This is not the book to bully or shame families in some minimalist contest. It encourages families to take steps and model a slower, more intentional life. The ideas are all familiar, but Barahona shares strategies that can actually be implemented to control the clutter of toys or have your child eat the dinner you've prepared. As someone who wants to ascribe to a minimalist and simple living attitude, I appreciate having a guide explicitly including children.

This beautiful and is filled with photos of the author and her family. There is not much new in this book if you have read other simple living books. It could be good for young parents who need a little inspiration.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

I do wish this book had been available as a Kindle book, but that doesn't take away from the rating.
I haven't truly found a parenting book that i completely adored or agreed with.. i often finds bits or pieces that feel judgemental or condescending, but this one didn't. It felt like she really did understand that not one parent is perfect, and there is no "easy" way to parent.

I love Denaye’s book Simple Happy Parenting! I have been a big fan of Denaye and her blog for several years so I was excited when she announced her book being published. The book shares similar content as her blog but it is wrapped up in a new way and expands upon what she shares online. I highly recommend this book for any parent looking to simplify life with kids.