Finding Peace in Folding Pajamas

One way that you can help to create peace in the home is to focus on eliminating clutter and creating order. It can cut down on conflicts, frustration, and over-stimulation. In Novemeber, I discovered the book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo. Since then, I have been striving to apply her approach, called the Konmari Method, to my own home.

There are a growing number of posts in the blogosphere detailing the methodology and personal journeys in Konmari. There are also a lot of videos about how to fold shirts the Konmari way. I am a convert, and now enjoy folding laundry. It is almost an act of meditation. And in the end, I have these beautiful rectangular parcels of clothing.

However, I was still left feeling a little bit unsatisfied with my 3-year-old's pajamas. She has shelves in her closet, and I keep her clothes at her level. She likes to dress herself. But, when she was trying to find a matching pajama top and bottom, it often resulted in a big mess. Thus began my quest for a solution--one that would continue to foster her independence, while reducing the amount of refolding I was doing each week.

My solution? Fold the tops and bottoms together! Into one rectangle, instead of two. Not only does it keep things more tidy, it also saves space.

Step one: Lay out top face up and smooth wrinkles. Place pants folded in half on top. They should be positioned so the waistband is just below the collar, and pants are in the center of top.

 Step two: Fold side of shirt over one edge of the pajama pants.

 Step three: Fold sleeve down.

Step five: Repeat steps 2 and 3 on the other side.

Step six: Fold legs of pajama pants over bottom edge of top. 

Step seven: Fold top one-third of shirt over.

Step eight: Fold over again to form a rectangle. 

When you are done, you should have a tidy little pajama parcel that will stand on end either in a drawer, or on a shelf.

If you decide to try this out, I'd love to see a photo of your child's happy pajamas.

Being a Peaceable Parent

Parenting is hard. It can also be incredibly fun and rewarding. Still, there is no denying that parenting pushes us, stretches us, and forces us to grow in ways we didn't think possible. The best parenting happens when we are willing to rise to the challenge--when we are sensitive to not just the growth in our children, but the growth in ourselves.

I've decided to start this blog as a place to explore that growth, and to share that journey with others who are looking for new ideas or kindred spirits on this path.

What does it mean to be a peaceable parent? In short, in means working to minimize conflict within ourselves, our family, and our world. As a peaceable parent, I am teaching my daughter to heal the earth, to work toward justice, and to find joy in her life.

I'm not perfect. Sometimes I get exasperated and say the wrong things. I forget that her independence doesn't mean she doesn't still need lots of attention. I expect behavior that is incompatible with her development. My daughter, wonderful as she is, is still not quite 3-years-old. Which means that she still has meltdowns. And sometimes rather than choosing a or b, she invents option c.

It's okay. There is no online tutorial that will magically create instant domestic utopia. But there is plenty of advice out there that will get you moving in a good direction. What's important is that you continue to reflect and grow. When you make a poor parenting choice, don't wallow in guilt. Apologize. Come up with a plan for how you will do better next time. Move on.

Finally, being a peaceable parent means striving for peaceful relationships with other parents. It means remembering that most parents are doing the best that they can with the mental, emotional, social, and financial resources available to them. It means listening instead of judging. It means reaching out rather than shutting down.

Because how can we hope to raise peaceable children if we aren't prepared to lead by example?