Book Nook: A Simpler Motherhood

Like many families, there are days when I just feel the need to slow down. I was happy to review A Simpler Motherhood. Author Emily Eusanio is on a mission to remove stress from the lives of moms and busy families seeking less stuff and more joy in their daily life.

Better known to her loyal followers as The Simplified Mom, Emily is a part-time blogger and full-time mom of four children under seven who seeks to help rediscover the joys of motherhood. Through her own experience, Emily has found systems, routines and rhythms that work to maintain a life and a home while also granting her more space – and she is sharing that knowledge with mothers everywhere!

A Simpler Motherhood was a great read. It is a realistic approach to minimalism. She recognizes that a simpler life looks different for everyone, and that organizing can mean pretty matching baskets or getting rid of stuff or just having some semblance of sanity! The book also helps readers shift the mindset, doing a sort of mental decluttering as well, all with the idea of finding more joy in parenting.

I really enjoyed this book. There were some things that I've already incorporated in our daily life, and others are things I strive to do. I also really appreciated the tone of the book - it felt familiar, like I was hearing advice from a mom friend.

I had a chance to learn more in this interview.

Why did you write this book?

Writing a book has been on my bucket list since I was a journalism major in college. I've always had a passion for writing, but I never found a topic I was passionate enough about to sit down and write. When I started my blog three years ago, I was a stay-at-home mom deep into motherhood with toddlers and babies, and I desperately wanted it to be simpler, easier, and more enjoyable. I began my blog to keep myself accountable for simplifying and minimizing our home, and it quickly morphed into a passion project that became a rewarding outlet for me. As my audience grew, I knew I was onto something, and wanted to share what I'd experienced and learned in my own journey with a broader audience. Two summers ago, A Simpler Motherhood was born.

Life is inherently complex - why did you focus on simplicity?

For that EXACT reason! Life is SO complicated as it is. Throw in too much stuff, too many commitments, too many expectations, and life gets infinitely harder. I began by simplifying my stuff, but quickly learned that unless I also simplified our lifestyle, our schedule, and the expectations I had for myself (and felt from others), no major shift was going to happen. I can't control life, but I can control the vibe in my own home, head and heart - and that's made ALL the difference when it comes to times where life gets really, really hard.

How do parents sometimes make things more complicated than they need to be?

Where do I begin?! Honestly, I think it starts with the outside world. The minute we decide to have kids, we are inundated with all the THINGS we "need" to raise our kids. We're sold the concept that all the challenges of parenthood can be minimized or fixed with the right product, the right system, the right routine. For the first three years of parenthood, I fully bought into that concept. I stocked our baby registry with all the "must-have" products. I ordered countless products from Amazon at 3 am as a desperate, sleep-deprived mom, certain that those things would get my baby to sleep well, play well, eat well, or just give me some time to get the rest of my to-do list done. Parenting is hard, and there are definitely things that make it easier (like that Nose Frida. Man, it grossed me out but it's literally a lifesaver when it comes to sick kids with runny noses). But for the most part, it's about learning, growing and adapting to the needs of your kids - not "fixing" all the problems with the next must-have gadget or gizmo. Kids just want US. The relationships we form with them, the way we listen, the way we adapt - it makes parenthood easier and simpler, and a lot more enjoyable. Sure, it takes more time and energy, but the payout - it's definitely worth it.