It’s a classic scene: the birthday gift sits in the distance, while the kids play with the wrapping paper and box the gift came in. It’s enough with the stuff. Less is more. Of course, there are some fabulous toys (both classic and new) and there are amazing software/web applications.
That said, nothing rivals the imagination of a child. As you will see in the Chapter 13 section entitled, “I’ve Been Looking at the World Now,” a “banana is a phone, a castle is your home, a closet can be your cave; when you sing and hum, your belly is a drum, a porch can be your stage; someone once said nothing’s good or bad, your thinking makes it so, so when you take a look at your very big world, let your mind go and grow.”
In order to appreciate and cultivate the power of simplicity, we, as “Maximum Strength Parents”, need to unlearn our reflexive reliance on “stuff,” lose our uptight inhibitions, and get downright silly as we play with our kids. For example, right now, go over to your child, stand this book on your head vertically, proudly announce that the book is your “super powerful bionic bunny ear,” and then frantically skip away as you repeatedly yell, “You can’t catch me and my super powerful bionic bunny ear!” Who’s better than you two? Enjoy.
