Meet Kristin Quinn – an award-winning Blogger and Lifestyle Expert with 15 plus years experience in Sales & Marketing. “Misadventures in Mommyhood” author Kristin has written a book with the same name and brings a humorous and heartfelt take on parenting with both a national and international audience. Kristin’s work has been featured on Scary Mommy and she’s been a guest speaker on ABC, CNBC’s Power Pitch as well as NPR’s One Bad Mother. She lives with her husband and three kids outside of Boston.
As a part of Early Choices’ continued efforts to support local parents in raising happy, confident kids, we are bringing you profiles of local parents and grandparents as well as inviting guest bloggers from across the country to write about their own experiences. Our goal? To arm parents in our area with tools to become more confident in their parenting skills by addressing common challenges that today’s moms, dads and grandparents face every day. (You can read more about our Triple P Positive Parenting Program here.)
We asked Kristin to give us some expert advice on how to embrace the daily joys of parenthood:
“Having kids means getting to relive your own childhood through their eyes. And what a privilege that is turning out to be. It’s funny how you don’t really understand how magical a childhood was until you become an adult yourself. As mindful caretakers I believe our own childhoods play a big role in how we parent our kids today. Some of us that remember the magic will do everything we can to make sure own kids experience the same, if not more. Others of us less fortunate will try desperately to make up for what they missed out on.
Growing up I remember taking long walks in the woods with my family. My parents were big on getting outdoors and now that I have kids of my own I know why! There’s just something about fresh air and activity that helps kids thrive. We begin almost every weekend with a walk in the woods. It’s a perfect time to catch up, ask questions, discover, and learn not only about nature but about each other. Family vacations were another thing my parents valued when we were kids and it’s something my husband and I are also passionate about in our adult lives. Everyday life can catch up with you and it’s easy to fall into a mundane routine. Vacations shake up routines and let you step away from the norm, getting you out of your comfort zone. Some of my fondest memories from my own childhood were from taking trips. Now, at just 5 and 3, our kids have distinct memories about different places and milestones. “Remember when Decker learned how to swim in Florida?” “Remember when Paige skied for the first time in Vermont?” “Remember when we saw that really live dolphin in Jamaica?” “Remember when Daddy fell into the ocean in Nantucket?” These are associations that will stay with them forever.
It’s the little things I like to watch them do too, that take me right back to my own childhood. Things like building forts, chasing butterflies, playing make-believe in the basement and stomping in puddles after the rain. These things aren’t taught. These things are pre-programmed into the creative minds of children. Our only job here is to simply let them play, while basking in the memory of our own childhood.”
Visit Kristin’s blog, “Misadventures in Mommyhood” for more informative and fun blogs.
Early Choices: We’ re Here to Help!
The struggle of balancing being a self-sufficient parent and asking for help can be a difficult one to overcome. As parents, many of us want to think we can handle it all – which is, frankly, not reality. One of the myths Early Choices’ Parenting Initiative hopes to shatter is that parents magically know to handle everything, along with dispelling the stigma that can be associated with seeking advice.
“We receive education and training for everything in life except the most important job of all – parenting!” says Gwen Houston, Executive Director, Early County Family Connection.
“Our goal is to change that by offering group cafes, events and individual sessions to parents in our area.”
Whether you’re a professional, married mom of three children, like Kristin, a single parent, the parent of a special needs child, a homeschooling mom or dad, parents of multiples or any number of family scenarios – Early Choices hopes to be a place where you can come with your questions, your answers, your needs and your experiences. Stay tuned – we’ve got lots more coming your way…
Watch our website and Facebook for blogs featuring local parents as well as professional “Mommy and Daddy bloggers!”