Lauren | Joy of Creative Play
Q: Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like?
A: I grew up in the 90s in Atlanta, GA which was a fun and wild time to be a kid. Most days I would go roaming about with the kids in my neighborhood to race bikes, build forts, save the world, and head back home when the sun set.
Q: Favorite memory from your childhood?
A: Dancing. I have been a dancer since I was 5 and always loved performing shows with my bestie and our collection of beanie babies.
Q: How old are your kiddos and what are they most into right now?
A: I have three kids... 6,4, and 18 months. My two girls are 15 months apart and their relationship has really grown lately. They love all things unicorns and mermaids. We call my son chillin' Dillon because he's just chill and happy to be a part of anything. Trash truck? Wow. Utensil drawer? Magnificent.
Q: Can you tell us about the morning basket and how you decided to start sharing it with your community?
A: When my girls were newly 2 and 3 1/2 I was overwhelmed with the chaos of our days. It forced me to make a change and shift from trying endless Pinterest activities to simplifying our routine with a Morning Basket of activities. I started sharing the activity guides on Instagram as well because I didn't want to gatekeep a good thing. Now it's been almost 3 years since I started our Morning Basket kit and it has been life changing! I no longer spend evenings worrying about whether my kids learned enough that day or if I connected with them enough. We have that time of connection together using a Morning Basket after breakfast and it sets up our day with easy play.
Q: If you had to choose, what are your top 5 favorite activities from the morning basket?
A: Oh gosh that's a hard one. I love the matching games because it gives my daughter and I a chance to play a fun game together. I also love the more open ended activities like cutting pages. My kids have been using these activities for two years now, but they still come up with so many creative new ways to use them!
Q: What’s your favorite thing to do as a family?
A: Travel. It's always crazy and hectic and fun and tiring. When I think back on my childhood, I can always remember a trip I went on. Now that the kids sleep through the night we're starting to take family trips. It's a lot of work to do, but boy is it worth it in the long run.
Q: What’s something that excites you most about motherhood?
A: Seeing my kids' personalities bloom. When I was pregnant I was so curious as to what kind of people they would turn out to be. Now that I get to watch them grow, it's fascinating to me to see how each child can be so unique.
Q: Something you struggle with most within parenting?
A: Feeling enough. Motherhood demands so much and when I start to fall behind on all the tasks or the requests by my kids I start to doubt my own self worth.
Q: What’s something you do for yourself and/or family when you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed in a season of life?
A: Get snacks and go outside. It's a struggle to actually get everyone out the door but every time we do get out, the new perspective shift helps shift our mood.
Q: What’s something you wish you heard more of as a child?
A: You matter. In some ways I felt overlooked as a child. The fact that I was young and inexperienced led to me also feeling like my ideas didn't matter. My hope is to show my kids (and other kids too!) that they matter. Their ideas matter. Their voice matters. and the dreams they have in life matter.
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