When I had little-littles in the house, it was a daily struggle to balance everything I had to do AND be engaged in their playtime.
I enjoyed being with my girls, and being a SAHM afforded me the opportunity to “be there” with them through all of developmental milestones, which I will treasure forever.
When it got right down to playing with them though, I have to admit, I got bored very easily. As they got a little older, I found that crafting with them was an activity that had my full attention.
Spots and Ladybugs’ first line of products, the Sandy Feet Casting Kits, were dreamed up when I was looking for fun things to do with the kids – things that we could do together. The fact that we could make a craft at the beach while enjoying some sun and fun was a bonus. Win-win.
The Easter Grass-kit, the second product we launched, struck a similar chord with me. The intent was to spend some time making something together, with some fun discovery along the way, resulting in something lovely to look at.
When someone looks at our company, the first thing they do is try to figure out why we have such disparate items. But in fact, they are not dissimilar at all!
The idea behind Smalltown Flats was parallel to those first products. As our girls aged, dolls and stuffed animals continued to be a huge part of our girls’ lives. They loved them, but I wanted to find a way to make it more interesting for me to interact. Thus, doll furniture that could be decorated seemed like the perfect formula for all of us – we could all participate in something individually, yet together!
The years fly, but the days crawl. If you are having a tough time playing with your kids, find your fun, and use that to interact. For some parents, it’s sports. Some families like to cook. For me, it was arts and crafts. Dial into the passion and share it with your kids. Treasure the time. Because those special moments together are as much of a gift for you as for them…
Spotted Around Town 