Parenting is an incredibly important responsibility and so we wanted to get a conversation going with input from parents in the community.  We asked them: what is the most important thing you’ve done as a parent?  We’ve highlighted some of the responses below.

Nancy Dunson | Professional Hair & Makeup Artist

I think you have to be a good role model. Children follow your lead. If you want them off those devices, get off of them yourselves. If you want them to speak more kindly, speak kindly yourself. If you want them to have good morels and values, you need to show them what those are! Read more>>

Diana Marcelin | Soap Maker

Wow! Tough question to answer especially with just having one kid so far, but I’ll try my best. It probably is fostering a loving relationship where I am consistently connecting with my little one. Before my daughter was born, I tried my best to take care of my body with the proper nutrition and exercise. During that time, I also continued to do activities that made my heart feel joy, like my dance class, so that my daughter could feel those same feelings before the pregnancy. Read more>>

Zeus Luby | Parental Coach/Life Coach/Motivational Speaker/Mentor

The most important thing I’ve done as a parent, as a father, is fight for my daughter. Just before my her 5th birthday she was withheld from me by her mother. At the time my daughter had been living with me for 3 years and only visiting her mother a few days out of each month. I’d never spent more than a week away from my babygirl. Read more>>

Sigrira Perret-Gentil Savitski | Animal Communicator & Reiki for Animals

As a parent the most important thing I’ve done (and continue to do) in terms of impact on my children is to openly share what I learn daily directly from animals while working toward eroding the species hierarchy. As an animal communicator I help people to better understand their interspecies family members. This includes being open to seeing any situation from the animal companion’s perspective. Read more>>

Ilona Karneyenka | Interior Designer

To start with, I’m blessed to have three amazing children. They sure can be a handful sometimes, but they are my world, and I love them to pieces. Like any other parent, I always try to improve and be better and wondering if I’m doing enough for them. But looking back, I can highlight a few things that impact/impacted them the most. Read more>>

Joanna Williams | Photographer

I love capturing moments and photography allows me to do so. What sets me apart from others, I think I really don’t try to compare my work or myself to other artists and try to stay true to who I’m as an artist. The tendency of trying to compare our work to others and being afraid of judgment makes it very difficult to know exactly what your art is. Read more>>

Marilyn E Porter | Personal Development Coach and Pastor

I am the mother of three amazing adult children – all girls – and parenting each of them required a different method, however there were a few consistencies across the board that made an impact on how there three girls became 3 powerful women. First and foremost was GOD. I raised my children to know who God was to me. Read more>>

Cathy Berggren | Executive Director, Real Life Center

I’ve often heard that you don’t always know how much your kids have learned from you, until they walk through difficult circumstances or have kids themselves. I have four grown and married children, and as they face this pandemic crisis, I am able to see how they are managing. I learned from my parents, who are products of the depression, that you don’t live beyond your means, you work hard, have integrity, you are responsible and your family and others matter more than things, and above all you keep your faith in God. Read more>>

Jamie Lackey | Nonprofit leader

I hope the most important thing I have taught or shown my children is that one person can make a difference. I had an idea to create a baby supply bank to help others. They watched me start it out of our home and have seen it grow to serve 30,000 individuals a year. They have seen me struggle and celebrate. They have grown up with Helping Mamas. I hope that they have seen that using their skills and talents to help others is important. Read more>>

Ashley Köstepen | Photographer

As a mom of two boys, 6 and 2, I think about this all the time. what do they need from me? Have I already ruined them forever because I yelled like a maniac that day? Should I go ahead and reserve them a spot in juvie because they spent an entire day watching screens? I grew up with an older brother and younger sister and we were very close. Especially as adults we did everything together. Read more>>

Melissa Payne Baker | Mom, abstract artist, entrepreneur

As a mom of an 8 year old boy and full time artist, I believe I am teaching my son the meaning of hard work and determination. As my son sees me from my studio, in my office, with clients to gallery openings, I am teaching him self-confidence and self-image so that one day he will pursue his dreams, achieve goals and to stay on course even when things seem difficult. I am teaching my son that trying new things is the way to grow and sort of troubleshoot life. Read more>>