While they played…
Kindergarten supply drop off was the other day, and a few of us sat around and let our kids play on the playground for more time than we expected. In that moment together - taking what we silently knew was a much needed seat for us all - a few friends found themselves speaking about the power of women coming together. In this unassuming moment of responsibility and socialization for our kids, we found each other too. We shared and laughed. We expressed and listened. And it was a reminder for me of this…
As the school year begins, the rhythm of motherhood shifts again. Mornings are a flurry of packed lunches, new clothes, big feelings and first-day photos. Afternoons bring homework and soccer cleats dropped by the door. The days are full—and so are our hearts—but somewhere in the shuffle, it’s easy to forget about us.
For me, over the past couple of years, “mom time” doesn’t always mean slipping away alone—though sometimes that’s exactly what I crave. It also means being with your people. The ones who sit beside you in messy house, who laugh with you until your cheeks ache, who simply empathize with your heartache or who bolendly take your kids fishing for an entire day when you need extra time to run a new business. They just get it.
Because motherhood was never meant to be a solo act. We need our village—the friends who step in with a carpool swap, the neighbor who drops extra soup to make dinner easier, the women who remind you that you’re not invisible. In this season of giving so much of yourself away, we need our village more than ever.
Time with other women is soul medicine. It’s in the circle of conversation, in the shared nods of understanding, in the simple joy of doing something creative or restful together. These connections remind us we are not just surviving—we’re belonging.
Pic by Melissa Hanson
That’s what I love most about Workshop. Yes, it’s a space for children to paint and play and discover—but it’s also a place where moms can exhale. Where you can share a smile with the woman next to you, maybe strike up a conversation, maybe even meet the friend who becomes your “person”.
We talk a lot about building childhood memories, but I think it’s just as important to build our own. To laugh with friends, to create with our hands, to feel a part of something bigger than ourselves.
So as the school year settles in and routines take shape, here’s your gentle reminder, dear mama: your joy matters, your friendships matter, and your village matters. Allow yourself the gift of time—not just to rest, but to connect.
And if you’re longing for a soft landing place to do just that—come sit with us at Workshop. Bring your little one, bring a friend, or just bring yourself. There’s coffee waiting, laughter echoing, and space for you to belong.
XOXO,
Kristen
