I had a safe, comfortable, and warm childhood. I felt secure and happy. I didn’t have a worry in the world. I can still feel the days in my large backyard, listening to birdsong, collecting bits of flowers and rocks to make potions with my siblings. I vividly see and smell the grape hyacinths that lined the outskirts of the yard. I can feel the bark of the Japanese maple tree as I perched myself on a branch. The cozy blankets and pillows and stuffies on the couch. The warm cocoa and marshmallow fluff waiting for me after playing in the snow. The sick day soup and saltine crackers. It all sounds very hygge, doesn’t it? And if you’ve been here, you know how much I love some good hygge vibes.
When I became a mother, I wanted to give all of these warm cozy memories to my own kids and more. I want them to feel held and loved. I want them to experience the simplest joys of life – and while simple – they turn out to be the very biggest things they hold onto. I want them to know deep in their bones that their mother enjoyed every moment with them to the fullest and we truly lived together. Not just existed in this fast-paced world, but lived and loved and soaked up every bit of our time together.
So today, I want to share with you some of the things that I do in our home to foster these warm childhood memories. Maybe some things won’t stick out to them and maybe some will. I look forward to the day that they sit across from me as adults and reminisce about their childhood. I hope that some of the below will come up and be looked back on fondly.
– Having a few seasonal traditions that we turn to year after year. Here are a few of ours: visiting our local garden center to plant vegetables and flowers every Mother’s Day, going strawberry picking and making homemade strawberry shortcake in the summer, pumpkin and apple picking and pie baking in the autumn, glow stick dance parties with Christmas carols, baking cookies, and hot chocolate/neighborhood light drives in the winter.
– Baking treats together (and I try my best not to worry or stress about the mess)
– Practicing hygge at home with lots of fairy lights strung around, plants to care for, warm beverages shared, cozy blankets/pillows/textiles
– Reading aloud a wide variety of picture books, chapter books, fairy tales, fables
– Telling stories from memory instead of reading
– Piping hot cocoa and marshmallows after snow, always
– Tea time together, whether in the morning or afternoon
– Freedom to build large comfy forts all over the house
– Letting them get messy and muddy when they are outside
– Letting them loose on a warm rainy day sans shoes to play in the backyard puddles
– Leaving art materials within reach and letting them craft with messy bits
– Letting them go to town with play-doh and air dry clay
– A closet full of board games to pull out whenever (and family game nights!)
– Playing relaxing ASMR ambiance rooms and instrumental music to fill the background of our days
– Movie and popcorn nights together
– Making homemade pizza dough & baking pies with Dad on Saturdays
– Allow them to bring nature inside to build their collections (from rocks to driftwood to leaves and petals)
– Spending endless time in our backyard, playing, relaxing, basking, planting, growing
– Planting flowers and bulbs together in the fall and eagerly awaiting for their arrival in the spring
– Having clean play spaces with open-ended toys for their imagination to run wild
– Minimal toys and decluttering often to avoid overwhelm for everyone
– Dance parties in the kitchen or living room when we need it
– Watching slower TV shows from my childhood with them (like Little Bear and Franklin)
– Having a window bird feeder to enjoy and appreciate the visitors together
– Making special meals on the weekend and listening to restaurant music while we eat to add to the ambiance
– Piling into Mom & Dad’s bed after baths and pajamas for bedtime stories
– Whisper readings and affirmations before bed
