Episode 224: Keeping Connection Strong in Middle Childhood with Lily Bazell and Eduardo Amaral
/In this week’s episode of The Balanced Parent Podcast, we’ll dive deep into the evolving nature of parent-child connection as children enter middle childhood (ages 6-12). Joined by Lily Bazell and Eduardo Amaral, co-founders of Parenthesis, we explore what it means to stay connected when parenting isn’t as simple or sweet as it was in the toddler years.
Here are the topics we covered:
How authentic connection supports a child’s emotional development and self-understanding
Why connection requires flexibility, curiosity, and truly knowing your unique child
How to build trust by welcoming and respecting your child’s feedback
How to honor each child’s unique communication and connection style
How parents can rekindle curiosity and connection with children they feel they've grown distant from
Connecting with your child through challenging activities
If you found Lily and Eduardo’s insight valuable, visit their website parenthesis.cc and follow them on Instagram @parenthesis.cc and Facebook @parenthesis.cc.
Staying connected with your child through the middle years means embracing change, nurturing trust, and respecting their unique and emerging personhood.
TRANSCRIPT
Parenting is often lived in the extremes. It's either great joy or chaotic, overwhelmed. In one moment, you're nailing it and the next you're losing your cool. I want to help you find your way to the messy middle, to a place of balance. You see balance is a verb, not a state of being. It is a thing you do. Not a thing you are. It is an action, a process, a series of micro corrections that you make each and every day to keep yourself feeling centered. We are never truly balanced. We are engaged in the process of balancing.
Hello, I'm Dr. Laura Froyen and this is The Balanced Parent Podcast where overwhelmed, stressed out and disconnected parents go to find tools, mindset shifts and practices to help them stop yelling at the people they love and start connecting on a deeper level. All delivered with heaping doses of grace and compassion. Join me in conversations that will help you get clear on your goals and values and start showing up in your parenting, your relationships, your life with openhearted authenticity and balance. Let's go!
Laura: This is Dr. Laura Froyen, and on this week's episode of the Balanced Parent podcast, we are going to be digging into connection. Now, I know you guys all know how much I believe in the power of connection in helping our kiddos really thrive. But as my kids have aged, I've found that to be a little bit trickier. So we're really going to hone in on the middle and really figuring out how to build those good connections with kids that maybe it's not quite as easy as it was when they were little. So to help me with these I'm going to have two amazing guests. They are the co-founders of a company called parenthesis, Lily Bazell and Eduardo Amaral. Welcome to the show. Why don't you guys tell me a little bit more about who you are and what you do, and then we're going to just geek out about connection.
Lily: Thank you. Thanks for having us here. Yeah, I am super happy to talk about connection because that's a topic that we've been studying a lot in the past couple of years, and then, for the company and also because we have kids and we absolutely love everything about parenting. Specifically, you know, how to raise a resilience, confidence, you know, empathetic kid that, that's why, you know, how this all started, that's that's our goal as parents and also with parenthesis. We feel like the connection between parents and kids is the beginning of it all, you know, it serves as the basis for a kid to be able to thrive in the world. And so I have a, you know, background in education and organizational behavior, and I have done a lot of different things throughout my life, and I met Eduardo. Many, many years ago and but way before we had kids, and then we decided that we wanted to do something with parenting because it's always been the topic that we, you know, approached as friends, anytime we got together and yeah, a couple of years ago we were like, okay, let's let's let's do something and yeah and parentheses was born, so and so that's what we've been doing.
Laura: Beautiful.
Lily: If you want to tell you, tell them about you.
Eduardo: Yes, so, it was really funny. Lily and I met way before we were parents and since then we've always wanted to be a parent. So we, it's, it's been within the things that we talk about for many, many years. I am an entrepreneur. I've worked with the design for a little while. And I had an agency that did branding and design, and then before that, in Brazil, we're both from Brazil, by the way. In Brazil, I'm a physical therapist, and I dealt a lot with kids back then and it was always something that I loved. And then since becoming a parent, I think it's that brought Lily and I even closer and we're always exchanging ideas, information, we've always been asking each other for help. Our two daughters are best friends. They're, we, we consider them cousins. Sometimes I forget that they're not actually really blood related. I absolutely forgot. And so we're always together. We've always been close to each other. Those two kids are always close and then we kind of help each other, Lily and I, and then we decided to try and help more people, right? Like to, basically learn more as we learned. We're not here to say and, and tell all the truth about anything. It's just that we're learning and we've been learning and we want more people to be learning with us about this thing called connection.
Laura: Yeah, I always think about, you know, myself as an informed learner, right? So we are gathering information and yet always learning from whoever we talk to. The families that I'm so lucky to get to work with are complete experts in their own families's culture, the vibe of their family, what their kids need, and I love getting to just walk alongside them and and point them in in directions that their instincts and intuitions are already telling them to go, you know. So bringing us to this, this piece of connection, I'm kind of curious for you guys. I like, I know in my mind why I think it's so important for kids and for families, but what is it for you that really lights you up when you think about connection?
Lily: I think. It's a, you know, it's been a journey for us because, I mean, it's specifically for me, I think that this understanding more about connection changed completely my relationship with my kid.
Laura: How so?
Lily: Well, she is highly sensitive.
Laura: Oh yeah, get 2 of those.
Lily: And I think that that's an even more important conversation. I mean, it's important for every human being and after all, like, humans are just naturally they need, you know, they search for connection.
Laura: It's the human imperative, right?
Lily: Yeah, exactly, but for highly sensitive kids, the need of being seen and heard and feel supported throughout, the different emotions that they are going through and experiencing so deeply is even more important, and I think. I was a child, possibly, you know, that highly sensitive as well, and then my husband as well, but we didn't have that support growing up at all, and we had to deal with our emotions on our own and go through the roller coasters and no one was there and that trying to identify what our needs were and trying to help us elaborate that in our heads. So we had to just go through life up to a few years back, not knowing much like just on the autopilot, and it worked out, we're, you know, we're happy, functional people, and I, and I don't think that not having that deep connection with my parents. Impaired me in any way, but I think I would have thrived more. I would have been happier. I would have lived my life in a much more attuned way where, you know, and and felt and I wouldn't have made better choices for myself as well, and, in, in a lot of different ways. If I were, if I were attuned, if my parents were helping me through that process, and also we talk a lot about that, it doesn't need to be the parents, it can be a grandpa, a grandma, an uncle, anyone that, you know, an adult that has, I mean, you know, a meaningful presence in a kid's life can be that kind of person.
Laura: Lily, I just want to pull something out that you said there that I think is so beautiful and so wise. When we're talking about connection, we're often thinking about that relationship, and we're often as parents we're thinking about it for ourselves, right? We're thinking about, yes, we want that security and relationship for our kids. But in this story that you were just telling from your perspective as a child, you really highlighted how connection and self-understanding are so closely tied and that you would have been able to be, if you had adults who are more attuned to you, you would have felt supported in being more attuned to yourself, more authentically yourself, more able to listen and live more vibrantly as yourself, and that having that connection creates this foundation, this platform for really being able to advocate for yourself, know yourself, and go out and make more connections, right, as opposed to being, you know what I mean, I just, it was very beautifully stated Lily.
Lily: And you somehow I'm impressed with your ability to summarize what I said.
Laura: That's my job.
Lily: And just brought beautiful words to it, yeah, it's exactly that. I mean, there are many facets of connection and and and how that is important, but that's one and it was a very you know, important to me, and I wanted my daughter to have that experience and I'm, I'm seeing, I'm watching how much, you know, emotionally intelligent she's becoming and how she's developing as she's growing into the twins, phase she's, she's dealing with so much, you know, at school, and every day there's something new, some new emotion that she's trying to decode and participating in that journey with her is being wonderful, but then is it, you know, there's the other side that we find, you know, how much do we want to be involved and how much do we need to help a kid, we need her to be independent, we need to, you know, to provide support, but also let her figure out her stuff.
So that's the balance that we've been, you know, studying and trying to understand. And so many nuances, but, you know, the intention is there and it's wonderful, and I feel like a lot of parents struggle with their kids. Because they don't know how to navigate this process and then the kid wants that, and the parent wants that too, but they don't, the communication is broken somehow, and they don't understand that that's what is going to make their relationship really strong and help. They both thrive in their, you know, in their journey, so yeah.
Eduardo: I think I love that Lily said the word initiation. I think this is one of the things that is maybe a basis of it all, and then you, Laura brought the idea of self knowledge, right? And I think this is the way that we're trying to do this is we want parents to really be intentional on knowing the kid and as you said, Laura, that also brings the kids to know themselves, right? So, I think that because, and I think a good thing here that we have is that my upbringing was very different than Lily. So we had very different experiences and my daughter is very different than Lily's daughter. So we have this spectrum to always be, you know, bringing us the idea that every parent and every kid is different, right? They're all different from each other. So, the biggest challenge here to bring connection is to know your kid and to let them know themselves.
So the more you know, you dig into what are the things that they like, what, what are the things that upset them. How do they feel about things? How do they go through challenges at school and within the family, the more you're again intentional to. Actively learn about your kid and somehow showed them. What are those characteristics I think of this connection? Will grow, right? So, that's how we see this connection growing. It's like getting to know more and more and let them know who they are and let them know, help them realize that they have the tools to, and of course, provide them with the tools, right? But slowly. Make sure that they feel seen, that they feel heard, and that they can just be themselves and slowly learn. What does that mean, right?
Laura: I think you're bringing up this really interesting point to that, so part of feeling connected to someone is feeling seen and known by them, right? And I think oftentimes we go into parenting. Raising our kids, having an idea in our mind around what's going to feel connected to that child. What's going to feel supportive to that child? And when we, when we go in with these kind of preconceived notions, these scripts, these, you know, I didn't like that as a kid, so I'm not going to do that, you know, this is what I needed as a kid, so this is what I'm going to do. We limit ourselves from really seeing the kid in front of us, right? And what they actually need. And I think what Eduardo, what you're saying too is this invitation to be really flexible and open to feedback, really curious. That's a big piece of connection.
Eduardo: Exactly, yeah, it's, it's impossible for us and for parents to come here and say, hey, you should do that and that and that, and then you guys are going to feel super connected. Your kid is always gonna come to you when they need. It's impossible because each kid has their own ways, right? So, I think the idea is like you said, it's, it's to be intentional. To learn about them, to observe, to really make sure that you, you know how your kid works, right?
Laura: Absolutely. Can I tell a story that illustrates that? I know, I don't want to interrupt you, Lily. Is that okay? Okay, yeah. So I, I've seen this, I don't know, video or something, or suggestion to put little Post-it notes on your kid's door during the month of february leading up to Valentine's Day. And I was like, oh gosh, this is so cute. Like, I get to buy cute Post-it notes, always want to buy new stationery, like desk products. And so I started doing this for the kids. I asked them first, like, is that something that you like, that you think, you know, that you think would be fun? They were both like, Oh, yes. And so I started doing it, and about 10 days in, so over this past weekend, my older daughter came to me and was like, this is not working for me anymore. This is, I'm not seeing what I expected to see on, on these. It feels like too much pressure. It feels like if I don't like it, then I'm going to hurt your feelings and I just want to stop, you know?
And so she told me like, that she was done. She picked out a couple of her favorite ones, kept them, and just like threw the rest away. And I think that there is you know, we parents, we've got ego, right? Like we've got skin in this game, like, I mean, this is my job. I don't want my 12 year old telling me, like my, you know, my bid for connection isn't working, and at the same time, like, That's her reality. That's her truth. She feels way more connected to me when I take her on our weekly volunteering stint at the Humane Society. Like that's where she feels seen and known by me. Post-it notes are not her love language, right? That's not how she's feeling seen and known by me. My other daughter loves them, is cherishing everyone, has like a little shrine in her room built for them. And it's okay that they're different, right? And it's, I'm so glad that my oldest felt comfortable giving me that feedback and saying, gosh, mom, you know, I see the intention that this is not working.
Lily: Yeah, that's so well, and then for her to give you that feedback, it just meant that's, you know, what parents make that mistake thinking, oh, I failed because she's giving me negative feedback. But what that really means is that you win. You're not, you didn't fail, you actually did. That's proof that you did a great job because she's feeling safe giving you negative feedback and elaborating and actually verbalizing how, you know, how whatever you're doing is making her feel. And that's why I didn't have, for example, you know, no one, my parents, and not highly narcissists narcissistic, and they didn't even care, but, they would laugh if I give them any feedback, so I actually just kept, kept it all in, all in, yeah, and so it's it's okay, but then, you know, you have to develop. That kind of relationship with your kid, and then I think, parents sometimes underestimate the importance of that until they become teenagers, because when they become teenagers, it's when the actual big problems start to arise, right?
That it's this, is this issues, you know, with friends at school, boyfriends, and, and exposed to things like drugs and, mental illnesses, there's so much that they, they, you know, suddenly become a part of that, you know, the world that we all live in, but they didn't establish this trust, this ability to actually talk to the parents and to come to them with the good news, but also with the bad news, right? And then I think that that's, that's key, you know, if you're seeing your daughter is able to actually tell you things like that, the small things are so important because it tells you, okay, we're on a good path here. She trusts me, whenever she comes across something bigger and more. Intense, more important, she will feel safe to come and talk to me about it. So I think that that's kind of key and you're doing a great job. That's the thing.
Laura: I mean, you know, it is, I have always wanted to be really open to feedback from my kids. I, Lily, I also had parents who were not super open to feedback as when I was a kid. Now my mom is, she's really open to feedback. I mean, she might get defensive and then the next day she's like, okay let's talk about it, you know. My dad still is not willing and available for that sort of thing, and that's okay. Like, that's just where he is in his development. But I do think it's important for us to check our egos at the door when it comes to these things. Like we are people who are listening to podcasts like this, you know, folks who are coming to you guys or reading your book, they are, they're invested. This is a big part of their identities, and as a part of that, we have to be really careful. You know, to meet ourselves with compassion when we get that feedback. And Lily, I love that reframe that when we're getting that negative feedback, that means we've built a resilient relationship where our child feels confident enough to withstand, like, this relationship will withstand this rupture. It's not fragile. It's robust. Yeah.
Eduardo: I love that. I love that example. And, and I think both of you guys with your daughters, you have this. This one experience and I kept thinking about my daughter and it would be so much different than then I think that's where it gets interesting that we have to pay attention to their ways to be able to go through this process, right? My daughter, I don't know, I think her dad is like that, but she would never come straight to me and say that she would hold it a little bit and she would eventually do it, but she would take a long time just like her dad, and then for me to keep my eyes open to go. Give that one extra step towards her to make her feel, you know, comfortable to then bring me the feedback to then talk about that. So if I wait. Like you guys could wait, for example, with your daughters, I would be waiting for, yes, so I have to see the things in my victors in a different way that for example, you had to see your victor is like, hey, this is great that.
She feels comfortable doing that, right? Giving you feedback straight away. And for me, I would have to get that one step, you know, towards my daughter to then bring her to that safe spot. I mean, I don't think it's a safe spot. I think she feels safe. But her ways are more quiet. She needs her time like every now and then we're talking about Nina and Hazel, Lily's daughter and my daughter, that Nina needs to talk through things right away, long talks, they need that. IfI try to do that, Hazel will feel. She would probably push me away. She does not, she cannot do it right away with the long talk. She needs her time.
Laura: Internal process.
Eduardo: Exactly, yeah, I need to understand that I need to give her time. That's what works for her, right? Like me, I need to understand that. And then later on in another calmer situation, then we have a great conversation about it and she understands the next time she learns from. That passage, but it was, but this, these things I think are important when we're paying attention to our kids, right, what works for them? How can we, you know, be better parents and better establish connection with that different little person, right?
Laura: Yeah, oh gosh, Edward, I appreciate that, that in that you are continually like just inviting curiosity, right? Inviting observation. I think you're so right. Getting to know our kiddos and, and what they need. I'm curious if you have. So if we think about, you know, the, it feels like the bet that this conversation is taking is that curiosity and observation and really getting to know our kids will allow us to help them feel seen and known and loved and connected. What are some ways that parents who maybe are feeling like, gosh, I don't even know who my kid is anymore, who are in that place where, you know, it used to be they were 5 and I could sit down and play magnet tiles and they tell me about their day. And now all of a sudden, they're 9, they're 10, I don't know what they do all day at school. They are closing off. I, and they maybe are feeling like they just don't know their kid anymore. Maybe even this is for older, you know, folks with teenagers too. What are, like, what are the first things a parent can do to just open up their eyes for the seeing, the curiosity that you're suggesting?
Eduardo: I think it's really, I think it's really stopping and paying attention. I think that's the first step, and I'm guilty of the same stuff, you know, like when you get them, you get them from school. You're doing other stuff, you're thinking about work because it's sometime, right? 3 p.m. you still have work to do when you get home. You're still thinking about having a meeting at 4. You still have you know, exactly, yes, so. I think those are the little opportunities that we have to listen to them, right? To, to really. Pay attention to the small clues, and sometimes they're really talkative, sometimes they're not at all. Again, my daughter enters the car and is silent. Doesn't say a word, and maybe Nina will enter the car and tell about 70 things that happened that day, but it's, it's, are those situations I think that you have to really pay attention to how they are feeling.
Maybe my daughter is super tired. Why is she super tired? Was that a day there was too much. Sometimes she would speak a little bit more, sometimes she's gonna tell one or two stories, and then at home as well, the same thing, right? Like when they're more rested, then my daughter will never stop talking when she rests a little bit. And then I think it's that, it's like paying attention to the things that they love and then getting close to that, I think. The more you invite yourself in, and then the more you join them to whatever they are doing, whatever they are liking, if your kid is a little older and they're super into video games, play with them a little bit, you know.
Laura: Yeah, you don't have to like it yourself in order to, you know, just go ahead and do it.
Eduardo: If you want to know how they go through life and how they go through playing and feeling, you have to join them, right? So I think it's like join them and pay attention to what's happening. Why are they excited about Legos? Why, why are they excited about a certain video game? Why are they excited about slimes? My daughter now it's. A year later after Nina did her whole life was slimes, now it's my daughter.
Laura: Like the universal 10-year-old thing.
Eduardo: Exactly, yeah, so, so that's when they're relaxed when they're doing what they like, that's when they open up, right? That's when they feel, ah, all right, I'm doing what I want, it's fine. I can talk a little bit more and that's, I think when we have to meet them, we have to meet them. Doing things that they like and then we're gonna understand why they like it, and then I think that's, I mean, I think that this is kind of the first step is to pay attention to The things that they like, the things that they dislike, that how they act while they're doing things that they like, and then you open your eyes and open your ears and listen to them and understand those things, understand them more and more. I think those are ways that we can, they're super simple, but we forget, right? Like because we have dinner, we have work, we have all those things, we forget to spend those 15 minutes to pay attention to them, you know, to really see how they're feeling through whatever they're doing. And then I think if you do that a little bit every day or almost every day, you get to know them more and more.
Lily: And then just to add to that, cause I feel like, you know, this connection is part of connection. In any relationship we have, whether it's with the spouse or friends or, you know, at work, whatever, you, you're constantly having to reconnect with the person or, you know, sometimes you disconnect for a little while and then you, you know, you reach out, you know, it's been a while since we talked and then it, you know, you find a way to reconnect with the person and with the kids, we we see them every day. And we're involved in the logistics of their lives every day, and then we have a feeling that, oh, we're connected, but that connection is. It's very subjective because you're connected to the routine versus being connected emotionally. It's completely different. When you get that feeling that, oh, suddenly you're disconnected, a lot of couples have that feeling sometimes, you know, they end up divorcing because they all went, you know, both went to different directions emotionally.
They were there every day sleeping on the same bed, but they emotionally diverted and so. That process of reconnecting is part of every relationship, and, I don't think we were trained to talk about it,to do this, you know, in this generation, I think is the next, the first one to really dive deeper into this topic, and it should be natural, but unfortunately we're so, distracted with so many other things that it's just becoming more and more unnatural, and, our kids need us to make this effort daily or weekly, doesn't matter, it's not about time, it's about the quality of time that you spend with your kid, and find new ways as a kid will evolve and, you know, become interested in new things, your the way you connect with them will evolve and, and, and change. And I was going to say that when you're reaching out to your kid and trying to be interested about what happened to their day, sometimes they're not interested in sharing with you, but one thing that we talk a lot about, at parenthesis is that how about you share a little bit more about your life.
They're growing now, they're, you know, they're 12, 13, 14. You can tell them certain things that happened to you, to you, to you in your day that made you feel frustrated, that made you feel angry, that made you. Upset and then follow up next day, oh, you know, I resolved that issue and it was great, you know, and this is what I did and describe a little bit more how you deal with your emotions and the things that happen in your life because they will eventually feel like, oh, you know, she's open up opening up, she or he is opening up to me and be vulnerable, maybe I can open up and be vulnerable to them as well and talk about my, my things and my problems.
Laura: So that's yeah, I know, I really love that. I love the, you know, again, if we are circling back to that connection being like the, the feeling of being seen and known. making sure our kids get an opportunity to see and know us too, right? I feel kind of curious about, you know, I think some of the, the pushback, on and some of this for some parents is that they are not necessarily interested in what their kids are doing. Like, Lego was never my favorite thing. I don't love doing Lego. Super frustrating for me. I have low frustration tolerance, you know, it was hard for me. And yet, at times I needed to sit and do Lego with my kids. But I think that there are some parents who, you know, you know, especially as they get out of the You know, the play with me mommy or play with me daddy age, and they get into, you know, video games that we don't really understand or care about, or, you know, topics that we're just not really into. I think that there is sometimes a little bit of a like, well, that's not fun for me. Can't we find some common ground, and I, I really liked Eduardo that you were saying that sometimes we have to just put some of those things aside and not do it. Because it's super interesting for ourselves, but find the things that are interesting about our child in that context, right?
Eduardo: Yeah, I agree, and I think Lily is a lot better than me to answer this question because, yeah, I'm the one who basically, go and do whatever she feels like she wants to do and, and don't really care if I'm, I try and find joy there some, I don't know, I think I'm maybe a pushover. I don't know what it is, but, but Lily, we talk about that a lot. I love that you asked that because we talked about that a lot like Lily. Has her boundaries established a little bit better, and she found her ways to do this the same thing that you're talking about, you know, like how can we find. A middle ground here. We, we talked about that. Yes, I do my stuff and I invite Hazel to do it. We bake together, we cook together. I invite her to my stuff and then I go all the way. He stuff as well. Whatever she wants to do, I do it as well. That's my style and I think for a style that has better boundaries, maybe. I think Lily is a lot better than me probably.
Lily: Yeah, I had to, I had to actually talk to Nina about it. I never enjoyed playing. Pretend to do, I can't, I can't find the child within me anymore. Yes, because my child got lost with parents who didn't ever play with me. Yeah, I don't, yeah, I don't know where it is, and I'm not, I don't want to blame my parents for everything, but I just, I just know that somehow it's really hard for me to be, you know, to, to put myself in that place. And then I read an article once, that said, you know, how much. The women are more nurturing, personality, you know, they, they connect in different ways where sometimes for fathers, they can find the child within them much easily, much, much easier, and my husband is like, oh my gosh, he's like 10 years old as well, and he'll play, you know, run after each other and then play rough, and then they will, you know, do. Little games and things like silly and, and like the kids together. I love watching them, but I can't do that, so I decided I needed to find something that really was a place where I could connect with Nina without. hating it without feeling, because she can feel it.
Laura: Great, that's a, that's a burden to put on the relationship, right, because they can sense it for sure, yeah, it's not fair to them.
Lily: No, it's not. And so, I asked her, I said, you know, how, you know, when are times that we are together or we're doing something together that you really feel like we're connected and we're having fun and you really enjoy it. And then we listed. We made a little list and it's like, oh, I really love when we're baking together. I really love when we go for a walk with the dogs together because that's when we have each other's time and attention with no interruptions, no phones. No one else can interrupt us and we can really talk. And then, she came up with activities that weren't really necessarily playing doll or, you know, craft arts and crafts, something she loves and I don't. Although I do like painting and then I just said, you know, I love when you paint with me cause it's the only thing arts and crafts that you like to do with me and and so she told me, and I, out of those items, I identify a bunch of them that, oh, I do have fun on that that those times too.
Interestingly enough, the items that she brought up were essentially the items that I was having fun with because she can feel it and obviously she didn't list things that she knew that was rolling my eyes. I didn't want to do it with her because, you know, she, so out of that list we just came up with a lot of ideas and kept going, you know, kept building this. Activities together and so I think yeah, that's important for parents to just, you know, kind of try new things, you know, doesn't need to be only the obviously, if your kid loves playing video game and you want to connect with your kid over video game, it's fine, but there's so many other things, and you can introduce new activities to both of you. At the same time, you will both love and start enjoying from then on, you know, it doesn't need to just be playing.
Eduardo: I think that's where we got to a point where, in this conversation, we kind of explained parentis maybe, right? Like our idea parenthesis to bring activities and books and games and things that we can introduce to our daily lives that it's going to be easy to add to it that are gonna bring a connection between the parent and the kids. So it's just because of that, because there's so many things that we could be doing. It's difficult to think about ways at all times to connect with them, right? Like it it doesn't matter if you're more of my style where I bring her to. Bake sourdough with me, which takes 2 days to bake, and it can be super boring and then she participates and then I go and do whatever she wants to do, you know, like, or if it's like Lily that created this list together, it is an effort that you have to make to create activities that make you guys connect, right? And then with parents that's what we're trying to make the entire time like creating. Resources for parents to easily get to that point where you're connecting exactly, yeah, because we experience it every day. We, in our different ways of parenting, experience the same thing. It's not always easy to find ways to really feel close to your kid and play something that it's fun for both, that it's that you're both enjoying it, you know, like it's, it's a challenge.
Laura: Oh, well, Eduardo and Lily, I really appreciate this conversation. I feel like a lot of my time on this podcast is spent talking about the hard parts of parenting, the parts where kids aren't listening or we're losing our cool. But I know for the most part, when most of us were thinking about becoming parents, that this is actually the stuff we were thinking about. We were thinking about You know, you don't just have a child, you give birth or you welcome a new relationship into the world. And that's, I mean, that's what you guys are talking about, and that's beautiful. Thank you so much for this lovely conversation. Will you make sure our listeners can, can find you and connect with you?
Lily: Oh yeah, please visit our website parenthesis. We're also on Instagram and I think we're on all social media, although we can't keep up because it's a lot of work, so I think Instagram is the one we focus on. Yeah, please reach out, if you have any questions, you know, and, yeah, we're. Super open to connect with anyone.
Eduardo: Yes, our email is knockknock@princes.cc. So if anyone, you know, exactly, yes, so just knock and let's talk about all that stuff like it's something that we're really passionate about. Laura, thank you so much. This has been awesome. Thank you.
Laura: Thank you so much for being here.
Lily: We really appreciate it. You know, I hope to talk to you soon.
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All right. That's it for me today. I hope that you keep taking really good care of your kids and your family and each other and most importantly of yourself. And just to remember, balance is a verb and you're already doing it. You've got this!