“I think childhood gets watered down quite a bit because we’re always trying to control the narrative. But if you just kind of let go and let them be themselves, you can witness very magical things.”
Meet Jenny Edwards, a Denver native, a Building Information Modeler working for Denver International Airport, an understanding mom, and a lover of music.
Jenny and her nine-year-old daughter Luna are navigating the experiences of a split household. With Luna only with her half the time, Jenny has learned to cope ahead for the transition and give her daughter extra space and patience.
In their free time, Jenny and Luna love to play acoustic guitar, make up silly songs, and sing around the house. Dance, gymnastics, engineering kits, and anime are also on their list of fun things to do.
“The challenge has been working our way out of the kid phase and into the preteen phase,” Jenny explains. “With that comes a lot of complex emotions. We work through this by providing space for childhood to evolve, but we still carry around stuffed animals with us everywhere we go.”
Despite the challenges, Jenny says it is a joy as a parent to watch her daughter be creative. She explains she has found that once she lets go of some control, she’ll catch Luna doing something pretty extraordinary.
One day when Jenny was completing a task in another room, she peeked around the corner to find an elaborate tea party set up with stuffed animals, each with a name. “It was just so imaginative. That’s been my greatest joy, just witnessing her creativity when she thinks I’m not watching.”
The best parenting advice Jenny says she’s received is to loosen up the rigidity of the day-to-day and take things one step at a time. She emphasises that a lot of parents tend to be on a super strict schedule and sign their kids up for many activities. “I find that when I just kind of look towards the silent moments, when I stop trying to control that narrative of what childhood is supposed to be about, it’s pretty magical,” Jenny says.
She especially finds magic in nature, watching Luna take off her shoes and squish the mud between her toes, observing roly-polies, and making up stories about dragon dens in the Rocky Mountains.
“I think childhood gets watered down quite a bit because we’re always trying to control the narrative. But if you just kind of let go and let them be themselves, you can witness very magical things. Exploring nature is always free and very rewarding for both of us,” explains Jenny.
Jenny has also found benefit through the volunteering she and Luna participate in at nonprofits. They have volunteered at the Newborns in Need program at Denver Health, now called Hello, Little One, which helps set up each baby born at Denver Health with a welcome package including diapers and blankets. The pair are also volunteering at the Denver Animal Shelter, reading books to the dogs and cats and working on playing the guitar to the animals as well.
Parenting advice Jenny hopes others can benefit from is that each child is different, and it takes a lot of trial and error to really understand what a child is interested in.
“Those interests are going to change every few months or so, but also just pushing them a little bit to try something new is important,” she says. Jenny explains that Luna practiced dance for two-and-a-half years, but then Luna decided she wanted to move on to other activities. So Jenny followed her lead as she tried girls rugby for the first time. Luna is also learning gymnastics, which Jenny says has been a joy to watch how fast she learns new skills.
“Just picking up on the small cues when they’re becoming uncomfortable or if they want to move on from something, and just wholeheartedly going hands in to support that,” she says.
Jenny has also found that providing Luna an avenue other than talking has helped them both express emotions and feelings. Through journaling, watercoloring, painting pottery, or other avenues, Jenny says she has learned that her more introverted daughter appreciates the creative process of expression.
“The main thing about being a parent for a child that lives in a split household is just knowing that it comes with a lot of transitions and big emotions. Learning to be flexible with our schedule is key, and having a “cope ahead plan” for emotion regulation is crucial for success.”
Favorite date night…shows or concerts.
Words that best describe your family…silly, creative, hard working, adaptable.
Favorite genre of movie or television show… for me, rom-com. For Luna, it’s baking shows.
Favorite food…french toast.
