How Parenting Has Kept Me In Touch With My Inner Kid

There’s just so much you don’t know before becoming a parent...about kids, about yourself, about life in general, and maybe, most importantly, about not taking sleep for granted! Becoming a mom has been the most life-changing and humbling experience of my life. Even more than my 23 Grand Slam wins, New York Fashion Week shows, and everything else I achieved before Olympia came along. Everything I thought I knew about myself, my life, and what I wanted has been thrown up in the air and completely rearranged, but in a way that makes everything better. Even with how much I did before Olympia arrived, I literally can’t imagine a life without her now. She’s the center of my world, and because of this, my perspective and viewpoints on life have shifted and become more clear. She’s also given me the gift of reconnecting with my own inner kid, which is something I totally didn’t expect when I became a mom, but that I really love.

I have a pretty playful personality, and although I take certain things very seriously (I mean, you don’t get to be the greatest of all time by joking around!), I generally have a sense of humor about most things. And I LOVE to have a good time. Let me tell you, having a kid has been the absolute best way to have a good time. For example, as a lifelong Disney lover, I’m over the moon that I get to enjoy my favorite characters and shows even more now, since Olympia is also a fan (ok, ok, I might’ve had a little something to do with that). So, whenever we watch a show, sing together, or play dress-up, it’s always something that we’re both big fans of. I know this won’t always be the case as she gets older, but it’s *definitely* a win-win scenario right now and I’ll take it for as long as I can!

I’d also like to give a shout-out to Legos. We recently started playing with them more, and I totally forgot how fun they are! What parent doesn’t get back into (or just into) Legos after they have kids? I mean, those colorful little blocks of different shapes and sizes are just amazing, and these days, there are so many more different and unique shapes from when I was a kid.

My favorites are the mini animals, foods, and everyday items - they’re just too cute! Olympia and I love building sets together, and I’m proud to say that we’re working on ones for ages 6+ since, you know, we’re pretty advanced. Between you and me, I even got some ages 12+ sets for myself because what’s life without a little challenge? Now that Olympia’s old enough to play with toys like Legos, it means that I’m also playing with toys again, and I love how playing keeps me feeling young.

It’s impossible not to be joyful around Olympia. Everything is new and fun to her, and she has so much wonder about everything, which rubs off on me. As adults, it’s easy for us to take everyday life for granted and forget to appreciate the simple things. But watching Olympia explore her world with so much curiosity and seeing how much joy she has in trying new things brings *me* so much joy that I can’t even express it. Things that are easy to do, like making blanket/pillow forts or taking a walk, take on a special quality when I see how magical they are to her. And experiencing that pure, unadulterated joy through Olympia really brings me back to the joy I remember having as a kid.

When Olympia was a baby, I remember saying that every day is my favorite moment. As the years pass and she just keeps getting bigger and bigger (I can’t believe my baby’s almost 4!), I still totally believe this - every day *is* my favorite moment. Spending every day with her and seeing the world through her eyes reconnects me with the incredible child-like wonder and appreciation of the world that I’m sure we all have when we’re kids. It really is magical, and something that I’m so thankful to experience as a parent.