We asked some of the best parents we know to tell us about the most important thing they’ve done as parents and have shared their wisdom below.

Adrianne Porcelli & Liana Matin | Purpledoor Marketing Co-founders

There are a lot of advantages to raising kids in this digital world. Educational apps are at your fingertips. You can hop on Google to answer the existential questions that come out of your 3-year-olds mouth instead of thumbing through encyclopedias (remember those?). But there are disadvantages too. A person can be privy to other’s opinions about working moms, and a lot of them aren’t kind. “You should spend more time with your children.” “The tv shouldn’t be the babysitter.” We’ve heard them all. But as working mothers, we founded purpledoor marketing to show our children that with sacrifice, hard work and perseverance (and lots of time management), nothing can stop them from achieving their dreams. Read more>>

Maddie Edgerton | Stay at Home Mom & Baker/Cookie Decorator

I had to really think about this question, because I feel like there is more than one answer to it. If you’re a parent, you know how complex the parenting relationship is with your child and how every little thing you do impacts them.. After reflecting on this question though, I think one of the most important things I’ve done as a parent is to allow my child to feel his feelings as much as possible. Wether my son is crying about not getting the “Bullseye” stickers at the Target checkout for whatever reason or angry because his lunch spilled on the floor, I do my absolute best to allow my son to feel whatever comes up for him, in a safe space. Read more>>.

James and Izzie Ford | Maize and Honey Recipe Development

Food and nutrition have been an important topic since before we had our daughter. Being from different cultures we wanted to raise a child that was aware of her food heritages and was exposed to a variety of cultural dishes from around the world. We feel that by showing her the world through food she would understand the differences and similarities between people and see that there are more reasons we are alike than we are different. Nutrition is important to everyone’s health, especially a growing child, and we felt it was important to make healthy foods normal and a usual part of her diet. As our daughter learned to eat solid foods she quickly showed interest in tofu, kale, and quinoa- foods she still loves to eat as a “big kid”. Read more>>