Side-Hustle Series: Interview with Hearts Apart Creations

I am a stepmother and full-time working military spouse. I am a firm believer in therapy and the pursuit of understanding yourself to improve your life. There are so many ways to fulfill improvement such as habit trackers, self-improvement books, self-awareness exercises, journaling, therapy, etc. I wanted to create an element to this idea that is geared towards people who are busy but eager to improve. 

 

Therapy has been part of my life for a long time in many aspects, I have done therapy, I have taken psychology classes in high school and college, read many books, I have people around me in my life that are school counselors, therapists, and psychology/sociology majors. One day I was driving in my car and had a random thought that some of the things I have learned along the way should be put on paper. After some creative thinking and discussion, I decided I can do that! 

 

First, in this digital age, kids still like to color and write! Using paper format gives a child a chance to work on their fine motor skills of writing and drawing. It also gives the ability to do this exercise anywhere such as home, the car, a sports practice waiting for their big sister, at grandma’s house or at school. You can also post this in the home as a daily reminder of what the child is working on, try posting in their room or on the fridge. Some like to save these pages and create a keepsake journal in a binder or to demonstrate documented maturity or improvement. Kids learn their emotional and self-awareness queues from their parents and environment; this simple template helps a parent engage in consistent dialogue with a child about things that may not be a typical discussion often. We also have Mood Buddies (wooden handpainted peg dolls with matching emotional faces) to partner with the notepads to help with play therapy. 

 

 

This exercise is intended to be about a 10-minute activity depending on the age and maturity of your child. At first, it may take a little longer until everyone gets into a groove. My suggestion is to have a sit down with your child scheduled every week, most pick a Sunday evening. Complete the right side of the sheet for the week in preparation and then complete the habit tracker as the week progresses. The Habit Tracker can be whatever you want it to be such as house chores (make your bed, feed the dog, etc.), emotional behavior (using manners appropriately, exercising patience, etc.), or physical behaviors (exercising, unplugged hours, taking a nap or quiet time, etc.). At the end of the week, complete the left side of the sheet and discuss the overall page for the week. Then start the next one for the upcoming week. Open and consistent communication would benefit any parent/child relationship or overall family dynamic. These sheets are also great to help a child engage in a meaningful way with a distant loved one over Facetime such as a parent away at work, a grandparent, or an old friend. 

 

I love hearing feedback from people about how much everyone likes the products. My goal is to keep creating useful and meaningful products to help people and families. I work full time in my career and this is something I do to fulfill a creative passion. 

 

The hardest thing I have come across so far was finding a good and reliable printer. The ideas and design work that is done with Syd the Squid & Co has come very easily but the physical creation of the product took some headaches and time. 

 

If you are always trying to do your best, you are doing what you are supposed to do as a parent. It can be easy to get lost in the momentum of life and feel regret or compare yourself to someone else but remember you are human and as long as you are doing your best at the moment, that is all that is expected. We have a quote from Abraham Lincoln hanging in our house “Whatever you are, be a good one” and I love how simple and applicable it is to life, so I incorporated that into my products as an easy reminder to just try your best and be a good person. 

 

You can visit Hearts Apart Creations and their social media is @heartsapartcreations on FB and Instagram.