Last Day Q&A: Kristin Kahl

While knowledge manager Kristin Kahl has spent more time behind a computer screen than in a classroom, she has learned so much from her vocation as a mom and from her time at Child Care Answers. Learn more about her below!

What did you like most about your kids’ child care experiences?

I actually loved it when my little ones came home from child care super messy! I always told their teachers I knew that meant they had been having fun and were learning through play that day. I always thought it was also important to build and foster a relationship with each of their teachers.

Talk about an educator you admired and what you learned most from them.

They always say a child’s first and best teachers are their parents. I got the bonus of being raised by a mom who was also an early childhood educator. I especially loved watching her with my sons and nieces, doing craft projects together, which almost never turned out pretty. I learned that it was much more important to have the experience of working through a problem and receiving unconditional love and support through the process.

If you could go back in time, what is one thing you would tell yourself before you became a parent?

You are enough. It’s important to consider what the experts tell you, but you also need to prioritize what you should do for family in a way that doesn’t break you down in the process. Also, ask for help!

What has been your favorite age to parent?

When my kids were in the preschool and the early school-age years, I feel like I really hit my stride as a parent. They were big enough to do a lot of things on their own but they were still little enough to say and do the cutest things.

What is your favorite thing about your kids at their age now?

With my boys entering middle school and a high school this year, it’s a whole new world. It’s so much fun seeing their senses of humor develop and sharing in activities together in new ways. You always hear nightmare stories about raising teenagers, but nobody really ever mentions how cool it is to gain a new friend in the process.

What is the best advice you ever got about parenting?

I think the best advice was when people actually refrained from giving me advice. Each family is different, and what works for one parent or child isn’t always going to fly in another setting.