Kelle Hampton of Naples is the New York Times best-selling author of Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected. It’s a memoir about becoming a mother to Nella, her second daughter, who has Down syndrome. In 2007, Kelle began writing her blog, ETST (Enjoying The Small Things). She writes regularly about the beauty inherent in the ordinary and the everyday – and the daily celebration and joy available there, publishing her family’s stories and her artful photography. When she received her daughter Nella’s unexpected diagnosis of Down syndrome, she embraced the beauty and joy available in that reality, too.
Now that summer is here, Kelle is encouraging and challenging parents everywhere to embrace the beauty of the summer months, make meaningful memories, and connect. Her newest guide, Once Upon a Summer, is filled with tips, recipes, printables, and ideas for making this summer the best yet. I had the privilege of interviewing Kelle, and I’m pleased to share her perspective with you.
Tell us about your family, your children, and your writing and photography. My husband and I together have five kids – his two grownup boys, who are out of the house now, and our three younger ones, Lainey (12), Nella (9), and Dash (6). Nella has Down syndrome, which seems like a real identifying characteristic, but it just blends in with all the other things that make our family who we are. I grew up with very creative parents, and creative expression has always been my personal therapy for everything in life, not to mention a way to experience things more vibrantly. Writing and photography are my favorite creative outlets, and they’ve been particularly useful in motherhood, allowing me to preserve this season of our family in a really special way, as well as recognize how grateful I am for this role.
What inspired you to create Once Upon a Summer?
What can parents expect from your guide? I have magical memories of summer from childhood – a carefree “the world is my playground” kind of feeling that unleashed with the first day off of school. Running through the backyard sprinkler, chasing the ice cream truck, catching fireflies, roasting marshmallows on family camping trips, and playing made-up games with my siblings in the back seat of our car on road trips – I’ve reconnected with a childlike excitement for these things after having kids.
I’ve basically tried to take my over-the-top enthusiasm for summer and funnel it into an invitation to join me in this guide. There are activities for rainy days, tips for road and beach trips, recipes, crafts, an epic summer bucket list, inspiration for taking photos of summer memories, lists for best summer movies and books, and more.
Summer is just as much about us having fun as it is our kids having fun. And if you work full time, have kids in summer camps, aren’t a “Pinteresty” mom, etc., this is for you too! I wanted everything in this guide to be accessible for anyone.
Often, parents are excited about the idea of summer, but within a few weeks, they’re worn out and ready for the school year to start. What would you say to these parents?
First of all, I’d say, “Don’t worry, you’re not alone!” Nothing makes you feel like a big summer loser parent more than looking at other parents who seem to have the attitude of: “I love spending every waking minute with my perfect children,” when you’re googling “summer sleep away camps” to get a break from yours. You can be both a parent who loves summer and makes efforts to create fun and a parent who’s raising a white flag three days in.
How would you encourage full-time working parents who want to create a summer full of memories for their children?
Remember: quality over quantity. Have you ever taken your kids on some expensive vacation and walked through a crowded theme park for hours to make them happy, when at the end of the vacation, all they’re talking about is how much fun they had when you jumped on the hotel bed with them for 10 minutes? A summer full of memories isn’t about the number of hours or over-the-top events you give your kids. It’s about being present, having fun with them, and making the best of what you have, even if it’s just a few hours after work every night.
There are a lot of magical summer memories we can give our kids in our own spaces with our given schedules. Sometimes all we need is a nudge and some creative inspiration.
Tell us about your experience with becoming a parent of a child with Down syndrome.
At first I was devastated when we received our diagnosis, and I accept that devastation as a part of my story. There’s so much I didn’t know about Down syndrome, and even more that I didn’t know about myself.
Here’s what I know now: I get to experience what every other parent experiences but with this added depth. We celebrate first steps, dance recitals, new vocabulary, and school achievements just like everyone else, except we’re doing it with tears rolling down our cheeks as we’re smiling, clapping, and cheering “That’s My Kid!” And it’s because we know how hard she worked to get there.
This diagnosis has become an invitation for our family to widen our circle, to recognize, love, and learn from those who are different from us, to celebrate little wins with more enthusiasm, to slow down and have more fun, and to push ourselves out of our comfort zones, and dream bigger. But mostly, it has become an invitation to love each other more deeply. Down syndrome has most definitely made me a happier mom.
What advice do you have for parents who have children with special needs?
My best advice for anyone else is the advice I give myself every day: Don’t ever let your own fears or expectations limit Nella. Of course I want to protect her from being hurt, but she deserves the bigness the world has to offer everyone else. She’s shown me countless times that she can do what people think she can’t. It might take a little longer or look a little different, but she’ll figure it out, and her joy and pride in those moments is something I want her to experience over and over again in life.
What are you and your kids most looking forward to this summer?
My oldest daughter is doing her first sleepaway camp up north this summer, and I’m abnormally excited about the simple act of mailing her the “world’s best camp package.” More than anything, my kids look forward to traditions. We head to the same little place in Northern Michigan every year, bake pie from the same early morning strawberry picking adventure we repeat each year, watch Parent Trap from a living room fort on the first rainy day, and check off “Eat pizza on the dock” from the bucket list. But don’t worry, there will also be days I’m pulling my hair out and texting to my husband “WHEN WILL YOU BE HOME? ”
Visit kellehampton.com to find Kelle’s “Once Upon a Summer” guide.