Mama of the Month: June 2019 Seo Yun (Sy) Yang
Posted on June 07 2019
Loyal Hana interviews Seo Yun (Sy) Yang who is mom to three kids and also Cofounder of a new retail space for families called Nook.
Mom To: (Names and Ages of children/pets) *I don't share my kids' names in public. Can I just say Girl T (5y), Boy K (3y), Boy Y (9m)?
What are you currently working on? I'm Cofounder of a new retail space for families called Nook (playatnook.com, @playatnook). We brought world-class design into an elevated family-friendly play and learning space where parents feel whole, too. These early years before our kids are school age are both challenging and fleeting. And we realized there were so few places to go and spend quality time as a family where it's not chaos. We wanted a beautiful space where kids can engage in meaningful play, and parents can hang out and discover a curated collection of brands that are relevant to them. It's been a wild ride, opening two locations, and having my third baby sandwiched in between!
How have things changed for you since becoming a Mama of three? I always say that having one is a hobby; having two is a lifestyle.... And I think having three is -- what was the question again? In all seriousness, it has been wonderful. Wonderfully busy and chaotic, wonderfully full. Life feels like it's bursting at the seams, and the to-do lists just don't get done, which has taught me that a lot of things on our to-do lists are simply unnecessary. Adding a third baby and a new business in 2018 was wild, but I think I finally found my groove.
How do you take care of yourself outside of motherhood? I run. I have to go on regular runs to release stress, clear my mind, and feel whole. I usually have my best ideas during my runs, so it's a good investment for life and business! Ahead of my third baby, I signed up for a half marathon approximately 3 months postpartum. It was my way of making sure that I got back into running after the baby. And it was exactly what I needed to prioritize self-care postpartum.
Every mother needs to find balance, what does your village look like I have an incredible group of friends from college. We're 12 women with opinions. And they are my sounding board for anything and everything. We are on Whatsapp and it is no exaggeration when I say that on some days, I come back to my phone and there are 300+ messages waiting for me. They're effectively my Board of Advisors in life. Whether it's about my business, my kids, or just current events, they are usually the first people I reach out to. We talk rather seriously about all living together in old age. I am grateful everyday for these women and it's my hope that my daughter will someday find her group of girlfriends that she can grow old with.
What are you working on improving about yourself as a woman and mother? Grace and self-forgiveness. Especially since my business has taken up so much of my time and attention, I have found that a lot of other things have fallen by the wayside. Things -- important things -- fall through the cracks more often than I'd like. And I find that I am constantly apologizing to people that I feel I am letting down. So I'm working on how to show myself more grace and understanding during these times. When I take my three kids to the grocery store or even just walk down the street, strangers often remark "oh, you're in the thick of it!" I've been trying to understand what that means -- and perhaps I won't fully understand until this phase is already behind me -- but my interpretation is that my life as a mother of 3 kids 5 and under is thick and full and messy. There's really not much room in the margins for any other thing or persons on a day-to-day basis. And I'm learning to accept that.
 Yang){kind=link}
0 comments