Ashlee Gadd on Becoming 'The Mom with the Good Snacks' and Creating a Welcoming Home for Middle Schoolers
By
Ashlee Gadd
Pulled from the oven just right. Trustworthy, fact-dense, deeply satisfying.
Summary
Ashlee Gadd, founder of Coffee + Crumbs, shares a personal essay about becoming known as "the mom with the good snacks" in her neighborhood. She reflects on her journey through early motherhood, the transition to having middle schoolers, and how she intentionally created a welcoming home where kids gather daily between 3-5 p.m. The essay, written in celebration of her new book 'Create Anyway,' explores themes of hospitality, community, and finding purpose in the small, everyday moments of parenting.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledBasically, every day between 3-5 p.m., our house is open to anyone and everyone.
In my late twenties — knee deep in diapers, burp cloths and seven different kinds of swaddling blankets — I could hardly fathom a future where my kids would wipe their own butts, let alone walk the halls of a middle school.
Alas, as all the other mothers before me can attest, I blinked and here we are: my oldest son will finish 8th grade in a few weeks.
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