Parent & Child Interview: Kristin Coia (Go Gently Nation), Henry (10yrs) & Kit (7yrs)

Reading time: 5 min

Kristin Coia designer and founder of Go Gently Nation lives in Manhattan Beach, CA with husband Henry, her son, also called Henry, 10 yrs old and a daughter, Katherine (Kit), 7 yrs old.

Henry is an old soul, protector of all living things and his Mom too. He is kind, compassionate and full of goodness. He is a loving little boy that may never ever grow up (Kristin’s little Peter Pan). He tells me “he will never go far away from home”.

Kit. Well she is a redhead, need I say more!? She took every ounce of my energy since the day she was born. She is more determined than any human I have ever met and will fight for her cause till the end. She is the cutest little girl however and her darling voice, and spirit for life will make you melt. Before even realizing it, you are woven into her little web. She will be a leader someday, and how very proud I already am of her!

Your first memory?
Kit: Bunkbeds when I was little.
Henry: Got my favorite stuffed animal, Roo Roo.

The person that you admire the most?
Kit: Mommy.
Henry: My Dad because he teaches me baseball and always helps me.

What was your dream last night ?
Kit: I don’t remember.
Henry: I don’t think I had a dream last night.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Kit: An artist.
Henry: I want to be a professional baseball player.

What is the best thing about life?
Kit: Having my friends over.
Henry: Having fun and having friends to play with.

Your favorite book and film?
Kit: Dragons Love Tacos and Cinderella
Henry: My favorite book is Crenshaw and my favorite movie is a Dogs Purpose.

What is especially precious about your mom?
Kit: That I love her.
Henry: She’s fun.

If you could have a super power, what would it be and what would you use this power for?
Kit: To fly and fly to New York.
Henry: I would have super speed and I would use the power to help people all around the world.

Silliest thing your sibling has ever said?
Kit: He sings silly songs.
Henry: I don’t know, she says funny stuff all the time.

Favourite song ?
Kit: Roar by Katy Perry
Henry: Feel it still.

Favorite meal mommy makes ?
Kit: Noodles with butter and tomato sauce.
Henry: My favorite meal that my Mom makes is tofu chicken nachos.

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What type of mom are you?  I am protective. I worry every second of the day about my little chicks. I am also a perfectionist so unfortunately for my kids I’m sure I drive them nuts. I want them however to become exactly who they are destined to become and I push myself daily to let them be themselves and honor their experience as children and individuals.

The good habit that helps you as a mom?  I have one habit that helps me immensely as a Mom. I try to look into their eyes when they are talking to me and I picture them when they were very little (1 or 2 years old). I immediately am endeared and more patient because I so miss those tiny little beings each and everyday.

You have 24 hrs in NYC by yourself what would you do? I have always wanted to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art but never have time to go when we are in NY. After that I would spend the rest of the day shopping!

The place you love near your home, that you visit with the whole family? We drive out to Palm Springs often (which is about 2 hours away from where we live) as it has some power over me and it’s the 1st place we all want to go when we can get away. We just love the desert and the tranquility of being out there.

A film that you saw recently and that stayed with you? I saw the film, “The Impossible” a couple of months ago about the Tsunami in Thailand. It has really stayed with me. It is an unreal depiction and true story about a family that experienced this horrific occasion back in 2012. We take for granted that our day will be what we plan it to be but that can all change in a second. A real reminder that the people by your side are the only things that matter in life!

What’s your approach to buying clothes for your children? Luckily we have a lot of free clothes as you might imagine As the kids get older though they want to wear different things and I let them have input so they can develop their own style. They both still ask for my advice and input each morning though luckily! I am a minimalist but I try to buy a few new things for them each season. We stick to classic pieces, neutrals and always natural fibers.

Last items you added to your child’s wardrobe? I bought my daughter a Tutu du Monde dress and Nico Nico dress and we love them both. My daughter and I both love coats so we are always adding coats to our wardrobes.

The websites that inspires you? There are 2 websites that I love every season- acnestudios and ok-ni. Always artistic, minimal and different!

What is your favorite Sunday made of? The best Sundays are during the summer for us! The Sundays when we make it to church at the start of the day and we end our day with a picnic on the beach to watch the sunset. The best of the best days! I am a better everything when a day is filled with this fresh perspective and moments to appreciate it all!
Your main piece of advice to your children? I am still learning all the time of what I really want to teach them. I guess my main piece of advice I have for them at this stage is to enjoy the journey. Enjoy all the small moments and choose to feel happy. Feeling happy is contagious within yourself and allows for more happiness!

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Go Gently Nation

www.gogentlynation.com

You can find Go Gently Nation and Kristin at Playtime New York booth J07 from Sunday the 11th to Tuesday the 13th of February.