Mom Club with Kirsten Kesicki
Kirsten Kesicki with her daughters Adelaide (8) and Corinne (5). (Photo courtesy of Kirsten Kesicki)
This North Fork momma puts the saying, “A little dirt never hurt” to good use. Not only with her homegrown business Yard Crop which designs, builds, plants, and maintains custom home edible gardens on the North Fork, but also in her parenting style where she encourages a strong connection to nature, messy play, and natural rhythms.
Join us as Kirsten shares mothering on the North Fork with us in our monthly Mom Club, a Q&A with local North Fork moms.
We hope this series inspires you and helps to make motherhood less intimidating and more inclusive. And the best part is, there’s no dress code or any other code, for that matter. All are welcome to join Mom Club just as you are.
Q: Describe your parenting style in three words.
Kirsten: Playful, conscious and connected.
Q: What is your favorite thing about motherhood?
Kirsten: Witnessing my girls find their true spirit and experiencing an indescribable bond with them that continues to strengthen with each year.
Q: What is your least favorite thing about motherhood?
Kirsten: Bedtime and boundary setting, which might be connected! The end of the day can be a challenge for us all to settle into bedtime, especially when the quiet of the night turns on their little brains to share what's on their mind. We're also working on setting boundaries which will hopefully lead to more collective help around the house!
Q: What would you change anything about motherhood?
Kirsten: I wish there was a pause button so we could just relish in the special tender moments that seem so fleeting at this age.
Q: Assuming you do, why do you think raising kids on the North Fork is unique?
Kirsten: The North Fork is truly an incredible place for raising children. The abundance of nature to witness, the beauty of our surroundings to explore, and most of all, the tight-knit community that exists here.
Q: What role does nature play in raising your kids?
Kirsten: Being a family of gardeners, we are avid nature lovers and observers. We try to play outside year-round to experience the shifts of the seasons and notice the changes happening around us. Our girls both have their own raised beds in our fenced-in vegetable garden that becomes a teaching space each season. They experience the lessons that nature provides; hard work, patience, gratitude, and wonder.
Q: What's your favorite recent thing that you've done with your kids on the North Fork?
Kirsten: We love boating and exploring the hidden nooks in the Peconic Bay. We are blessed to have a mini beach in our neighborhood we call "Secret Beach." One recent afternoon our older daughter spotted horseshoe crabs mating! We all then watched as two wild-looking creatures covered in barnacles mated and laid eggs right before our eyes!
Q: What's your kids' favorite thing you've recently done together on the North Fork?
Kirsten: Each spring for the past three years, we have watched a family of robins nest in the same nest right outside our kitchen window. Every morning the first thing our little one would do was run to the window to observe the nest. Watching the transformation of a mother protecting her eggs to then feeding tiny nestlings was so exciting for us all! Our eldest then researched about the life cycle of robins so we could all watch for signs of changes in the nest. One afternoon we were lucky enough to watch the fledglings leave the nest with their parents chirping and cheering them on from a nearby tree!
Q: What is one thing every kid should experience on the North Fork?
Kirsten: It is tough to name just one thing that every kid should do on the North Fork given all there is to experience here! I would have to say that every kid should go on a farm tour. The local farmers in our region are absolutely some of the most knowledgeable and hard-working people around. Our area boasts farms that not only grow delicious healthy food but also beautiful medicinal herbs and pollinator-loving flowers. Seeing these micro-ecosystems that farmers create is super cool. It's so important to support our local agriculture and make the connection of where our food comes from for our children.
Q: It’s said that motherhood lasts long after we're gone — that it's the values that live within our kids for their whole lives, too. What are some things that you hope your kids carry with you forever?
Kirsten: The value that I hope lasts for my children most would be gratitude for the blessings they have around them and the community that supports us. I've tried to teach my girls that it is important to give back to our community, support neighbors in need, and be good stewards of our land.
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