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This weeks Eight By Eva subject knows a thing or two about finding inner peace, creating calm confidence, and passing your zen to your children! Mariam Gates is Harvard-trained educator, founder of Kid Power Yoga, mom to two kids, wife of yogi Rolf Gates, and Santa Cruz-based author of the brand new children’s book, “Good Morning Yoga: A Pose By Pose Wake Up Story.” I wish I had had a book like this when I was growing up (to help combat my ever-present anxiety), and I’m so excited to share Mariam’s parenting outlook with you today! Below, Mariam answers my eight favorite questions:

1. What is the best parenting advice you have received?

That no one is going to college with a binky. Basically to relax and understand that kids follow their own time frames and things work out.

2. What is your greatest challenge as a parent?

Managing the pace of my kids’ lives without feeling like we are running a race every day. There is a lot of pressure and a lot of desire to engage in activities, friendships, and our larger community. That is all part of an abundant life, but I can feel like I am checking off a never-ending list, rather than enjoying what is happening if I am not paying attention.

3. What’s the latest with your kid(s)? Any new dynamics? Funny quirks? Challenges?

Both kids are in musicals this spring. This is new and there is someone singing in our house non-stop. Overall that is wonderful, but I had to institute a no singing at the dinner table rule. Even that has not really held up and I’ve decided just enjoy it. Though bedtime takes longer because of the full rendition of ‘So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodnight…’

4. What is your dream day as a family?

Both my husband and I travel for work, so any time we can travel as a family is really fantastic. One of our favorite places is Costa Rica; it is beautiful, accessible for families, and full of adventures. Waking up in Costa Rica, hiking to a waterfall, seeing wild howler monkeys and then having lunch by the ocean is absolutely a dream day for my family.

5. Kid item you can’t live without?

Wet Wipes! I always have them in my purse for dirty hands, a stained shirt, quick car upholstery clean-up. When they were younger, Lollacups from Lollaland. The straw in these sippy cups are weighted so they stay anchored in the liquid which makes it much easier to drink. Also, they sell the straws separately, so when your dishwasher mangles them, all is not lost. Additionally, they are BPA and phthalate-free.

6. Favorite local kids activity?

We live by the Pacific Ocean and spending time in the water with boogie boards (and now sometimes surf boards) is definitely a favorite activity. Wet suits required, it is freezing out there. A couple of times a year in Santa Cruz a sand bar forms on a popular beach. Then right after school everyone heads there and the kids play for hours.

7. How do you unwind?

Yoga! 🙂

8. What are your favorite beauty products?

The Big Easy Liquid to Powder from Benefit—I prefer a good night’s sleep, but when that doesn’t happen, this does wonders for smoothing skin and any shadows under my eyes.  Almost Lipstick from Clinique in Fig. It goes on very sheer but adds great lightweight color.

Family photograph by Junneen Lee McCombs