Most childhood memories fade as we grow up, but some moments stay crystal clear, like old photographs you can’t forget. For me, it’s a trip to the neighborhood karaoke place when I was about six or seven. My mom always sang the same song—Patti Kim’s “Love That Left Autumn Behind” (a classic Korean ballad from the 1960s). I’d sit next to her, not really understanding the lyrics, but singing along anyway, completely swept up in the emotion of it all. On the way home, I’d pretend to be asleep so my dad would carry me on his back. Looking back, I didn’t go to an amusement park that day. I didn’t sing any children’s songs. But singing my mom’s favorite song with her, sharing even a tiny piece of her emotional world—that’s what stuck with me as a beautiful memory. Even now, when I hear that song, I can almost see my parents as they were then, young and full of life, and I’m transported back to those childhood feelings.

That’s why I believe that sharing our tastes and sensibilities with our kids not only creates meaningful memories for them, but also helps them understand a little more about who we are and develop their own preferences. So in this column, I want to share how I enjoy the things I love while living life with my kids.

1 Early Morning Brunch Spots That Make Waking Up Worth It

I didn’t think having kids would completely turn my life upside down. But looking back, one thing changed dramatically: my wake-up time. I could adjust almost everything else to fit my style, but you can’t make kids who’ve just woken up go back to sleep, and you can’t keep sleeping while they’re up and about. Waking up early became one of the hardest parts of parenting for me. Then one day, out of nowhere, I had this sudden craving for a delicious brunch, and it was like a light bulb went off. That’s when I thought, “What if, instead of dragging myself out of bed miserably, I gave myself something to look forward to in the morning?”
From that point on, my husband and I—both café lovers—stopped sprawling on the couch every weekend morning, groaning about being tired. Instead, we started seeking out brunch places that opened at 8 a.m. Once we shifted our pattern, those exhausting weekend mornings transformed into our family’s little ritual, something we’d created just for ourselves. Good coffee to wake us up, and the luxury of enjoying a peaceful meal before the crowds arrived—that was an unexpected bonus!
It’s actually not easy to find great brunch spots with good food and atmosphere that open before 10 a.m. So let me share some of the excellent early-bird brunch cafés we’ve discovered thanks to our new morning ritual.

2 My Own Journey After the Kids Fall Asleep

Traveling with kids is such a strange experience. Before you even leave, you’re thinking, “Why did I sign up for this chaos?” But by the time you get home, you’re already thinking, “I want to go again.” Watching the kids giggle as they splash their feet in and out of the water, then roll around on the hotel bed being silly—those moments make me happier than any tourist attraction could. At the end of the day, when they’re lying in bed and say, “Today was so much fun,” all the exhaustion melts away, and I think, “I’m so glad we took this trip with them.”

Still, for my husband and me—who absolutely loved traveling before we had kids—there’s a bit of longing for what we’ve left behind. Those moments when we’d wait in line for an hour or two to eat at that one restaurant we’d been dying to try. Sitting by a café window, slowly savoring our coffee, zoning out, and watching the world go by. Taking late-night strolls, then coming back to our room to soak in the tub and truly relax. We still miss those times. That’s why, when we plan trips now, we put the most effort into finding accommodations with the right atmosphere. Because once the kids are asleep, we start a different kind of journey. I crack open a beer, and we watch a movie we’ve been wanting to see, or if we’re traveling with like-minded friends or family, we stay up late chatting after putting the kids to bed. We cherish these moments because we’re consciously trying to protect ‘our’ time as a couple. We need to make that small effort to nurture our relationship as partners, not just as parents. That’s what keeps us from burning out in the daily grind of parenthood.


3 The Power of Decluttering: Creating Space for Myself

The more stuff accumulates in my home, the more cluttered my mind feels, too. But anyone who’s raised kids knows how hard it is to keep a house neat and tidy. Especially when they’re little—cribs, changing tables, colorful baby mobiles, play gyms, all those bulky baby items make the house feel chaotic, no matter how much you clean up.
As my kids grew, I started selling or giving away things we no longer needed, and I felt genuine satisfaction every time I cleared out something. Of course, the battle isn’t over yet. Blocks, toy cars, stuffed animals—they pile up in every corner of the house the moment you let your guard down. Looking at them, I remind myself: “I need to clear these spaces to protect my own peace.” Every three months, I set aside a day to go through the toys the kids no longer play with.
Ultimately, I think this whole process is about more than just tidying physical space—it’s about organizing the space in my mind. Only when my home is cleared out like this does it feel like a true sanctuary where I can rest after an exhausting day. My house might not be beautiful, but I’ve managed to keep it ‘livable.’