Folks We Love with Corine Dehghanpishe, author of "My Toddler Life"
Who’s in your family? Ages? Names?
Mom: Me 44
Dad: Daryan Dehghanpisheh 40
Daughter: Lily almost 3
Max: Goldendoodle puppy 6 months old.
How did you choose your kids names?
Since our last name is so long and challenging to spell, we made a list of short girls names- only three or four letters long. Lily was at the top of the list.
Location?
Dallas, Texas
Occupation?
Author, Illustrator, Art Therapist
What’s on your manifest board?
Adapt, keep going, enjoy and love.
Tell us some of your most loved ways to spend the day with your clan?
I love beautiful weather days when we can all go outside to the park,The Dallas Arboretum, or just cookout in our backyard. After living in NYC for too many years having a backyard is pretty wonderful.
What are some silly/fun things that the kids do or say?
My daughter thinks it’s so much fun to call us by our first names with an exaggerated tone thrown in such as “Ohhhh, Cori. What are you doing?” It’s too cute.
When you were a teenager what did you dream of? Do things look different?
Things look much different and brighter than when I was a teenager. I have more than what I could have ever dreamed about at that time.
What are some things you really believe in?
Besides love, I believe in working hard and being invested in those things that are important to me such as my family, friends, career, and even hobbies.
Has your relationship with your other half changed since having kids?
Our relationship has changed mostly for the better. Daryan used to travel all the time for work but after we had our daughter he prefers to be home more than being away.
What are some of your favorite life lessons you’ve grown to love? (even if learning them at the time was hard)
One of the most important lessons that I learned in life was that one event in life does not define you. Good, bad or indifferent we are the sum of many, many daily events- big and small.
What do you wish you could’ve told yourself when you were a teenager?
I wish I had told myself that life isn’t always what I would expect it to be in some ways it is better and in some ways it is much more difficult. I also wish that I would have told myself that I could achieve what I wanted as long as I worked hard and believed in myself.
What do you find most challenging about being somebody’s parent?
The most challenging aspect of parenting is patience. Up until I had my daughter, I used to think that I was a patient person. Now I am not so sure. I definitely need a lot more patience in a day than ever before. Hopefully my daughter will have more patience than me but it is looking like she could use a little more too.
What do you want your kids to learn about the world?
I want my daughter to learn that life is not fair and it is challenging but fun and exciting at the same time. I also want her to learn how to adapt well to change as life is full of unexpected detours and journeys. I want her to enjoy those journeys as much as possible.
What are 4 things you can’t live without as a parent?
An on the go kids fun bag- filled with snacks, crayons, lollipops, and books.
My smartphone or ipad filled with music, tv shows, and movies
Something chocolatey and crunchy
My husband- I need his help
Can you tell us more about your new book?
#BabyLove: My Toddler Life is the second book in Corine’s #BabyLove Book Series. The first book in the series, #BabyLove: My Social Life, won the Next Generation Indie Book Award for Picture Books 0-5. In #BabyLove: My Toddler Life, a curious toddler loves to play… especially with his mommy’s smartphone! When Mommy finds him using her phone without permission, it’s the perfect teaching moment. Mommy reminds her little one that what matters most in life is time together filled with love and attention. Her simple reminder: Put down our phones.
Corine’s inspirations for writing and illustrating come from everyday life. When she is not busy being creative, she is most likely having fun taking pictures of her family. Corine is a Mom’s Choice Awards® Silver Recipient and a Next Generation Indie Author Finalist for her debut children’s bookCan We Play Again?. Her inspiration for this book came from her work as a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist in NYC. She is also the author of Buddy’s Dream. Corine recently moved to Dallas, TX from NYC with her family.