Let Kids Be Kids

Growing up in this business, kids see things differently. An empty box and a mountain of packing materials are an invitation to play. I never stopped them. A closet full of old costumes, an open kitchen, a box of peanuts — I've always believed the ordinary things around a house (or warehouse) are better toys than anything you'd buy. Unstructured play is where real memories get made.

Spontaneity and fun foster creativity and imagination. Making things up, transforming things, and figuring things out are what childhood is all about.

The best memories are of carefree afternoons spent in unstructured play. No calendar full of planned activities, no back-to-back lessons. If the girls wanted company, we'd just see who was around. Some of our best afternoons were the ones where imagination took center stage — including a few that happened a world away, wandering markets in Italy instead of a backyard, but built from the same idea: let them explore, let them get a little lost in it, see what they find.

Childhood isn't supposed to be a rehearsal for being a grown-up. It's supposed to be its own thing — protected and unhurried. That's the whole gift.

So let kids turn what's in front of them into something else. Let them get creative. Take the picture — you'll want it later. And above all: let your children be children.

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