Joanna Gaines’ five children continue to provide life lessons and lasting memories for their talented mom.
“I think that’s my favorite part of being a mother — all the things my children have to teach me,” Joanna, 46, exclusively revealed in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. “The clarity in which they see the world challenges me and gives me a fresh perspective. I’ll always be grateful to my children for that gift of seeing the world through their eyes.”
Joanna and her husband Chip Gaines share Drake, 20, Ella, 18, Duke, 16, and Emmie, 15. In June 2018, the former Fixer Upper stars welcomed their son Crew, now 6, by surprise.
“I had our first four kids in such quick succession, that honestly, their younger years were a bit of a blur,” Joanna joked when looking back on her motherhood journey. “I wouldn’t change the way we grew our family, but when Crew came — as a surprise! — I was older, and I don’t want to say that I was ‘wiser’ but I did have these four older kids as living proof that time really does move as fast as everyone promises.”
Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Best Quotes About Love, Family and Parenthood
As a result, the editor-in-chief of Magnolia Journal said she wanted to experience Crew’s childhood differently.
“In the first few years of his life, I took my foot off the gas for the first time in what felt like forever, and in the years since, Crew has continued to break through my tendency toward busy and hurry,” she shared. “He is constantly reminding me to look up.”
Joanna praised her youngest child for helping her slow down, partly because he “doesn’t miss an opportunity to point us all in the direction of beauty.”
“Crew is expectant for wonder no matter where he is or what it is that’s caught his attention,” she continued. “He admires not just the flowers when we take a walk through the garden, but the dirt and soil they grow from.”
Inspired by her son’s curiosity and insistence to “look up,” Joanna decided to create a new children’s book titled The World Needs the Wonder You See.
Readers of all ages are invited to embark on an adventure through nature’s small surprises. With vibrant illustrations by Julianna Swaney, the whimsical picture book aims to inspire families to pause their busy schedules and explore the world around them together.
Like many parents, Joanna remembers the days when her older kids would shout out, “I’m bored.”
Without hesitation, the co-owner of Magnolia Network knew it was time to take them outside or do something creative, like paint a picture, collect treasures or gather five things that caught your eye.
“Even now that my kids are older, my advice hasn’t changed much,” she told Us. “We’ve forgotten that the world is constantly alive, and there’s almost always something to find when we’re willing to look for it. … I want nothing more for my kids than a deep belief in and gratitude for all the beauty and little miracles the world has to offer.”
As a majority of her children approach their teenage years, which will eventually lead to high school graduations and college applications, Joanna tries not to think about life as an empty nester.
Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Family Album Through the Years
Instead, she chooses to celebrate the present and savor the beautiful gift of quality family time.
“Every stage of ‘growing up’ has been a cycle of change, then gain,” she explained. “So, for me, it’s really a matter of looking at ‘different’ in a healthy, exciting way, and being expectant for all these new moments and milestones we get to celebrate as a family.”
The World Needs the Wonder You See is available now.
