PROUD OF IN YOUR BUSINESS? NATALIE: I love seeing the babies coming here. They don’t know the songs in the beginning of the sessions, but by the end of it, they know where their head and their toes are–basic little things like that–and you see a light bulb go off in their head. I’ve built a strong community. It’s really heartwarming because their kids love me. When they leave class, all the kids want to give me hugs and high fives, and when they see me out in public, they call me “Miss Bubblegum” –all because of this place. I never would have known them if I hadn’t started this. LOOKING BACK, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOURSELF BEFORE HAVING KIDS? NATALIE: To give myself grace and patience, and not to rush things. I tried to jump ahead of what we were supposed to be doing at that time because I wanted out of a stage that I wasn’t necessarily enjoying, but now I look back and I’m like, oh I just wish I could hold a little newborn baby again.
were in the thick of COVID. It was my first time being a mom, and I didn’t have a mom to rely on, with my mom passing away four years prior. I told myself that I needed to find groups to align myself with. I found mommy and me classes, and told myself to go every week. Without the moms and caregivers I met, I probably would still be in the dark ages. As mothers, we’re all in the thick of it. Raising children is not easy, and it’s not meant to be easy. The Playhouse was built for those hard days, for moms to come in and talk about their child and their challenges. When you walk into the Playhouse, you hear all of these stories, where moms can relate to other moms and nannies. There are moms that come in here and don’t know anybody and then they leave with plans to get coffee with another mom the next week because they’ve found a similar story or topic in their life that they relate to.
Most people will see me with my three girls here at the Playhouse all of the time.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU SHARE WITH FIRST-TIME MOMS? NATALIE: Allow yourself to become the mom you’re supposed to be. Don’t compare yourself to other moms. Don’t compare your child to other children. Each child is so different and I see that every day at the Playhouse.
WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO SEE THE BUSINESS HEADING IN THE COMING YEARS?
RAPID-FIRE QUESTIONS: My secret talent… I can hula hoop and moonwalk. Sweet vs salty… sweet. Mornings vs nights …mornings. My daughter’s favorite thing to do is… singing and playing dress up. NATALIE: We’ve only been in business for nine months, so without our community, we definitely would not be where we are today and I want to say thank you to our community for their support over the last few months. I would love to continue to grow by welcoming new families into the Playhouse and developing more exciting programs.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT BEING A MOM?
NATALIE: Just being their mom. Watching them grow and achieve things. Every day is different. I just taught my five-year-old how to ride a bike, and watching her and the excitement in her face–it’s just great. They’re little mini mes, and it’s amazing.
HOW DO YOU SPEND TIME TOGETHER AS A FAMILY?
NATALIE: Going to parks, the zoo, taking bike rides, and eating dinner together every night at the dining room table. We worship together and go to church. Right now we’re in toddlerhood, so we don’t really travel.
WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU ARE
NOLAFAMILY.COM | FEBRUARY 2026 13
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