Kristi Smith

Kristi Smith, center, with daughters Averle and Alex
Kristi Smith, center, with daughters Averle and Alex

Women’s Clothing Store Entrepreneur

– Tribute to Moms –

By Kristi Smith

I never received the calling to be a “stay at home mom”. My mother worked full time as I was growing up and she was a terrific mother. She was not only a loving and supportive mom, but she taught me an incredible work ethic. Fortunately, she is still all of these things to me, and I am positive I inherited her same genes. Work was not a choice for my family and continues to be a necessity. I am fortunate that I love what I do. When you enjoy your work, it all falls into place even being a good mom. Mom guilt is real, but my kids know that I love them. I have always made time for them. After getting home from work, dinner together is always a must. When they were younger, I was there to kiss their boo boo’s, sing silly songs with them, and read them bedtime stories. As they got older, helping them with homework was an every day occurrence. Extra curricular activities was harder to attend, but it didn’t stop me. You work it out with carpooling, attending soccer games before work, and possibly showing up late to a game after work.

Owning Sweet William is not only something that I treasure and love doing, it has proven to my girls that you can still be both a successful working mother, and a loving and supportive mom. Surviving this pandemic has probably been one of my biggest challenges and accomplishments I have ever faced. After such a challenging time, Sweet William is still here and my daughters are both excelling in school and in their lives. I am blessed to have such a strong support system through my Sweet William family and customers. Having this has also proved to my daughters that when you work hard for the people you love, you will most always succeed. My daughters are both young adults now at 17 and 21, and have made me extremely proud. Alex is a junior studying biology, health and sciences at SMU and Averie will be attending Savannah College of Art and Design in the fall majoring in fashion merchandising. They now support me with words of encouragement and expressing how proud they are for me to be their mom. Wow! There is no other feeling as good as that in an entire lifetime. I must add that they both love Sweet William as much as I do!

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Kristina and Matthew Bailey began reading books to their son, Owen when he was six months old— they haven’t stopped.
Owen turned 4 in June and recently received an award from the Clarendon Hills Public Library for having had 1,000 books read to him before starting kindergarten.

The library’s 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge is one of a few reading challenge programs offered in Clarendon Hills, where the Bailey family has lived for the past 2 1/2 years.
Kristin Bailey said she saw an ad about the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge and decided it was a good fit for Owen.

“He’s always been really into books,” Bailey said. “He had a natural interest in books at nine months old. That’s when COVID started, and he didn’t get out much, so reading books to him worked out very well. He’s a naturally curious kid, and imagination-building is important. The reading allows him to learn and explore new things, and he really wants to learn to read now.”

Krista Devlin, the Clarendon Hills library’s youth services librarian, said there’s a specific reason The Friends of the Library-sponsored 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge was started in 2022.

“Reading aloud to a child is one of the best ways to help develop important early literacy skills, which will prepare them for kindergarten,” Devlin said. “It is also a great way to bond with your child and to encourage a love of reading.”

Devlin said Owen was the second child to reach the challenge of having 1,000 books read to him before starting kindergarten. He was awarded a certificate, a crown, and his picture was taken to recognize his accomplishment.

Bailey, who said she is “a big reader,” said her family usually goes to the library once a week. Reading three books each night to Owen, along with a book before nap time, is the household normal.

“Consistency in our routine has been good and is important,” she said, adding that Owen’s two sisters, ages 2 1/2 and 1

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