Family that grows together. 子供も私も成長するライフスタイル
Family that grows together. 子供も私も成長するライフスタイル
MP Workshop was founded in 2022 with the dream of creating a community of parents and caregivers who are passionate about learning, continuing to grow, and building a stronger connection to raise compassionate and resilient children.
What are MP Workshops and how did you learn about parenting?
I started studying more intensely about parenting, developmental psychology and neuroscience when my first son was entering the so called “terrible two’s” phase. However, I quickly realized there wasn’t a wide variety of parenting or early childhood education books available in Japan – especially with a focus on child psychology, trauma or mindfulness. I began to educate myself by reading countless books by internationally recognized clinical psychologists, neuropsychiatrists and more. I took online courses to enrich my knowledge and became a certified counselor.
More and more of my friends were coming to me for parenting advice, and I saw the need for educating parents and for creating a safe space where parent can openly communicate with each other.
In Japan, there are some government-required courses you must take once you are pregnant. Unfortunately, those courses only teach you about bathing the infants and changing their diapers. Yes, they are important for the physical survival of the infant, but parenting is so much more than that. There’s a saying in Japan, “The soul of a three-year-old until a hundred”. Unfortunately, this only becomes a social pressure on parents without the presence of any support.
I believe:
“It takes a village to raise a child and the world to raise parents.”
What is MP Cooking and Baking About?
I started my culinary journey at twelve years old when my mother was suffering from leukemia. My passion for baking grew further when I studied abroad at fifteen years old (more about that here). Because of my background, I cook and bake a variety of food and desserts.
In 2021, to treat my hypothyroidism, I changed my diet and removed many foods from it. Since it changed my life drastically, I hoped it would help my first son who was suffering from asthma and eczema – due to which he always slept very poorly until he was four years old! He is now free of the asthma nebulizer and steroidal medication.
The change was not easy, and at first, I felt defeated to not be able to bake anymore. I mean, how was I supposed to bake without flour, eggs or dairy?! After a while, I challenged myself to make recipes that can put a smile on my family’s faces.
When I first started the workshops in person, I actually held baking and cooking classes together with the parenting workshop. It was a wonderful workshop and everybody enjoyed the freshly baked goods while learning. However, it was a bit overbearing for me, so I am figuring out a new way to share my recipes with you. I hope you enjoy my recipes! Stay tuned.
One day I was thinking of what word I can make with all of my family member’s initials. Then I realized it will be SMILE!
The logo includes the SMILE family’s smily face, and my initials MP. And of course, my wish and dedication to help parents have a happier family life.
