It feels like a big part of my parenting job is figuring out what all the emotions are really about.

When my kids have a meltdown, it is never just about the meltdown.

Recently, I noticed my daughter creating less. Her art supplies were untouched, which is very unusual for her.

She seemed more agitated and frustrated by EVERYTHING.

After lots of patience and gentle prying, the tears finally came.

It was about the move.

It was about missing friends, teachers, favorite parks, and In N Out (I feel her on this).

But especially missing her old space.

This might sound surprising since we moved from a small 900 square foot apartment to a house.

But somehow I knew exactly how she felt.

A bigger space doesn’t mean a better space. She had lost her familiar creative area.

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After establishing the issue, I still did not have a great solution.

Thankfully, one of my husband’s biggest strengths is thinking outside the box.

We had contemplated getting rid of a shed in our backyard because it was collecting junk and taking up space. We just didn’t need it.

So as my husband cleared out the shed to prepare for its removal, he saw a new vision for it.

The Art Shed.

We got to work with Lysol wipes to remove years of dirt and cobwebs.

As we explained the vision to our daughter she sprung to life.

The rest of the day was her sprinting from the house to the shed to put all her supplies in there.

Now, if I can’t find her in the house I peek out the back window.

I see two shed doors wide open and one happy girl creating again.

-Brittany