We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful family the Cupidos. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with The Cupidos below.
Jeff and Susanne Cupido, thank you so much for agreeing to talk with us about a deeply personal and sensitive topic. Postpartum depression affects so many in the community and hearing from someone who has overcome PPD might help someone who is going through it right now. For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience
We had our son in the summer of 2021 and it wasn’t until he was six months old that I developed PPD, which surprised me because as a first time parent, I thought that the norm was to get PPD right after giving birth. For me, the feeling of PPD, sometimes came with no explanation where I would be sitting on the couch and then 10 minutes later it’s an 180 with emotions. However, most of the time, as I soon realized, was a result of feeling lonely and people no longer talking to me with no explanation.
Communication is important and moms tend to feel that as they are busy taking care of their kids, there seems to be no one checking in on them. And yes, people can say that our priorities have changed but I believe that isn’t an excuse to stop communicating.
I’ve soon come to realize that everyone that comes into your life at some point played a specific part and were there for a reason. That feeling of loneliness, especially when its exemplified through PPD, can be overcome by just focusing on the people that are still in your life and most importantly appreciating the blessing of being a parent; soaking up all the moments you have with your kid that very moment, because they grow up so quickly. I know that is easier said than done.
Another way I have overcome PPD, or an activity that helped me, was going on a hike. Escaping to the mountains really helped me reset my thoughts and feelings especially when you are surrounded by such beauty. And as a bonus you are creating memories with your family while doing so. In addition, I started to review hikes as a result and post my reviews on Instagram which I soon learned that many families appreciated and even reached out for more recommendations on family friendly hikes.
To any moms that are experiencing PPD and/or loneliness, just know you are doing a great job raising your family. And don’t forget to do the things you love and even bring your kid along the way.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
As parents, we both work full-time jobs, however on the side, we have a mission to teach our kid to appreciate the outdoors just like we do and take in the beauty that this world has to offer. We simply do that, by going to the mountains on a regular basis as a family, whether that’s for hikes, camping, canoeing, paddleboarding, snowshoeing, skiing or snowboarding. This is very meaningful to us because it places an importance on quality time as a family and creating memories that will last forever. As we posted our adventures with our kid, we began getting inquiries from other families asking us for tips or recommendations on how to do the same with their family.
This translated to us helping other families do the same by making frequent posts on our social media pages. Our posts include anything from hike reviews, roadtrip ideas, travel tips, gear reviews and how families can include their kids in the outdoors. Most importantly, we wanted parents to know that their passions and hobbies don’t need to come to a halt the moment they have a kid but instead are able to involve their kids on their adventures.
Our now 28 month old, went on his first hike at 3 weeks old and has now been on more than 35+ hikes, many camping trips, plane rides, roadtrips and more. And now the exciting thing is that we are expecting baby number 2 in January 2024. In 2024, readers will see tips on activities and adventures catered to having two kids.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three qualities, skills or areas of knowledge that have been most impactful in our journey are:
- Mindful – Appreciating the little things life has to offer
- Tenacious – no matter what comes our way we are determined, patient and do what is required to accomplish a goal
- Grit – despite the difficulties that can arise, we don’t compromise who we are and work as a family to overcome them without the influence of others or society; resilience.
The advice we have to families that are early in their journeys is to be patient. If your kid, at the moment, is not adapting as easily as you thought , particularly going on adventures or embracing your hobbies, it just may take more time. Just remember to keep the experience positive and not to give up. Ensure that you make adventures a regular part of your family life. From what we have seen with families, is that families that are consistent with activities, whether that’s camping, hiking or just a walk in your neighborhood, their kids soon learn to adapt to these activities and see it as a routine in their daily life.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
We are always more than happy to collaborate with other businesses or individuals. We also believe that its important to support local businesses as well and to bring awareness of their product and mission.
We are always looking to collaborate with any individual or company that ties into our values of promoting family time especially in the outdoors, whether that’s through specific activities, clothing or gear tailored to certain activities or just recognition by sharing our posts or videos on their pages.
If anyone wants to collaborate with us, they can reach us at our Instagram page @The.Cupidos or email [email protected].
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @The.Cupidos
- TikTok: @thecupidos
