Megan Schinella started off as many content creators do: She had a blog called Camp by Mama. The New Canaan, Connecticut, mom of three worked in fashion marketing before having kids, and much of her heart — and passion — still lay in the field. But she’s also “not a homebody” and was constantly out and about with her kids, taking them around town and into New York City, about 40 miles south. The blog, then, consisted of “one pretty photo” of her kids’ cute fashions, as well as activities for moms to do with their kids.
Today, she’s evolved Camp by Mama into her Instagram page, where she regularly posts about being a mom — she has a 14-year-old girl, 11-year-old girl, and 8-year-old boy — aging, and how funny it is to teach your parents new things. In other words, these days she leans into the humor and relatable side of being a mom.
I caught up with Schinella recently, and her Valentine’s Day decorations were still up. See… relatable. We talked about raising teens and tweens, who her favorite follows are, and just how much aging can suck.
Scary Mommy: So what is the difference between Ava at 14 and Gianna at 12 in terms of the teenage years? My son is 11 and he is all of a sudden a major tween.
Megan Schinella: Yes. So I would definitely say Ava’s attitude, and Gianna likes me a lot more. She likes to spend more time with me, that’s for sure. It’s definitely a challenge. I try to be very patient, but I would say Ava doesn’t always want to hang out with me; she wants to spend a lot of time with her friends. Both my girls do ballet, so Ava had asked to go to see The Nutcracker in New York City. Anytime she asks me to do things, I try to hop on doing it so we can still keep that bond and connection because I don’t want her to go. She’s a freshman in high school.
SM: Yeah. And your son is the baby still?
MS: Nico is the best. He loves me. I just left him at the bus stop, and he gives me a hug and a kiss and waves to me and likes to be with me. I’m like, ‘Nico, you’re the love of my life.’ And everyone else in the house is like, ‘Oh my gosh, Mom.’ But he’s my baby; I’m done. And I’m always smothering him because no one else really likes me.
SM: I understand. My family wonders why I’m so close to my dog. I’m like, because he’s the only one who will snuggle with me.
MS: Right? Totally. And then I’ll ask him how his day was and he asks me how my day was, and it’s nice. It’s like a breath of fresh air just when he’s around. And then Gianna still kind of likes me, and I’m trying not to mess anything up with Ava or make her angry. So it’s a whole different dynamic with the three and three different ages.
SM: So who do you follow on Instagram?
MS: I like Bethenny Frankel and Molly Sims. Your page obviously. Anyone that I feel like are… I know for me too with my page, I want to take a break from the world and mom life, because it’s so hard. So I love Bethenny’s page because she just keeps it real and there’s no BS and it’s just everything… There was one the other day she posted yesterday about eyelashes, and I was dying laughing because I mean, she just swears and tries these products, and it’s just like, that’s real. And I like to follow accounts like that. Same with Molly Sims; she has her own brand and then she has her own podcast and then she puts in humor and she has her family, and I love the fashion she poses in. And I think fun things that you can share too with your friends. I’m on my phone, sharing memes before I go to bed, in the morning, and when you’re having your coffee. It’s just fun to laugh and enjoy life because being a mom is hard.
SM: As someone who’s also in their 40s, what are some of the most surprising things that have happened to you recently?
MS: OK, so I’m going to be 43 next month, and I would say I’ve noticed my body changing a lot. I feel like pre-perimenopause might be happening. I feel like even the way I can drink… I can have two cocktails and I’m, like, I got to get cut off to be a mom the next day. Just like the way your body changes where you can’t hang anymore. I feel like I’m always tired. Does that feeling ever go away? So, the sleep, I’ve noticed I’ve always enjoyed my sleep, but I really notice it as I get older because I need patience to be a good mom with these kids. I feel like I was good at 40, 41, but I feel like 42, 43 here over the past few years, I’m noticing a lot of changes and just trying to figure it all out. And I have some older friends, and they’re like, oh yeah, just get ready; it gets worse. And I’m like, all right, whatever, here we go.
SM: It’s truly unbelievable. Do you have a personal motto?
MS: Well, I do like to have fun… dancing, joking. Even with my kids, I’ll be at the bus stop with Nico and he’ll get on the bus and I’m shaking it to him. I just feel like for me, I try to be the one that’s a good time and a positive person. I like being around other positive people that lift me up, and I just don’t like to be around negativity and all that. So I feel like my motto is just to have fun and be positive in life.
SM: It sounds like it’s a pretty good motto. So what are your thoughts on slang?
MS: In a text message, Ava gave my husband and me the ‘bruh,’ and I was like no. So my kids use it, and I don’t like it and I remind them not to use it with me. I get it that they all say it at school, but I’m like, ‘Ava, I’m your mom, don’t say that with me.’ No, not happening. Don’t call me bruh.
SM: Yeah, please don’t do that to me. OK, so we always want to know if people have any good TV or good books recommendations. So, what do you got?
MS: I don’t really like to read. I like celebrity gossip; I’m being completely honest here. And I like to read the gossip of Page Six. I watch TV when I can, to be honest with you — I am a big huge Housewives fan.
SM: Do you have a favorite one?
MS: I’m a Teresa fan for life.
SM: OK, you know what? Own it.
MS: And when they have events around here… I’m that girl going with my friends and taking pictures, and when they come out with wine and going to BevMax. So yeah, I would say the Housewives is definitely my jam.
SM: What is the most bogus parenting advice you’ve ever received?
MS: Well, first I would say growing up I always would see parents doing things and always said I would not be that parent. But I have to say I’ve done all the things that I saw other people do at restaurants. I’m like, I don’t know why I was such a snot because I do… like give the cell phone to the kid when you’re at the restaurant to keep them quiet.
‘Sleep when the baby sleeps.’ Then nothing gets done, the house is trash. How do you sleep when the baby sleeps? And plus mine never really took long naps and I don’t even know if they really slept at night. So yeah, I would say, and even older aunts would tell you that too, and I’d be like, oh, OK, yeah, sure, yeah, for me that didn’t happen.
SM: Yeah, I get that. Do you have a go-to karaoke song?
MS: I would say anything Britney Spears. ‘Baby One More Time.’ I mean, I’m a ‘90s girl.
SM: So you talked about drinks before. What is your drink of choice?
MS: When I’m out, definitely Aperol Spritz. I’ll drink it all year round, even though I feel like it’s more of a summer drink. And when I’m home, just Corona Lights. But now I feel like my body’s getting older, even recently in the past six months, I don’t even crave a Corona. I just want to have a Sprite and go to bed.
SM: I get it! So last question. What are you looking forward to most this year?
MS: I love the connections and friends I’ve made doing this. I am part of a podcast now just for moms. That’s a creative outlet for me, and I write as well for a local magazine here. So, I just feel growing my page and meeting people like you and just networking and just having a good time with my children, having that bond with them, trying to keep them close. I feel like it’s on you as a mom, as a person, to find happiness and joy. I can’t rely on anybody else for that. You’ve got to create it and want it and do it at the end of the day to have a good life.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
This article was originally published on scarymommy.com.