PARENT YOU SHOULD KNOW
The Renauld family, left to right: Nathan, Laura, Henry and Andy
at Altitude Trampoline Park in Leesburg, Virginia
Laura Renauld
B efore she authored children’s books
“Porcupine’s Pie,” “Bear’s Bicycle”
and “Squirrel’s Sweater,” among
others, Laura Renauld, 44, was a third grade
teacher at Wampus Elementary School in
Armonk, New York and and field trip educator
at the Strong National Museum of Play in
Rochester, New York.

The Leesburg, Virginia resident believes
that books are “soul food” and incorporates
her love of literature and years as a teacher
into the parenting of her two children, Henry,
13, and Nathan, 12.

“I tried to bring these teaching practices
to my parenting with lots of read-alouds, trips
to the library and free play time, especially
outside,” she says. “I made a conscious
decision not to over-schedule my kids, while
also encouraging them to try new things and
exposing them to varied experiences.”
When she’s not instilling the values of reading
to her kids, she’s working on her Woodland
Friends Series, published by Beaming Books,
26 Washington FAMILY JANUARY 2023
which uses woodland creatures to tell stories more rejections than I can count! In that
of perseverance, adapting to change and the time, I wrote many stories, honed my craft,
meaning of friendship.

found a supportive critique group and learned
about the business of publishing. And I’m
not done yet! Nos still pile up a lot quicker
What do you love about
than the yeses. I hope my kids pursue their
parenting? One of the great joys of being a parent is passions, tune out the naysayers and never
watching your children work toward a goal, stop learning!
then seeing the pride of accomplishment on
their faces when they succeed. This was true What’s been your biggest
as my boys took their first steps, and it is true parenting fail?
today when they perform in a band concert or This is probably not the biggest, but the
make it onto [the] base for the first time in a one that comes to mind right away involves
little league game. As a parent, I try my best to trick-or-treating. When my youngest was 3
nurture, encourage, comfort and cheer as my or 4, he had a plush horse and rider costume
kids go through the whole process of learning, where his legs were two of the horse legs. The
growing, failing and achieving.

hooves covered his feet, so I forgot to put his
shoes on once he was in costume. The poor
kid went trick-or-treating on a drizzly night
What’s one thing you hope
with just socks on his feet! We laugh about
your kids learn from you and
it now, but that Halloween could have had
your career?
Perseverance. I was writing for almost 10 a very different ending if he had stepped on
years before I got my first book deal. That’s something sharp.

HEATHER M. ROSS
BY SASHA ROGELBERG