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Hilaria Baldwin Shares Her Tips For Living A Zen Life With Young Kids — INTERVIEW

by Gillian Walters

If Hilaria Baldwin's life appears pretty effortless, that's because it is. It's not that Baldwin doesn't struggle just like any other parent out there, of course, she's just an expert in flexibility — literally and figuratively. Want to know her secrets? Romper recently chatted with Hilaria Baldwin about her zen parenting philosophy, doing yoga with kids while juggling a hectic schedule, and how these topics fit into her exciting new partnership with Stitch Fix, an online personal styling service. Grab a pen and paper so you can jot down some notes, mamas.

Baldwin is mom to four adorable kiddos: Carmen, 5, Rafael, 3, Leo, 2, and Romeo, 1. The wellness guru regularly shares snaps of her brood to Instagram, often showcasing her mommy and me yoga sessions. Although these instances might appear curated at first glance, the family's workouts tend to be spur-of-the moment, a revelation that probably comes as a relief to parents who don't know how to fit yoga into their kids' day-to-day lives.

"Basically, doing yoga for your kids can really be done at anytime," she tells Romper. "If my kids are having tantrums, I’ll move my body with them. It’s better to be silly then getting really stern and yelling at them. I’ve learned that 99.9 percent of all problems are solved by moving your body."

Translation: Baldwin is all about going with the flow, especially in those more stressful moments.

Baldwin goes on to share an anecdote about the family's recent car ride from the Hamptons to New York City to illustrate her point. She was hoping to get home before dinnertime, but the summertime traffic had other plans. Instead of worrying about disrupting her kids' routines, she went with a fitness-oriented Plan B to avoid potential tantrums.

"I said, 'You know what, I'm going to cook a little bit and we’re going to to the park and we’re going to break all of the rules and we’re going to have dinner in the park.' It was bed time by the time we had dinner, but it was either that or the kids having tantrums, hitting each other, or me [laughs]," she shares. "You know, typical toddler behavior."

Baldwin adds, "It makes your life harder if you don’t incorporate fitness or yoga into their lives because then they don't feel good."

Of course, this mantra applies to adults, too. Whenever Baldwin is having a "crabby day," she makes it a point to recharge by herself or she'll organize a family activity outdoors. "Taking walks with the family, going and playing on the beach. Doing different activities and doing it together, is really wonderful and we love doing that," she tells Romper.

If you're thinking that all of this family yoga and fitness time sounds a bit too easy, that's because it is, Baldwin argues. The yoga instructor and author uses her son, Leo, as an example, noting that you don't have to do actual yoga poses to do yoga. "He's wild. He's lovely one minute and then crazy the next minute," she jokes. "He'll be going crazy, and I'll say, 'monkey pose!' but we're not actually doing monkey pose."

Baldwin says the key is "focusing on your body" and "being present" as opposed to accuracy. "It's just about moving the body," she advises. "Kids love anything having to do with animals or their favorite toy. Let them move their body. Call it whatever you want."

Fans can see evidence of Baldwin's relaxed attitude in her partnership with Stitch Fix, "a completely personalized service" that delivers fashion "right to your doorstep." Baldwin teamed up with the company to celebrate its new activewear line from Rumi & Ryder, its exclusive kid brand.

As for where Baldwin comes in? She created an exclusive video series for Stitch Fix, in which she "explains the important ways yoga can be beneficial for kids by keeping them active and helping build confidence." Yes, yes, and yes. It can't be overstated how important physical activity is in the context of confidence building.

Photo Courtesy of Stitch Fix

Baldwin decided to partner with Stitch Fix for many reasons, a top one being that the company does the work for you.

"One of my hardest things is how to pair it [outfits] together," she says. "They literally sent me all of these cards on how to pair things, which to me, is the best thing in the entire world. That's one of the great things about what they do — they make it accessible. The prices are great as well."

Speaking of prices, Baldwin wants to make it clear that she doesn't want to be "wasteful" when it comes to kids clothes. She wants clothes her children can "paint in," for example, a selling point Stitch Fix can deliver on. But most of all, the clothes are comfortable, a *must-have* in Baldwin's house.

Photo Courtesy of Stitch Fix

"Rumi & Ryder has really cute activewear," Baldwin tells Romper. "It's nice because the materials are comfortable. Rafael my son, who is almost 4, wears pajamas every day because he tells me no other clothes are comfortable. With the Rumi & Ryder clothes, he'll wear them because they're comfortable."

Talk about a match made in heaven — it sounds like Baldwin couldn't have found a better partner to deliver her yoga tips for kids and zen parenting advice. And given how hectic life can get with young kids, I have a feeling many parents out there will appreciate her wisdom.