We are visting with Laura Crawford of Kodomo Sushi. The goal at Kodomo Sushi is to invite kids on a journey of broadening their pallets and tastes through sushi.
Laura, welcome!
Fatherville (FV): What motivated you to create a site about Kids and Sushi? In other words tell us a little bit about your vision.
Laura Crawford (LC): I was first motivated to create recipes for sushi that kids could enjoy, as well as adults who may have aversions to sushi, when I saw my son, who at the time was a little over 3 years old, eating with chopsticks. At first I started giving him anything small that a chopstick could easily pick up, and then the idea sparked to make sushi. The sticky rice is perfect to pick up with chopsticks, and of course little fingers that may not be experts in the use of spoons and forks yet, and it’s a fun way to sneak in new veggies or foods your picky child may otherwise not try.
FV: Kodomo Sushi sounds Japanese…have you travelled to Japan?
LC: I have. Not so much the mainland, I only passed through customs on my way to Okinawa where I made two visits while my husband was stationed there. It is an incredibly beautiful country!
FV: How long has your site been online?
LC: My site has been online since January of 2011. However I kept putting it on hold, letting other things get in the way. Just recently I have decided that I need to make this a priority and move forward with it. >
FV: In a perfect world what would be the ultimate outcome of your website? Would it become a full-time undertaking? Is it only a hobby? Is there a recipe book in the making?
LC: My goal is for this website to be a full-time gig for me. Of course as a freelance writer/editor, and social media/website manager I do have other commitments, but as far as what I do online for me personally this is my main concentration.I would love to publish a book with my most popular recipes in the future; a dream and goal of mine.
FV: How did you decide on the title for the site? I mean why that name?
LC: When I was brainstorming a name for the site, I wanted to use a Japanese word for ‘kid’. So, in google translator I typed in the word ‘kid’, and ‘kodomo’ is what I got as a translation. Kodomo also means child, and I’ve seen it used as a phrase, ‘for the sake of the child/childfren.” Either way, Kodomo fits the theme of the site.
FV: Who are you targeting as your main audience?
LC: Parents with children of all ages; preschoolers, kindergarteners, tweens, teens, even adults. I think 3 is a great age to start making your children sushi, although I have fed it to my 2 year old twins. Any parent will know when their child is ready, and the great thing about sushi is you can make it any size. Naturally I wouldn’t make the same sized rolls as we adults might get when ordering in a restaurant. Sushi is fun for everyone, and can be made in so many varieties, I really think any age applies as my target audience. >
FV: In your opinion what are some of the biggest challenges that parents face today?
LC: Society. What you should do with/for your children. What you shouldn’t do. Parents are constantly getting pressured from all sides. >
FV: Who were your childhood heroes?
LC: I looked up to those in the military. Fighting real battles, saving real people. Constantly putting others’ needs before their own wants. Funny looking back on that now, and I’m married to a US Marine. >
FV: Who are your heroes today?
LC: Still our nations service members, and of course my husband. Our United States Armed Forces are true American Heroes. >
FV: Laura, would you say you are living your dream? Did you always want to be an writer?
LC: As a stay-at-home-mom I feel very fortunate to be able to do something I love and still be home with my children. I never wanted to have to put them in a daycare. So, yes, I’d say I’m living my dream. I have always loved writing, but never considered it as a JOB or profession until I became a mother. I can truly say I’m very happy doing what I’m doing.
FV: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Your passions, hobbies, goals for the future.
LC: I have a (almost) 5 year old, and twin 2 year olds, as well as a husband in the military, so I find I often don’t think too far ahead in the future. But when I get the chance to daydream about it… I would love to be able to take on more freelance gigs once all of my children are in school. I really love writing and editing, as well as managing websites and social media accounts. I love that I’m helping out others, and the flexibility for me that it provides.My passions/hobbies: I love to paint with oils and acrylics and look forward to getting back into that some day. Probably once the kids get a little older, it would be fun to paint with them. I also hope to take my children on scuba diving trips once they are of age.
FV: Is there anything you would like to share about your site or your long term vision for the site?
LC: There are so many fantastic food bloggers/writers out there. I see their recipes all over the interest, especially in places like Pinterest. I would love to see my site become one in which I would see the recipes on it being shared, and know that people really do enjoy making sushi at home for their kids and family. One of the visions for my site is to achieve that, and a better awareness for how easy and fun making sushi can be at home as well as a way to provide a new and creative way to introduce new foods to children while helping to culturally broaden their tastes.
Laura Crawford is the owner/operator of Kodomo Sushi where kids are invited on a journey of broadening their pallets and tastes through sushi.
Tweet