It’s Meet a Mom Monday! This week’s Meet a Mom feature is Laura Bityou Beriau, Chicago mom & children’s book author! ! Keep reading our interview below, where Laura shares more about mom life, her journey to become an author, and some amazing recommendations for her favorite neighborhood in the city. Be sure to learn more about Laura & her wonderful books at her website and social media at @mommymomsbookshelf! Thank you Laura for sharing with us today!
If you are a local mom that would like to be featured in our “Meet a Mom” series, please send an email to [email protected]
Thanks for chatting with us today, Laura! Can you tell us a little about yourself, and what brought you to Chicago?
Thank you for interviewing me! Sure, I am a first-generation Assyrian American who is passionate about family, friends, and education. Before becoming a children’s book author, I spent over 10 years in education as a teacher and most recently as a Dean of Students/Culture Coordinator. I grew up in the Chicagoland area but fell in love with Chicago after attending Loyola University. Now, I enjoy spending most of my free time spending time with my family and friends, volunteering, and reading my children’s books across the city to schools, bookstores, and other local venues.
How many kids do you have and what ages are they?
I have two sweet toddlers!
What is your favorite thing about being a mom? What do you love most about the current phase of motherhood that you are in?
Aside from the cuddles, my favorite part of being a mom is spending time with them and watching them grow, particularly seeing how their dynamic personalities develop. At every stage, there is a new aha moment I’m lucky to witness!
What I love most about the current phase of motherhood is spending quality time during these early years doing what they love to do the most, like reading, arts & crafts, going to the park, etc.
What’s your favorite neighborhood? Can you share any recommendations about places we should check out?
My favorite neighborhood in Chicago is Andersonville, and I have so many recommendations; it’s hard to narrow just a few! Some great picks include Little Bad Wolf, Ora Sushi, Hopleaf for dinner/drinks, The Understudy and Eli Tea Bar for coffee/tea, Sandbox Baby Boutique for children’s clothing, Violet Hawthorne and Milk Handmade for clothing, Rare Form and ENJOY for unique gifts, Salon Aken for haircuts, and of course, one of my favorite bookstores, Women and Children First.
What do you love most about raising your kids in the city?
I love raising our children in Chicago because there is so much the city offers including a plethora of family friendly activities and impactful experiences we can do together.
Tell us more about your career journey, and how it led you to become a children’s book author!
My educational career and background was ignited by an invaluable lesson I learned from my parents: education is the only thing no one can take from you. This lesson propelled me into my career as a school teacher and administrator. The shift to becoming a children’s book author happened after I had my children. I decided to stay home and wrote a gratitude love poem to them that became my first book, You and Me. My second book, Animal Who?, was also inspired by both my educational background and my children, as it uses onomatopoeia and 5w’s & H (who, what, where, when, why & how) to teach about animals.
You’re currently a board member of the Loyola University Libraries, can you tell us more about this role and how you got involved?
I first became involved with the Loyola University Libraries with the launch of their Alumni Author’s Collection. I was honored to have my first book, You and Me, as part of their collection. Since then, I have advocated for the alunni author’s program through volunteering with the Libraries to collaborate on outreach, specifically to organize a story time in the local community. Afterwards, I was recognized as a member of the Friends of the Libraries Advisory Board in their most recent Libraries IMPACT report for my volunteer work.
Who has inspired you most in your life to get you where you are today?
My family, especially my children, inspired me the most to get to where I am today, and they also continue to inspire me every day.
Rapid Fire Round:
Fun Fact about yourself: I have a twin sister 🙂
Must have beauty product: Benefit Dandelion Highlighter Twinkle Powder
Go-to coffee order: Iced Vanilla Latte, but I actually usually get tea more often 🙂
Favorite holiday: Christmas
Most productive time of day: Morning
Advice you’d give your younger self: Trust yourself
Favorite TV Show or Movie: Back to the Future
Best vacation destination: Santorini, Greece