July 21, 2021—my husband and I carefully fastened every latch and buckle, double- and triple-checking to make sure our newborn’s car seat was secure. We were bringing our three-day-old son, Theo, home from the hospital in Brooklyn, NY, for the first time, but what surprised us most wasn’t the weight of new parenthood—it was that our Uber driver didn’t seem to share in our excitement for our baby’s first-ever car ride.
New York City had been magical in so many ways, but after Theo’s birth, we quickly discovered that raising kids in NYC requires one of two things—family support or an exorbitant amount of money. We had neither. And so, just a couple of months later, we packed up our life and made our way back to Memphis.
Since our time at Rhodes and a few years living downtown after graduation, we had missed Memphis—a city that, in my opinion, is lovely yet often misunderstood. We were elated to be back.
Fast forward to today: Theo is now almost four, and we just welcomed our second son, Miles. I often think back to my 45-minute (sometimes hour-and-a-half) subway commute in NYC, where no one in my office left before 6 PM. Now, I feel deeply thankful for the pace of Memphis, especially as a working mom who constantly thinks about the holistic development of my boys—hoping and praying that they grow to be joyful, thoughtful, kind, critical thinkers who bring peace to the world, leaning in with a spirit of curiosity.
That was a long way to introduce what I’ll be discussing: a Saturday in the life of a momma in Memphis.
When the weekend—or what we like to call “stay-at-home days”—arrives, there are so many activities we love to do. But if there’s one that trumps all others, it’s getting lost in the woods somewhere, usually at Shelby Forest. On Saturday mornings, Theo and I often find ourselves on the Woodland Trail, a scenic one-mile loop (with the option for a three-mile loop), followed by a stop at the Shelby Forest General Store for a grilled cheese, a burger, and sometimes even an ice cream sandwich.
On other days, we explore the Children’s Museum, where you will find Theo with a new friend, both laser-focused as they bond over efficiently and rigorously lining up the FedEx packages as they roll off the airplane conveyor belt. He also adores the paint screens and, no surprise here, the carousel.
We also love visiting the Memphis Zoo (shout-out to my aunt and uncle, who have gifted us a membership in the past—highly recommend this as a gift for Memphis parents!). If you go, feeding the giraffes is well worth the extra $3 for an up-close (and sometimes slightly slobbery) experience.
Another favorite? Tom Lee Park, where Theo can run free and climb at the Monstrum-designed playground—a world-renowned Danish company that builds adventure-driven play spaces without the sometimes overly cautious approach of many American playgrounds.
We also love heading to Overton Park, where we take a loop around the pond or meander along one of the many trails in the forest. Or we visit the Memphis Botanic Garden for a stroll through the gardens, a moment of pure fascination with the giant orange and white koi fish gliding through the water, and a full-blown rock show in the playhouse at My Big Backyard – where kitchen pots and pans double as the perfect drum set for little musicians.
And while we’re still willing the trolley to make a comeback, we make the most of our walks on Main Street Downtown, reminiscing on our days of living at The Chisca and soaking in the magic of the city. We also love visiting the Downtown Farmers Market, where Theo enjoys the kids’ area with crafts while we browse all the awesome local vendors.
There’s no shortage of adventures with little humans in Memphis—from splashing in the fountains at Crosstown Concourse to exploring nature trails and playgrounds both in and right outside the city. Memphis has so much to offer, and I’m grateful to raise my boys in a place full of discovery and wonder.
This blog was written by Kendall McNeil, Data Scientist at City Leadership
Kendall McNeil is City Leadership’s Data Scientist. She has experience in coding, data analytics, education, and project management.
