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Dana Gutkowski
I am the mother of none, but the very proud Aunt to four beautiful children. I did absolutely no work to create them, but I will do everything in my power to help raise them.
Latest posts by Dana Gutkowski (see all)
- How can I be a good aunt? - May 19, 2021
- Aunt Quotes - March 19, 2021
- End Your Silence. Support Black Lives Matter - June 29, 2020
Hello there fellow Aunts and Aunties. Welcome back to Auntieviews. I recently had the pleasure of virtually meeting Liz Reach, the creator of Reach The ScienceTeach while networking within a FaceBook group for bloggers. She’s new to the blogging world as well as Aunthood, being that her nephew is only 18 months old, but those minor details didn’t stop her from agreeing to be interviewed to share her experiences thus far. Becoming an Aunt and welcoming a new addition to her family has been an eye-opener. Her little tot has already stolen her heart and she’s wildly excited to start this new chapter in her life. Like many Aunts, Liz explained her outlook on Aunthood with beaming pride. “I’m a first-time Aunt. Everything is special. Getting to experience all the auntie feels for the first time is so exciting. I didn’t know I could love anything as instantaneously as when I saw his sonogram photo via Skype. Also, my creativity and imagination kick up a few gears when I’m with him and I know whatever we do, which is limited by his age right now, will be pure fun.”
Background
Liz grew up in Dunmore, Pennsylvania, but now resides just outside of Reading, Pennsylvania. She relocated there to pursue a career in the metal industry after meeting her boyfriend of 11 years. Although she spent many years working in sales, she decided to redirect her path. She now teaches science to 5th and 6th graders. As she put it, “ I thought it was my dream job, but the only thing better than teaching science is being an Aunt!”
Her passion for science also extends outside of the classroom. She blogs on her site Reach The Science Teach to share with you her materials, experiences, ideas, and opinions for all things STEM, science, middle school, PBL, curriculum design related. Blogging combines her need to write, fulfills her entrepreneurial desire, and provides an opportunity to learn something new. Liz states, “5th and 6th-grade science are not “tested” subjects and don’t get as much attention as they should. I want to share what I do in my classroom to inspire and connect with others.”
When Liz isn’t tapping away at the keyboard creating lesson plans or blogging, she spends a lot of her time with family and friends. She also enjoys DIY-ing, home improvement projects, and gardening. That sounds like enough to keep another busy for hours, but she doesn’t stop there. She’s now training my dog and working with her towards therapy dog certification so she can accompany her with volunteering opportunities. But wait! There’s more! Liz also recently added hiking, kayaking, and trying new outdoor things, as new hobbies. Whoa! Her nephew is gonna have a lot of things to bond over when he gets older!
Now let’s get on to this adventurous Auntie’s Auntieview!
The Interview:
Please describe your background as an Aunt.
I’ve been an aunt for 18 months. My brother and sister-in-law were living in Europe until just before Max’s 1st birthday.
Are you also a Mother or are you a childless Aunt?
I’m a mother to 2 furbabies. Orion is a 2-year-old lab/shepard/husky mix. Max is the first and only baby that Orion has been around. Although she likes to sniff Max, which Max is definitely not a fan of, she is a different type of gentle around him. Luna is my 6-year-old cat. She met Max one time and for her, it was one time too many. Luna came around the corner into the living room and Max started crawling towards her. She jumped when he started to move and ran away.
If you can think back to when you were first told you were going to be an Aunt, what were some of the emotions that you felt?
Pure joy and excitement, and surprisingly, instantaneous love for the little peanut shape in the photograph I was shown. Praying for a safe and healthy pregnancy and delivery for my sister-in-law. And so many ideas for the future for this little bundle, whom I didn’t know was a boy until several hours after he was born due to time zone differences.
What does your nephew call you?
Let me sigh, yet with a smile on my face. I did hear Max say “Liz” one time on Father’s Day. That is the only time and I know it’ll eventually come. 🙂 I call him Max or my little buddy.
Many Aunts are often looked at and referred to as second Moms to their niblings. Do you feel like that’s a fair way to describe your relationship with yours?
I don’t agree with the description because it takes away from the amazing parents. I do see how in some families it is a fitting description.
Do you live close to your nieces and nephews or are you a long-distance Aunt?
I’m about 2 hours away.
As a long distance Aunt, what is something that you do to stay connected with your nephew?
Facetime is awesome for chatting, although right now, Max prefers to play with the different filters. Tinybeans (awesome app) allows me to see daily pictures and videos of Max. With them living in Europe his first year it was great to see him hit his milestones and look at all the cute outfits he wore. Now as a toddler, it’s great to see what he does, hiding behind a tree, helping Daddy play his guitar, climbing at the park, swinging. And of course, I take advantage of any time I get to see him in person.
As an Aunt, what do you consider to be the biggest value you bring to your family?
I like to think I’m the cheerleader for everyone. I like to celebrate the great the moments and keep in touch with everyone.
In general, why do you think Aunts are important within to families?
Aunts bring the fun and presents! Aunts bring balance and different perspectives, too. Not specific to my family, but sometimes I see strict parents where an Aunt brings in more fun. Sometimes I see parents who are absent or too care-free and the Aunt brings in a healthy structure.
Even though your niblings needs have evolved from when they were very young until now, is there anything about your relationship with them that has remained constant?
It’s hard to pinpoint because Max is so young. It seems that he examines and studies things; if that is the case, I imagine we will always have great conversations (and hopefully a lot of science-related topics!)
I make it a point to schedule “just us” time with my niblings. Do you do the same?
Yes! I offer to babysit or take Max out for walks. I get down on the floor to play with him. We might take a little step away from the family just to check things out or chat about what we see. While we were at our cottage this summer, we took a little walk around the cottage. We talked about the rocks on the road, the plants on the hill that prevent erosion, named everyone’s car. Then, we played the drums on the tree stumps. A fun, little adventure that I am sure will grow to others as he grows.
What is one good piece of advice that you would give it to any new Aunt?
Sign and the date the books you give. Spoil more with experiences. Workout. (In just a few hours of play, I easily do 4,731 squats!)
What is one of the biggest difficulties you’ve experienced as an Aunt? How did you overcome it if at all?
Max was a little older when he was baptized and it was unexpected that the Godmother, me, would hold him over the fountain. The most painful thing I had to do was after I tipped him backward and he started screaming and flailing his arms and legs, trying to constrain him so the priest could finish. He was so scared. He would not come near me the rest of the day. He’s over it now. Someday, I hope to be over it. 🙂
What’s your proudest moment as an Aunt?
There have been so many proud moments, but if I have to pick one…. My brother told me that The ABCs of Math and the ABCs of Science are two of Max’s favorite books. Books I gave him. When I babysat one night, I felt proud that not only did he pick to read these books, but he knew so many of the words!! It’s one thing when a toddler knows his animals and vehicles, but when he can point out the prime numbers and identify Doppler effect, well, my heart jumps with joy!
If you could go back in time and give your younger Auntie self a piece of advice but would it be? And why?
For less than 2 years, I think I’m doing pretty good. I just have to keep his bedtime in mind and try to call when it’s bedtime.
I was once told that being a Mom is all cake and being an Aunt is like icing on the cake. How do you feel about that comparison?
Cake is good. Icing is good. But, together they are great! And doesn’t everyone always ask for a piece with lots of icing?
If you had to compare your relationship as an Aunt to one food what would it be and why?
Being an aunt is like pierogies. I could eat pierogies every day for the rest of forever, never tiring of them and always looking forward to the next meal. Sometimes, pierogies are the meal. Sometimes they are part of the meal. I’ve never met a person who didn’t like pierogies!
Would you like to share your story of Aunthood?
Use the contact form below and I’ll email you back to get your Auntieview started!
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