Paige Souza didn’t set out to share playroom organization tips or practical style recommendations to tens of thousands of people online. When she started posting snapshots from everyday life in Fairfield with her new baby during the pandemic, it was in an effort to connect with friends and family who were missing out on getting to know her growing family.
Flash forward a few years, and the former elementary school teacher has amassed a following of local moms and fans from all over the world who connect with her genuine outlook on motherhood, no-nonsense tips on how to make it through those long days, and finding balance through it all. They delight in watching her parent her 6-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son while making space for the more humdrum realities of daily life as a stay-at-home parent.
“I like to think that I'm an open book,” she told Fairfield Lifestyle, adding that she’s shared her thoughts on controversial experiences over the years partially to destigmatize them. Using formula, having an unplanned C-section, and divulging details from her more recent health journey are choices that might “ruffle people's feathers, but are things that people immediately can connect with,” she said. “It feels really heavy to share those things initially, but then I get messages from people who thank me so much for sharing. I just feel seen, and that's the whole point.”
While social media might have its issues, Paige sees her role in it to help others and promote positivity. Some of her more popular posts have to do with finding joy outside of motherhood through exercise, mom nights out, dates with her husband, or travel. “Sharing that kind of stuff is also eye-opening for other moms because maybe they're not in that season right now, but they see the light at the end of the tunnel and they're like: ‘Okay, her kids are six and three, and I'll be there one day.’”
She also offers many practical ideas that have worked for her while trying to, for example, change a behavior (get yourself a star jar), be crafty (ask ChatGPT to create custom coloring pages), teach a Kindergartener to read (repurpose their unfinished worksheets), or transition out of the napping stage (Paige’s current “Roman Empire”). Her 4:00 pm snack plates are the perfect way to stave off the witching hour, and when dealing with kids home on a snow day, she recommends bringing the white stuff inside for them play with on a sheet tray or plastic tub (spoiler alert: this may result in a few extra minutes of being able to enjoy coffee while it’s still hot). Paige is mindful about intentionally sharing tips that have worked for her, with the caveat that every kid and every family are different.
“If you're watching my content, I don't want to waste your time,” Paige said. “When you're tapping along, I hope that there's a link that will help you or there's a moment where you're like, ‘Oh my God, it's a full moon. Thank you for sharing that!’”
Paige also coined the “solidarity swipe,” where she quickly shares a story or image of something relatable that happened to her and asks people to connect, no further comments required. “Just swipe because you get it mom-to-mom,” she explained. “I feel like I can safely vent and then people can just swipe and then keep tapping. They don't have to reach out to me because I also don't always have the bandwidth to respond immediately, which makes me feel guilty even though that's the whole point of social media: to be social. Sometimes I don't want to be social. I just want to have the space.”
As her following has grown, big brands have taken notice. Through partnership deals, she’s been able to engage her family with her work as an influencer and help them save money for the future as well. But as her kids are growing, Paige is mindful about how they might want to be presented online.
“It's such a weird thing to navigate because there's a lot of scary thoughts around kids being exposed on the internet,” she said. “I'm at the point where I'll show [Lily] every so often, and people who've been around for a while are like, ‘Oh my gosh, she's gotten so big.’ That’s confirming to me that I don't always show her, and I feel good about that.”
As someone whose platform was built organically, Paige also likes to promote local businesses as a way of giving back. “If I go somewhere fun with my kids or to a business that I know is going to help a mom in town, I want to share it,” she said. “Also, it's hard being a business owner and word of mouth is so powerful.”
If you see Paige around town, don’t be afraid to stop her and say hello. “I may be caught off guard because my kids are probably around me and I'm overstimulated nine times out of 10, but it always feels really good when people have nice things to say about my content.”
Find out more about Paige and follow along on Instagram @paigem_souza.
Paige’s Fairfield Favorites:
Dinner Hack: Kitchen Melissa for yummy, healthy meal prep - kitchenmelissa.com
Me Time: The best spray tan at Sun Kissed Glow Beauty Bar - sunkissedmobileglow.com
Sweet Treat: A post-school cookie at The Corner Market and Sandwich Shop -thecornermarketct.com
Family Fun: Hands On Pottery for great screen-free family time - hopct.com
Recharge: Pizza at Sasco Beach
OOTD Inspo: Ariel Dober Style for styling - arieldoberstyle.com
Kid Stuff: Cuts at Hair cthair.com
Sweat Sesh: FS8 and ASAP Training for high quality workouts ffs8.com and asaptrainingct.com
“If you're watching my content, I don't want to waste your time,” Paige said. “When you're tapping along, I hope that there's a link that will help you or there's a moment where you're like, ‘Oh my God, it's a full moon. Thank you for sharing that!’”