Issue link: https://fredparent.uberflip.com/i/578359
12 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • October 2015 BY AMY BAYNE K aren Jonas lives life in the public eye as a singer, but off- stage she shares more in common with her fans than they may know. Jonas has two daughters, June and Hazel, and is expecting a baby boy this winter. Rather than approaching her pro- fessional life as something that must be weighed against her role as a parent, Jonas finds that sharing her passion for her profes- sion and allowing her children to see the fulfillment she gets from pursuing her chosen career is an integral part of raising self-reliant and confident children. Jonas says she finds a certain balance in the routine and struc- ture she creates for her girls during the day. She explains, "You know, you have to get up and make breakfast for these beautiful little faces that are at your bed. They need you to get your day started. At home, we get distracted by the everyday cleaning and chores, so part of our routine is to visit a lot of coffee shops. We walk around town, and we have a little bag with our crayons and things in it. It gets the girls out and meeting people." There have been surprises to parenting that Jonas would never have expected; no matter how much problem solving or guidance she offers her girls, much of parenting has been helping June and Hazel to accept themselves. Jonas explains, "I thought my influence would be more than what it is, but the girls have their own person- Karen Jonas: Trust Your Instincts alities. I've learned that being able to accept and work with that is the strongest way to parent. I am here to help them figure out what they need to be successful." Though her own passion is music, Jonas says she doesn't feel it's her place to push her girls into the field simply because she chose it. "There's music around our house, but they consider that to be Mom's job. I think that's an important example to set, that your passion and your art can be your livelihood. There are a lot of people who aren't able to make that scenario work, but I'm grateful to have that opportunity." Babysnap Photography, Fredericksburg, VA