Today we’d like to introduce you to Bethany Farnsworth.
Hi Bethany, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m Bethany, and I run the Instagram account @austinwithkids. We moved to Austin in late 2019 with a baby and a toddler. We’d lived in Houston and Dallas, but we’d always thought Austin might be the best fit for us, so we were eager to explore. I had started an Instagram account for a very brief stint with a company that rents out baby gear, and I realized it was way more fun to show people what to do with their kids in Austin rather than show them the baby gear they could rent while they were here. So, I ran with that idea instead and started posting the places we were going. COVID kept us home for a bit, but once we could, we started going to new parks and playgrounds every day. And posting about it motivated me to keep trying different places. Since then, we’ve just kept going — there’s always more places to go and new businesses opening!
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I started this account for fun and to explore Austin, but I hoped it would be a resource for other parents at some point. Instagram is fickle, and growth could be faster, so it took a long time to feel like people were seeing what I was posting. But I just stuck to a consistent posting schedule, and it helped that we were enjoying going to all of these places, so eventually, Instagram caught up. There’s also a pressure that comes with getting more followers. You need to post more first, which is hard to do with kids! I follow many great Austin influencers who post about all the new and best restaurants and big events, so I sometimes feel like I should be doing more. But I remind myself that the main point is to enjoy the time with my kids and do things they’ll like, not drag them around town when I can tell they need a break.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to be more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
On my Instagram, @austinwithkids, I post about all the fun activities, kid-friendly restaurants, and best playgrounds around the Austin area. It has become my mission to promote Austin as the most parent-friendly city in the country. There’s this idea that once you have kids, you’re stuck at home or only going to places adults hate. But that’s not the case in Austin. There are tons of places that your child-free friends will like just as much as your kids will. There are more than 40 restaurants and breweries around the area with playscapes! That’s insane! It’s so much less isolating as parents to be able to enjoy the local spots in your city or meet up with friends without having to get a babysitter every time! I love that I get to share these places with everyone on Instagram, and I’m so happy when people tell me that my account has helped them find things to do with their kids. As a person who likes to know what to expect when I go somewhere (especially when you’re in the little-kid stage), I love being able to provide that detail to make people feel a little more confident! My background is in journalism, and I feel a bit like I’m reporting from the front lines of parenthood — giving the necessary info I’d want to know when bringing my kids somewhere. What’s the parking like? Is there shade? Will the kids be bored? Am I going to be mad that I spent so much money? I try to give my followers the full picture so they can decide if it’s right for their family right now.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
When it comes to the big things, I’m not a risk-taker. I like stability and knowing what to expect. But in the more minor, day-to-day things, there’s a lot of room for getting out of your comfort zone and putting yourself out there. Whether that means meeting new people to grow your network or taking your kids on an adventure when it feels overwhelming, it’s always useful, even if it doesn’t go great. You learn things, and you feel more confident the next time. We normally think of risk-taking as saying yes to new things, but it can also be a risk to say no to opportunities. It’ll feel like you’re missing out on a possibility, but you know in your gut if it’s a good fit. Saying yes to the wrong things can pull you in too many directions and away from your priorities, so taking the risk of turning down an opportunity can help keep you focused on what’s important.
Contact Info:
- Website: austinwithkids.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/austinwithkids
Image Credits
Cheyenne Morris Photography, Bethany Farnsworth
