HGTV’s Erin Napier Celebrates Daughter’s Major Milestone With New Photos of Her Kids
What To Know
- Erin Napier shared a heartfelt memory to celebrate her youngest daughter, Mae, starting kindergarten.
- Erin shared the memory alongside new photos of her and Ben Napier’s two daughters.
- The HGTV couple have been open about their homeschooling journey, emphasizing its positive impact on their family’s connection and childhood experience.
Erin Napier is feeling sentimental as her youngest daughter reaches a major school milestone.
The HGTV star shares her two daughters, Helen and Mae, with her husband, Ben Napier. In a Thursday, July 23, Instagram post, Erin looked back on a heartfelt memory while sharing new photos of herself with her kids.
“Mae is about to start kindergarten,” Erin shared. “The night before Helen went to kindergarten, I drove to the store after she was in bed to get bacon for her special breakfast the next day. I turned on the song we listened to coming home from the hospital when she was born and cried so hard I couldn’t catch my breath, feeling her babyhood ending with such finality. I called my mama who laughed, because she didn’t have any memory of my first day of kindergarten.”
Erin noted that a “great upside to homeschooling is I don’t have that feeling at all this time,” adding, “We bought her school supplies and she was giddy putting those Ticonderogas and a 3 ring binder in the buggy. I’ll be there when she reads a sentence for the first time and she’s so excited to read a book on her own soon. We’ve figured out how to slow down the clock and savor these little years.”
Erin shared her life update alongside a sweet snap of herself walking on the beach with Helen and Mae, as well as a photo of Mae making a heart with her hands around the setting sun.
View this post on Instagram
Fans shared their reactions to Erin’s story in the post’s comments, with one user noting, “We weren’t as emotional about our kid’s milestones back then. We didn’t have social media so we didn’t know we were supposed to.”
Another commenter said, “I’ve never understood why anyone would want to keep their kids babies and not be excited to see them grow and learn new things. If they’re hitting the next milestone like kindergarten, or moving on to middle school, it’s means they’re thriving and you’re doing a good job as a mother.” Erin replied to the comment, writing, “No exactly. I want to see them hit those milestones, personally. Not just hear about them.”
Someone else shared, “Yes! I homeschool my two boys for this reason exactly. Soaking up all the minutes. Being there for the special moments. And still crying my eyes out but for different reasons.”
Erin and Ben, who host HGTV’s Home Town, have been open about their decision to homeschool their kids. “It’s not a non-negotiable, it’s what we’re trying this year,” Erin shared in a December 2025 interview with People. “But they’ve never had devices, they’ve never held phones or tablets or iPads. We’re trying to live like it’s our childhood again.”
Back in May, Erin celebrated the end of her kids’ school year via Instagram. “Somehow, we did it! 2nd grade / k-4 are [done],” she wrote. “This is what I want you parents who think you’d like to homeschool but you’re afraid you can’t: if you can find 2 hours a day and ‘open and go’ curriculums, you can do it.”
She continued, “These girls are so happy, so good at communicating with all ages and types of people. And we feel like we soaked up every moment of growing up they did, instead of feeling shocked by it each passing week. We found the hack to slowing down childhood. It’s not for everyone, but it was medicine for our whole family this year.”
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M
Erin, reading your article is so heartfelt. My daughter, Erin is 44 with now teenagers of her and Jason, but I can remember her first day of kindergarten like it was yesterday. I can remember her saying to me "you don't need to walk me to my room, I know where I'm going." At that moment I realized we had reached the first milestone and that every book we read at bedtime, every game she learned to play, learning to spell her name, was every parents goal for their child to succeed not just so fast.
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B
We are so glad we followed God in homeschooling our four children! Yes there are ups and downs in life but when God placed these children in our hands we wanted to raise them knowing the author of all wisdom who gives our life joy and meaning. What a blessing to be able to do this and see Christ's majesty as we study science, math, etc. We have been so blessed! As we homeschooled our children we were able to travel with my husband's work and they saw many museums and zoos, etc. that would not have otherwise been possible. They also learned to cherish people of all ages as God's wonderful blessings! Our children went into all different fields that took them to many different locations. So glad we got to experience life together as a family!
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M
Why don't you show your kids faces? Just asking 🤷🏾♀️
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A
If I remember correctly Helen was harassed by a stalker one time so Erin tries to protect what they look like from the public.
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8
Then why show them at all. Just make the article pictureless
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T
I agree with Erin. I feel it is a very smart move. This way others cannot harass them! Yes, there are disgusting lowlifes who like to do disgusting things like that.
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D
I think that every family has to find what works for them. Erin and Ben know their daughters better than anyone else so they know what works and doesn't work. Time stops for no one so solid decisions combined with love and care, how can you miss.
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