Over the last few years, Ben and Erin Napier have become one of the most popular fixtures on HGTV. Audiences have fallen in love with the couple as they renovate and transform properties in Laurel, Mississippi on their series Home Town. They’ve also built up quite the following on social media by bringing fans into their own home and lives outside the show, and giving little snippets about their daughters Helen and Mae.
Whether it’s Ben’s weight loss journey or Erin reminiscing about their 20-year love story, the two are all about adding a little positivity to everyone’s often toxic timelines. Ahead of Home Town’s return on HGTV on December 29, the Napiers get candid about the challenges of being successful parents while managing business.
People love seeing your family life. What are viewers going to see on that end when Home Town comes back?
Erin Napier: Helen doesn’t really want to be on TV. Mae doesn’t even know what it is. She doesn’t know what we do for a job. She just says we fix ugly and sad houses. For both of them, they kind of feel like because all of their family and friends are part of it, they think that is what everyone’s mommy and daddy does. That everybody has a TV show. For Helen, she is more of an introvert and private. So, you don’t see a lot of them on TV this year. If they are on TV, it’s because they absolutely had to be there with us.
Ben Napier Instagram
As the kids are getting older, is it becoming easier or more difficult to juggle all these projects while also trying to be present parents?
Erin: It’s so hard. It’s harder for our work family because they know the girls and our home life is our first priority. So we have to say no to so many things. We have to say no to schedule changes that are at the last minute. We say no to working after five. We say no to working overnight. We say no to almost everything that might disrupt the girls’ lives.
Ben Napier: This is something that is not the norm I’d say for most couples. I’d say because Erin and I go to work together every day. So our girls are not accustomed to either mommy being at home or daddy being at home.
Erin: They need all of us together.
Ben: It may come off as weird. I‘m sure some psychiatrists out there would have a field day with this, but our girls don’t act the normal way they act when it’s just one of us. They act out.
Erin: We’re juggling it.
Like all parents do.
Erin: Exactly. You just have to prioritize what you say no to because when you say yes to something, you’re really saying no to something else. That’s what we are always trying to figure out. What are we saying no to that we can say no to?
Erin Napier Instagram
You two bring such a relatability. I think that comes when you also share some nice posts like photos of you with your daughters.
Ben: I think there are a lot of people who see our big moments, but a marriage or relationship or life is made up of little moments. Those are the things that are most important. I write notes to Erin, and she makes my coffee.
Erin: We’re both criminally sentimental.
Ben: It’s a problem, but there are big special moments. Getting to build my daughter’s crib. After the Christmas season, I was just thinking about it this morning. I’m going to be taking down our crib. The crib I built before Helen was born. It won’t go up again until we’re grandparents. That is a massive moment. That was a huge mountaintop moment. It’s really difficult, but I’m hoping taking it down will be as exciting as it was to put it up in a different way.
Erin: Yeah. There is grief in your kids getting older. There is also tons of joy.
RelatedErin Napier Recalls Moment She Fell In Love With Husband Ben
After marking 20 years together, did you do anything special to celebrate the milestone together?
Ben: We were in New York the following week for media for the Salvation Army. We had a big dinner planned. Just the two of us. We were going to dinner, and it was going to be great. Then after a day of being in the city with the girls and exhausted, we just decided to…
Erin: We just thought, “Let’s just put on pajamas and DoorDash.” We don’t have to have fancy dates anymore. That’s a huge thing for us. We’ve gotten very good at celebrating at home and making it special.
Ben: My thought was always we’d do some special dinner date somewhere. Then when we had the girls, I knew it was more important to Erin to be at home and have a relaxing dinner. Then we would put the girls to bed and do a special dinner a home. Now Helen doesn’t go to bed until 8:30 p.m. We’re in bed by 9. I haven’t quite figured out how to navigate the date night yet.
Home Town premiere, December 29, 8/7c, HGTV
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