If you think being a working mom is hard on you, think about how hard it is on your kids! Kids see your stressed out and serious side all week long. Take a day to get to know your children and have fun together! It will not only help them deal with their time away from you during the day, but it will create special memories for both of you to remember the rest of your lives.
Showing posts with label mom entrepreneurs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mom entrepreneurs. Show all posts
This week, we took a poll to see how many of you ate dinner together as a family. While we only received 13 votes, the results were interesting. When asked how many times a week you eat together as a family at home:
38% - more than 5 times a week 23% - 4 to 5 times a week 15% - sometimes together but at a restaurant 7% - always together but at a restaurant 7% - 2-3 times a week 7% - Never. We are always on the go and everyone eats on their own time.
I'd say 38% of you are downright amazing (or lying - one or the other)! Truth is in the past 20 years family dinners have declined 33 percent and family vacations have decreased 28 percent. With parents working longer hours and kids' schedules being jam packed, there is a steady decline in overall family time together.
If you are like me, your schedule is crazy and you hardly have time for your kids, much less to cook! But that's where we are wrong says moms Rima Barkett and Claudia Pruett, authors of the new cookbook "Cooking Dinner". Rima grew up in Tuscany and she says, "In Italy where I'm from, dinner time is family time - no excuses. Nothing is more important. One person does the salad. One person puts on the pasta, Its time to be together." These two moms say even the busiest families can learn how to cook and enjoy a great meal together. (And did you know that when kids cook meals they are more likely to eat them?)
Rima and Claudia are busy working moms who love to cook. Both were introduced to the love of cooking and entertaining by their mothers and grandmothers and because of their experiences as instructors, chefs and restaurateurs, they decided to create a cookbook to help families learn to cook simple, delicious and healthy meals. Rima and Claudia also started a non-profit organization called the A Tavola Together Foundation that promotes healthy eating for school age children. They have taught students to cook in classrooms and community youth associations, and taught them both life skills and basic cooking techniques.
Their goal is to get families to eat together. Claudia stresses, "We have active kids, busy lifestyles, there is never enough time to get everything done. But, we undervalue ourselves as parents when we believe the time they spend with the coach is more important than the time they spend with us." This is right in tune with what the Mommy and Me Days project is all about - spending time together as a family!
I encourage you to plan to cook a meal this weekend as a family and eat together at your dinner table with no distractions, just FTT as we call it in our family, "Family Talkin' Time!"
Times are tough right now, and we can all use as much help as we can get. Problem is - when things get bad, where do people turn? Many people turn to non-profit organizations for help, but what happens when the non-profits begin to feel the effects of the recession? What happens when they don't have enough money to sustain the people that need help? Where do they turn? They turn to people who can donate, right? But, if you are like most of us hard working moms out there, after you've made your budget and cut your coupons, you are lucky if you have enough money to pay your bills, much less donate to a charity. Well, now there is a solution!
Two moms from upstate New York, Calandra Cruickshank and Dana Valdez are "moms on a mission" to create a sustainable stimulus plan to help families save money, drive traffic to businesses, and help fund non-profits from the national to the local level. Having launched a little over a week ago, their website CommonKindness.com is a revolutionary approach to the everyday coupons we are scavenging for during this recession.
Calandra Cruickshank and Dana Valdez of CommonKindness
Moms everywhere are practicing their coupon cutting skills looking for BOGO offers and 50 cents off their favorite brand of macaroni and cheese, trying to save every penny they can. At the same time, they are getting hit by donation requests from their son's soccer team, the local community center, and every other charity that is need right now. How can they do both without leaving someone out?
Through CommonKindness, moms can clip coupons online and donate to their favorite charities at the same time. Here is how it works: Businesses (both national and local) pay to advertise coupons on CommonKindness.com. Every time someone clips a coupon on their site the business pays a nominal fee to CommonKindness (similar to a pay per click program), who then donates 60% of that fee to charity. What makes it even cooler is that you can choose which charities the revenue from your coupon clippings goes to, down to the local level. For instance, say you clip a coupon for a box of cereal - you can choose for your donations to go to your local church or your son's soccer team! So, even when you don't have the money to give, you can still donate by clipping coupons. Talk about a great fundraising program - politicians take note!
Not only are these moms working to help make the world a better place, but they are inspiring their kids to do the same. They put together a summer internship for their kids in an effort to help them understand more about what their moms do and what CommonKindness is all about. Their children, Aidan and Rowan Cruickshank and Alyssa and Hailey Valdez, spent one week this summer developing a social media outreach program for CommonKindness, directed at teens and young adults. Cassandra told MommyandMeDays, "They were really engaged at the get-go and loved the idea of promoting the idea of "coupons with a conscience". They had to put together almost a business plan." The kids determined that the best way to get a message across to their generation was through YouTube videos, and so they produced 4 YouTube Clips like the one below to help their moms promote CommonKindness. Dana said she's always tried to teach them that, "hard work does pay off and everything they do today rolls into their future." With their internship, they got to see everything come full circle and have really participated in helping their moms promote CommonKindness.
What they are doing is really great. If you are a "coupon clipper", visit their website to clip coupons and know that when you do you are helping someone else too. If you are a charity, register on their site and guess what - they let you make your own "micro-site" on there to direct people to! And finally, if you own a business, I'd consider getting your coupons on there! And if none of these apply to you, then I simply urge you to show someone some common kindness this week!
This month we are featuring strong mothers who are working for a cause or have dedicated a part of their life to helping others. Jillian Wolstein, a 40-something mom from Cleveland, Ohio has dedicated the last 3 years to starting H.E.L.P., a non-profit organization that gives hope, education, love and protection to children in Malawi and throughout the world, starting with an education and health care. Even better, she has involved her four children (all under the age of 19) through the entire process.
“I needed my life at the end of the day to have meant more than that I was married to a very successful man, living in a mansion in Cleveland, Ohio raising my four children. My husband's family has been very philanthropic, There are half a dozen buildings with their name on it in Ohio. They write huge checks, which is very important, but I come from a family of social workers, and for me something was lacking in just the writing of a check.”, Jillian said.
Jillian wanted to be hands on in helping people, seeking the human connection and interaction with those she was helping, and she wanted her children to experience it first hand as well. Jillian shared her thoughts with us on the Western culture's view of the rich and poor:
“In Western cultures we judge someone by how much they are worth financially. It doesn't matter what their character, if they are rich we idolize them. So if you are poor, you must be stupid. Why else would you be poor? I wanted my kids to understand that there are much better ways to judge someone's character than financially. For the vast majority of people in the world, one has nothing to do with the other. If your parents have died, if your government can not provide for you and you don't have access to an education, you might be the most brilliant writer, the most gifted artist, but no one would ever know.”
Jillian and her family were in the process of building an enormous new house, but it was bittersweet, because she felt before she could be worthy of living in such a place, she needed to give back. Jillian said, “I decided on the plane home from Africa that I would come back and try to make a difference. I didn't know where or how I would do it, just that I needed to do something.” That’s when Jillian began her journey to start the H.E.L.P. organization to improve the lives of children in Malawi through education and health care.
As a very hands-on mother of four (all under the age of 19), Jillian has involved her kids in H.E.L.P. every step of the way, from volunteering locally to going to Malawi and donating their time at the school and medical clinic! We asked Jillian how her children were involved and this is what she said:
“My oldest son, Harrison, is a jazz guitarist. On our trip to Malawi, Harrison spent a lot of time with Joseph, a young man who played guitar in the village band. Harrison taught Joseph how to play the American guitar and Joseph taught Harrison how to play his homemade oil can guitar. At the end of the trip they exchanged guitars. The guitar is Joseph's most prized possession and he, along with his fellow band mates, teaches music at our school. They also travel the villages teaching about HIV/AIDS through song.”
“Ilana, my oldest daughter, is a gifted photographer. She took some amazing photos on her trip over and her school did their first ever student showing of her work. She has sold her prints at our events and there are some celebrities that have them hanging in their homes. Ilana also started an organization called SWAP. (Students with a purpose). She has had a benefit for Save Darfur and one for HELP. Ilana and her committee members did everything themselves, got the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for free, sent out corporate letters, hired bands, etc. They had an amazingly successful event and raised over $40,000 for HELP Malawi.”
“Shelby, my youngest daughter, decided to ask for donations instead of gifts for her Bat Mitzvah. People were very generous and she raised $35,000 for HELP. She came with me to Malawi, with her girlfriend and my mother. They helped to break the bricks for the school foundation. The leadership of SWAP has been turned over to her now as Ilana has left for college.”
“Merrick, my youngest, volunteers everyday after school in our office. He has sold our products at his school and has done two different school supply drives at area schools.”
“All four of my kids are fully committed to our projects and talk about going back all the time. My oldest son will be coming over this next summer with his cousin. My younger two ask me all the time about adopting one of the orphans from the village. I tell them that we have already adopted the whole village and that is so much better.”
Jillian has done an amazing job teaching her children how important it is to share your life with others and help them in their time of need. As mothers, it is our responsibility to instill these values and work ethics in our kids. This week I encourage you to think about ways you can teach your children to help - whether it is in Malawi or just helping an elderly neighbor down the street. Our children are watching what we do as moms. Let’s be the example that teaches them to help others!
How many of us call our kids, "Little Stinkers"? Probably quite a few of us, but one mom decided to start a tee shirt brand around the term. Britt Menzies is the founder of Stinky Kids, a children’s clothing brand that teaches kids about values. The StinkyKids motto teaches little stinkers everywhere to: “Always Be a Leader of Good”
The simple and sweet designs behind her business started from spending time with her kids. Her 2 and 1/2 year old daughter, who loved ballet, asked her to draw a picture of her as a ballerina. Britt never considered herself an artist, rather a doodler. She decided to try and paint a picture of her daughter as a ballerina on a canvas. Her daughter of course loved it, but much to her surprise so did her friends. She eventually brought some of her artwork to a local children's boutique to see if other families would be interested in getting a custom painting of their child. The man who ran the shop was happy to hang up her artwork, but thought her simple designs of the kids characters would sell well on shirts.
Completely flattered by his offer to buy the rights to her characters, Britt had her "aha moment" and decided to go into business herself. Since they always called their kids "little stinkers" they decided to name it "StinkyKids".
Britt says, "While I was creating my new company called StinkyKids, I began to appreciate my mom, Merrily, more than as a great mom, but as a fellow business woman. After her sister Emily died from uterine cancer, my mom decided to leave the corporate world and form a non-profit in her honor (booksbearsbonnets.org) which delivers gift boxes to cancer patients. As it is so hard to raise money for a non-profit, it made sense to partner my new company with her mission, therefore, StinkyKids, from inception, donates 10% of it’s profits towards the fight against cancer, specifically to Books, Bears and Bonnets, Inc."
Britt's kids have been involved with StinkyKids since its inception, and continue to help to this day."Max and Emma are my business partners. They are the ones that I bounce new ideas and creative direction with. If they like it, then that is a successful focus group. They always give me their suggestions to make it better. They also are the spokeskids for the brand. Emma is our model and Max makes sure everything sounds like it comes from a kid, not a mommy."Britt told MommyandMeDays.
Working from home can be hard. We asked Britt if she plans a "Mommy and Me Day", and she said,"Every day is mommy and me day with my kids. I am very lucky in that my kids love to be with me and my husband and we are a family unit for all activities. As my kids are in elementary school now, the weekends are mommy and me days. I do have time with each kid where we go to the movies or paint pottery together, but mostly we are all together. My husband travels a lot, so the kids and I work together to make the week's agenda work and still have fun together."
What are some of their favorite mommy and me day ideas?"Our favorite thing to do together is go to the movies. I have been taking Max to the movies since he was 2 years old (he is now 10) and Emma has been going since she was a newborn. I have kept all of the movie stubs in a scrapbook to remember all of the fun we had together and the movies we saw. We also really love our snuggle time together at the end of the day, on the couch."
Britt is living proof it is hard to balance being a full time mom and working from home. Check out how CNBC's BIG Idea with Donny Deutsch helped her organize her home office and teach her to manage her stress:
Check out www.stinkykids.com for some adorable shirts for your "little stinkers". StinkyKids shirts are carried in boutiques in Georgia, Florida and Illinois or can be ordered online. To find StinkyKids in your area click here.
Krista Watterworth is not your average mom. She is an interior designer, actress, author, HGTV host, and now she is a new mom to her son Griffon who is 1 year old. How does she balance it all? "It's been challenging in more ways than one," Krista says. Krista took time out of her busy schedule to talk to Mommy and Me Days about balancing her job as HGTV's host for Save My Bath and being a full time mommy and wife at the same time. Krista also gives us some great tips on how to spend your next Mommy and Me Day activity, by creating a theme for your kid's room and decorating together.
Being a relatively new mom of Griffon who is 1, has it been hard to balance your busy schedule as an author, television personality and interior designer?
"It's been challenging in more ways than one. We have a wonderful nanny and that really helps, but it also presents a very unique situation. I work from my design studio which is located in our home. It's a loft space so I hear everything and I often run down and play with Griffon, change diapers, feed him or watch Dora. It makes it difficult to get into a flow with work and it takes a little longer for me to get through my to-do list for the day. However, the freedom to work at my own pace and the ability to share some of the day with him makes it all worthwhile."
I saw your design of your son's room on your blogwww.roomrecipes.comand notice there is a desk in the room as well. It seems to be a multifunctional room, yet at the same time it is very peaceful with its natural colors. I love the tree going up the wall and the words "grow, love, smile", etc. stenciled on the wall. What was your inspiration for this room? Does this also serve as your "home office".
"You hit upon one of my favorite recipes for design success - use a tranquil and relaxed color scheme when a space is used for many purposes. We lived in a small New York City apartment and, believe it or not, Griffon's nursery was also our home office and guest room. It was quite a design challenge. Every time someone stepped into the space they commented on how peaceful it felt."
On your blog www.roomrecipes.com you mention that kids' rooms don't always have to use the same recipe (pink for girls, blue for boys, etc). What is the most unique children's room you have ever designed?
"Mostly my clients want a clean, fresh look for their children's rooms. The only variable is what style: modern or classic. I think people are a little fearful of going overboard. But I do have a cool room recipe that I'm dying to share. I want to do an art theme with the child's name in graffiti, paint splattered curtains, an easel to inspire the artist within, and a library of kid and adult art books. It's daring but different and funky."
Working from home is many times seen as a huge advantage, and it is. I remember when I first got out of college, I had the fortunate opportunity to work from home. There is nothing like answering calls in your pajamas or working on your laptop from the beach! However, I know it can be difficult to draw the line between work and play time. How do you do it?
"Working on a laptop from the beach sounds amazing! Unfortunately the closest beach for me is Coney Island and even though it's such a cool place it's not what one may call relaxing. I am very disciplined about my schedule. I get up every morning, shower and get dressed as if I'm going to an off-site office. I go to the gym on Wednesdays and Fridays, and when our nanny leaves at 5:00 p.m. my day ends and it's full-on mommy and wifey!"
With your son at the age of one year, many days are probably "mommy and me days" already, but as your son Griffon grows up, and you continue to work, do you plan to institute a "Mommy and Me Day" on a regular basis?
"Since we live in Manhattan and are planning on moving to the suburbs in2010, I want to begin taking Griffon to do some local activities like a Circle Line cruise around the city, museum tours for kids and visiting NYC landmarks. Our first trip was a walk on the new High Line last week (an elevated train line converted into a park). But as you know when they are this little they get antsy, tired and uncomfortable pretty quickly. So we make our outings relatively short. We play and read throughout the day but it's often the business of daily life that keeps us busy like changing diapers, meal times, bottle feedings, and naps. So I love to sit at home with him and dedicate a full hour a day of concentrated reading and playing one on one. At 5:00 p.m. every day I strap him on me in his Ergo Baby Carrier and we go for an hour long walk around the neighborhood. I can't wait to be surrounded by trees and listen to the birds together."
A great "Mommy and Me Day" activity that my daughter and I are planning to do in the near future is to redesign her bedroom. She is 4 years old. Are there any fun and easy design tips that can help young kids participate in decorating their room?
"That's so exciting! I often look to my niece and nephew for inspiration when I'm designing children's spaces. Here's a good start: ask her to draw a picture of something that makes her happy. Then use the picture as inspiration for the design. Your color palette will stem from colors that she is automatically drawn to. If she makes a drawing with many colors than choose three that coordinate. Also if it's a picture of flowers, make it a flower theme. If it's a drawing of a her horseback riding, use that to motivate the room's style. From there create projects together such as stenciling her name on the wall, sewing curtains, beading or bedazzling pillows, wallpapering lamp shades, or painting a mural. Make sure you upload before and after pictures to my Room Recipes blog!"
Be sure to check out Krista's blogwww.roomrecipes.com where you can share your videos, photos, and room recipe stories about your home improvement and home decorating projects! Its a great way to find ideas for decorating your own home.
Credit: Krista Watterworth, HGTV Host, Interior Designer and Mommy to Griffon Avery, www.roomrecipes.com
Amy Baxter, inventor of "Buzzy", a unique device to help kids by relieving the pain from taking shots, knows first hand what it is like trying to balance it all. Read her interview below to see how she does it, and what the buzz is about "Buzzy"!
The Baxter Family being Petroglyphs!
What has been your hardest struggle you have had when it comes to balancing your family life with your work life?
Well, I should give a little discussion of the best stuff, too, to balance it out. Best is when we get letters from nurses or kids telling us how much Buzzy helped them, or how great it is, or how a kid who hasn’t gone to the doctor for years due to fear of shots now isn’t afraid. It’s also awesome working with the team of my friends whose children are my kids’ friends, and all of us are helping Buzzy. We’re all moms, and all have really down to earth “let’s make this work” sensibilities, on top of a desire to be part of something bigger than ourselves. We share some equanimity about if the business doesn’t take off, we’re still doing something meaningful. The worst is having a business at all; I’m still a practicing doctor with a busy research department, and so I don’t have nearly as much time for my family. I haven’t seen a movie with my husband for three years. If Buzzy doesn’t take off and help a lot of people, and allow me to have a bit more free time when the kids are teenagers, I’ve sacrificed a few years of time with my children that I can’t get back. The very hardest is working from home when I don’t have a sitter but expected one. I’m edgy about the goals for the day I need to get done, irritable because the kids want time with me and I’ve got STUFF TO DO, and sad because even when I try to be in the moment and enjoy the time with them I can’t put myself in that mental frame.
You are obviously very busy. How do you find time to balance your crazy schedule and spending time with your kids? Do you have a set “Mommy and Me Day”.
I've had varying degrees of success instituting Mommy and Me since I'm a practicing pediatric emergency doctor as well as entrepreneur/researcher, my schedule is hard to tame. Nonetheless, they've each gotten a few Mommy Dates. It's all about making the memories. I'm REALLY going to try to give each one a mommy date every week, so it will be roughly every third week that they get one. Max is 11, Miles 9, Jill 7.
What are your kids’ favorite Mommy and Me Activities?
Hmm. Short attention spans here: I just asked Jill, who said sitting under the stars watching meteors and swimming. We did those things together yesterday morning! The boys say “vacations”, but Max likes playing catch and Miles likes being read to. Max and Miles like going to rock concerts with us (e.g. Reel Big Fish, English Beat) and Jill likes gardening with me. Our most favorite family activity is letterboxing right now.
What inspired you to go from Pediatric Emergency doctor to Mom Entrepreneur?
Hmm, first let me stipulate I intend to keep practicing at least one day a week. With emergency, that one day is often a weekend. I’m not changing, just adding bigger and bigger Venn diagram circles encompassing my life!
I was doing needle pain research throughout my pregnancies, and when the kids got old enough to remember I brought creams or distraction toys to lessen the impact of the shots. Consequently, they were all really good shot takers until one nurse told my oldest out of nowhere “You are going to sit still or this is really going to hurt and we will have to hold you down.” He did great for the shots but then threw up afterwards and had been needlephobic ever since. I was so mad at the system and myself for not being able to protect him that I wanted to come up with something that worked instantly that parents could bring and use even if the healthcare system wasn’t interested.
How did you come up with the idea for Buzzy?
I knew that the body could stop pain naturally using something called the “gate theory”. If you bang your knee and rub it the pain stops, if you smash your finger and shake it, it helps the pain, or if you burn your finger and stick it under cold running water it quits hurting. I thought of cuffs of cold water, and all sorts of messy stuff. I got the idea in the car driving home from the hospital one day that vibration would work, but it wasn’t until my husband suggested frozen peas UNDER the vibration that it really made my kids’ hands numb to sharp pokes. Once I figured out that cold and vibration together near the sharp pain worked, I tried to get a pharmaceutical company interested in the idea for a few years, with no luck. Finally my husband and I agreed to sink the home equity line into the idea and start our own business. I also invented cards called “Flippits!” that you can pull out and distract during procedures. They have counting and finding tasks which are proven to decrease pain, and they can even fit in a slot on Buzzy’s tummy to block the view of the procedure if the sight of the sharp needle is the problem.
Throughout the design process of Buzzy4Shots did you ever get “cold feet” as one would say and stop and think, “Am I crazy for doing this?”
I’ve been ready to quit about 4 times, preceded by two or three days of shadowy lurking anxiety that is VERY atypical for me. When I am finally able to tack the dread to a specific business decision, it has resolved. There was a moment a few years ago where I visualized the trajectory of Buzzy clearly, and I haven’t worried so much since then. It helps that my husband and I both like working, so we aren’t hung up on a given retirement date. The fact that our 401K’s plummeted has actually relieved some stress, as we figure the money we put into the business instead of retirement was well-invested. The difficult decision is how to determine a “hard stop”, as in “Ok, this isn’t coming out as well as we thought and it’s sucking us dry. If we haven’t achieved X by X then we just quit and give the inventory away at a garage sale.” We’re getting some success now, so that discussion hasn’t been as necessary.
I’ve had many “big ideas” throughout my life. Some have worked others didn’t. Luckily my family has been supportive through most of them! How did your family support you in your “big idea”?
My husband relieved one of my anxious periods by saying, “If you didn’t do this you’d always be consumed by regret not knowing.” Another time he said, “OK, what did you project as a break even? Do you think there are that many children out there who will be helped by Buzzy? You can just stop then and have made the world a little better.” Or something to that effect. At any rate, he’s right. People always talk about the opportunity cost of one activity versus another, but no one talks about opportunity profit. Knowing how the idea panned out is an opportunity profit, and very satisfying.
How do your kids support you?
My kids support me by bragging to their friends about how they don’t mind getting shots, and by being interested in a variety of ways in the business. Over the past 5 years my children helped test, build, and prototype Buzzy until we had a device that worked. They smashed cell phones, helped me use electric tape and elastic bands, and have served as my first and best advisors. We started with a hand held massager and frozen peas, and finally got to a cute bee with frozen wings. At one point I contemplated having Buzzy be a shivering polar bear (Stephen Cold Bear!) but my son Miles stopped me. “Mom. He’s a bee. He’s always been a bee. All your files have “Buzzy” on them. He has to stay a bee.”
The kids alternately get frustrated and are proud of the Buzzy work, and they're REALLY proud when friends use it for their shots. One likes to help with design details, one likes to put together the distraction cards and inventory, one just likes to be on video and do demos on electronic equipment.
So tell me about Buzzy4Shots. How does it work?
Buzzy combines cold and vibration to block sharp pain transmission, just as putting a burned hand under water makes it better. The ice pack is either brought in a Cold-to-Go bag or sandwiched between two freezer packs (I used the ones from the Medela pump) or taken the freezer at the doctor’s if they have a Buzzy. When the nurse is ready for the shots, the freezer pack is slipped into an elastic band behind buzzy, then the vibrator is switched on and the ice and vibration are applied together “above” the site of the shot. When the shot is not on an arm or leg, put Buzzy between where the nerves come out of the spinal cord and where the shot is: lateral to the shot for the stomach, closer to the spine than the shot on a diagonal for the buttocks. Leave Buzzy on for at least 15 seconds, up to a minute or so for extra numbing. Buzzy stays ON during the poke to keep disrupting the nerve transmissions.
Thank you Amy for taking time to interview with MommyandMeDays.com. To learn more about Buzzy visit her websitewww.buzzy4shots.com
I was shocked when I began taking my daughter to play dates and parties only to discover that my daughter was the only child at these events that was not drinking soda. My daughter has never tried a soft drink and doesn't have the desire to. She drinks water all day and a glass or two of milk a day. Juice is a treat! Some people might say we are lucky to have a picky eater, and when it comes to soda, maybe that is true. But, when it comes to eating vegetables that is not the case.
Knowing how many toddlers are drinking Coca Cola, eating chicken nuggets and munching on chocolate, it shouldn't have surprised me when I heard the statistic that 1 out of every 3 kids is now overweight or obese and at risk of medical illness due to weight. What are we doing wrong? What can we do better? Joanna Dolgoff, M.D. seems to have the answer and is using Twitter and Facebook to get the message out to kids.
What inspired you to stop what you were doing and focus your career on helping kids with childhood obesity?
As a pediatrician, it was very frustrating to see the increasing number of overweight and obese children and to be unable to help. A pediatrician has about 5 to 7 minutes to see each patient and cover every aspect of his/her health and wellness. There is clearly not enough time for the necessary nutrition counseling. I also realized that there are very few pediatric obesity specialists in this country. Everybody is always talking about the childhood obesity problem yet it seems that nobody is doing anything to cure it. I felt like somebody had to do something! I felt a responsibility to my patients and all the overweight children in the country.
I have always been interested in nutrition and fitness. In fact, I was an aerobics instructor during college and medical school. It has been a joy to be doing something I love and helping so many kids in the process.
Being a working mom with a stable job, some might think you were crazy to quit to open up your own practice in this kind of economy! Has it been a success? Were there down times or moments you thought you were crazy yourself?
There are definitely times when I second guess my decision. At first it was easy because my husband, a commercial real estate broker in NYC, was doing very well. But the commercial real estate industry, along with all industries, has suffered as of late. Money is definitely stressful. But, although it sounds corny, some things are more important than money. I have children and parents thanking me every day. These families have nobody else to turn to! There is nothing more valuable than that. So I no longer get manicures and pedicures… but I am doing something very important. And, as my mother always says, when you do something you love, the money will follow. I am making an investment in my future and I believe it will pay off in the end!
Teaching kids to be healthy and fit is what you do for a living. How do you instill the same ideas in your own kids?
I am always worried that I will go overboard with my own children. I spend my days with children who are suffering medical problems due to their weight. Yet I know that everything in moderation is okay. I don’t deny my patients all treats and the same goes for my kids. They definitely know that some foods are healthy (green light foods) and some foods are not healthy (red light foods). After eating a certain amount of junk, my kids are cut off. After 8 pm they are only allowed healthy snacks, like fruit and yogurt. Sometimes it is hard because my kids aren’t allowed to eat junk as often as their friends. But I think I am teaching them an important lesson. All foods are okay from time to time but not every single day.
I know my daughter listens to her teachers sometimes better than she listens to me. Do you find it is harder to coach your own kids about healthy eating and exercise than it is to coach someone else’s children?
No. It is easier because I have brought my kids up to be healthy from the very beginning. They don’t know any differently so I don’t have to reverse bad habits. My kids have seen me enjoying exercise since they were born. They know that I look forward to my gym time. So they look at exercise as a treat, not a chore. In fact, they beg me to come running with me! They have also seen me enjoying healthy foods from the beginning. I have made it a point to wax poetic about fruits and vegetables so they think they are foods to be enjoyed and savored, not forced to eat. Of course, there is grumbling from time to time. But they have never been allowed to eat chocolate all day long so they don’t expect it.
A funny story:Last year, I was on WABC Eyewitness News as a child obesity expert. I was talking about the top Parenting Mistakes concerning child nutrition. In the segment, I warned against what I call “The Chicken Nugget Diet”, explaining that chicken nuggets are not healthy. It was my first live segment and my kids loved watching me. That night, we went out to celebrate. We love to eat at Friendly’s but only go about two or three times a year. So we decided to indulge that night! I told my kids they could order anything off the menu. My five-year old son’s eyes widened. “Anything?” he asked.”Even chicken nuggets?” He usually is not allowed to order chicken nuggets. “Sure,” I said. He looked at me quizzically. “But Mommy, didn’t you say on TV today that chicken nuggets aren’t healthy? So why are you letting me eat them?” I laughed. I explained that it is not healthy to eat chicken nuggets every day but it is okay to eat them every once in a while!
What has been your hardest struggle when it comes to balancing your family life with your work life?
The biggest problem is timing. When kids are sick, they miss school to go to the pediatrician’s office. I used to work 8-5. But my patients see me every week and obviously can’t miss school every week. So everybody wants to come in after school and evenings- the exact time that I would like to be home with my own kids. And I have every morning to myself- but my kids are in school. I am constantly juggling! On Mondays, I see patients until 4 pm and then start again at 6 pm so I can take my son to his baseball class and my daughter to ballet (I alternate weeks). My kids eat dinner late so I can eat with them or they eat an early dinner and then sit with me eating a (healthy) dessert while I eat dinner. I am not around to make playdates with other moms so I rely on my wonderful Nanny to do that for me. It is a difficult balancing act.
You are obviously a very busy woman. How do you find time to balance your crazy schedule and spending time with your kids? Do you have a set “Mommy and Me Day” - and if so, what is your favorite activity you do with your kids?
I refuse to work on Wednesdays. Wednesday is my day with my kids. I love to take them to the park and the pool when the weather permits. During the winter, I take them to their after-school activities and watch them play. The other moms, who are around a lot more often than I am, use that time to chat with each other. But my eyes are glued to my kids. I value that time more than anything! Wednesday nights, we all have dinner together and I try to make it fun. Sometimes we have a picnic, other times we go out to eat. And then we play in the bath together, making up silly songs about how much we love each other. It is very special time to us all!
With over 96% success, her stories are amazing. You can find Dr. Dolgoff online most anywhere. She is very active on Twitter and Facebook.
I have 5,221 followers on Twitter, 773 Facebook Friends, and 553 Facebook followers. I have used Twitter and Facebook extensively to grow my business. I run a Twitter party called #kidsweigh every Tuesday at 1 pm. There is a different topic each week, related to child weight loss and nutrition. I recently sponsored a Facebook contest where I gave away a Wii Fit to a fan who posted often on my Facebook page. I also write a blog (http://www.DrWeigh.com/blog) which gets about 900 hits each day.
Check out her website, blog and be sure to watch her success stories on YouTube:
Mommy and Me Days is a blog dedicated to helping working mothers and their children learn ways to spend time together and help them bond even when it seems like there is not much time! We also love to highlight working moms with unique jobs and see how they manage it all! If you have a story to share email us at mommyandmedays@gmail.com
This week, we took a poll to see how many of you ate dinner together as a family. While we only received 13 votes, the results were interesting. When asked how many times a week you eat together as a family at home:
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