- What's it like to be a Mom and a Business Owner? How do you balance both?
Honestly, it’s wonderful and really hard. My priority is to God and my family, but I would be lying if I said that I’m not pulled in a million directions on a daily basis. This juggle requires a lot of self-discipline that includes early mornings, to-do lists and boat loads of energy. I am grateful that God sustains me in the hardest seasons and for a wonderful team that works tirelessly behind the scenes, even when I drop balls.
I think that balance is unrealistic. Yes, you heard that right. Have you heard the saying “You can have it all, but not at the same time”? I feel like I’m living that. I pray daily for God to help me align my heart with His and that my priorities for that day would line up with His plans.
On the other hand, I absolutely love being able to be present for my children and pursue a home-based career. The challenges of motherhood are what created Raise Them Well and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to create products that provide solutions for families like ours. I also must tell you that I have help! We have no family that lives local and I am so thankful for the gift of our “Nannily” (Nanny+Family), Amanda, who has been with us since my oldest was 1. She is like my second brain and helps me so very much with the juggle.
- What do you think is your most important job as a Mom?
I wear lots of hats in our family. I am married to the best dad in the world, but He is a full-time doctor and a partner in his practice which means that much of the day-to-day parenting fall on my shoulders. That said, Wiggy and I both strongly feel that our first and foremost job as parents is to point our kids toward Christ. Each moment of celebration, discipline, teaching, correcting, and love must be centered around His truth, otherwise my efforts are feeble and selfish. Am I great at this? No Way! The Good Lord is refining me daily and I lean in on His strength to teach me and mold me into the mother that He wants me to be.
- What one piece of advice is important for first time parents?
It’s hard. It’s really hard and it’s ok for it to feel hard and to not love every moment with your newborn. I try really hard to tell every new mom I know this.
I think there are two big things I wish I had known before becoming a Mom. 1. Kids change your marriage. It’s more important than ever to communicate and invest time into learning to love each other through the season of young children. Everything changes, but the strength of our marriages directly impacts our ability to parent well together. 2. Embrace the chaos. Let almost everything go. Nothing will go as you planned or hoped and it’s ok. Read all the books, but cling to your Bible and let go of the idea of perfection.
- What's your favorite Raise Them Well product and why?
I’m pretty sure I have no idea how to answer this! Our magnesium products literally change lives and there is nothing better than receiving messages from parents who finally feel that they’ve found a solution to their struggles. That said, I think my personal favorite is our Prenatal Vitamins. I’ll never stop using them for myself!
- What do you think is the biggest misconception when it comes to children and health?
This might step on some toes, but I think the biggest misconception is that doctors have all the answers. I know! I’m married to a doctor and yes, this is still my answer. Being married to an Integrative Medicine doctor who bucks a lot of trends has really opened my eyes to areas where mainstream medicine is really lacking. Most doctors are unfamiliar with really important things like MTHFR, natural supplementation, nutrition, and why things like Miralax are terrible for our children. I’m an advocate for doing your own research, but also finding the balance between all things 100% organic and natural and what’s actually realistic for your family’s wellness and your own mental health.
- Which one change do you think can help families become healthier?
It all starts with food. Feed your kids real food as much as possible. This might sound blunt, but picky eaters are made. We are the ones who buy the food and hungry children will eat what’s put in front of them. If there are no Pop Tarts in the house, then they cannot be consumed. It’s not quite this simple and moderation is king, but if we feed our kids well when they are young, we are setting them up for a life of healthier eating and cellular function. There is a huge misconception that healthy eating is somehow more time consuming or overwhelming. I spend VERY little time in the kitchen but put a healthy dinner on the table nightly and send our kids to school with lunches that nourish.
- Which discipline strategy is most effective?
I wish I knew! Yes really. Rather than a strategy I will just promote consistency. Some of our family scoffs at our strictness and rigidity, but we’ve found that it’s necessary. If you disobey, you get a consequence. We wrap everything in love and positive affirmation, but our children get out of control very quickly. It’s also important for kids to understand how they have disobeyed and explain how they will behave differently next time. Just throwing out punishments doesn’t work well either. We do our best to tie everything back to scripture and the ways that God has designed for us to live together honoring Him.