Rolemommy

Artist & Mompreneur

Here at Role Mommy, we love hearing from moms who are pursuing their passion while raising a family, and that's exactly what mom of three Britt Michaelian has managed to achieve.  We asked her how she reinvented her life and here's what she had to say.

Role Mommy:   What did you do before you became a mom?

Brit:  Before I became a mom, I was (and still am) an artist.  My artwork is shown in events and galleries across the country.   When I found out I was pregnant, I was in graduate school getting my Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy and Art Therapy.  It was the perfect time to have a baby, as I was studying human development and family dynamics in school.  My art has taken a back seat to my current ventures, but I will always be an artist!

Role Mommy:  When did you decide to reinvent your life?

Brit:  While I was still in grad school, I worked at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco.  I noticed while I was working as an art therapist in the pediatric unit, that there were a lot of kids who suffered from preventable injuries.  These children experienced things like burns, accidental poisonings or falls that could have been prevented, but their well intentioned caregivers were not always educated about emergencies.  

These accidents inspired me to find a way to help empower parents and caregivers to prepare themselves and possibly decrease the number of unintentional injuries that kill children each year.  I began researching preventable injuries and found that they are the number one cause of death in children.  After two years of research and under the guidance of emergency room physician Dr. Wayne Warrington, I created Care for Kids: The Essential Guide to Preparing Caregivers and Responsible Family Company was born.

Role Mommy:  How have your children influenced your career path?  How many do you have?

Brit:  My husband and I will have our 10 year wedding anniversary this November.  In these past 10 years, I have been pregnant 7 times and we have three daughters.  I always say that the pregnancies that didn't last were the boys.  I was meant to have girls!  

Being a mom has made a tremendous impact on my life in so many ways it is hard to even imagine where I would be or what I would be doing without them.  To answer how my children influence my career path, well let's just put it this way:  my 2 year old should be a product safety tester.  She can get into, out of, on top of or through any safety device in record time, not making a peep and without anyone seeing her do it = a recipe for disaster!  

In the past few months, I have had to revise my 10/20 rule (never let a child out of your site for longer than 10 seconds or more than 20 feet away from you at all times) to the 5/10 rule (no more than 5 seconds or 10 feet away) because she is the Houdini of her time.  I am not sure whether to call her an inspiration or a perspiration, but she definitely keeps me on my toes and reminds me that even child safety experts have kids who will make them earn their expert status!   

Role Mommy:  What's your favorite "Time Out" tip for moms (taking time for yourself, not sending your child in a corner :>)

Brit:  I love time outs and highly recommend them.  Two minutes in the bathroom can work wonders for anyone who is overwhelmed by babies or kids.  Seriously, in those moments where you want to pull your hair out as you fight back life damaging words from leaving your lips, a deep breath and a 2 minute time out can give you back your sanity.  

However, if you take those 2 minutes and you still want to explode, call in for backup.  Call a friend, a relative, anyone who can let you take a 15 minute walk or nap.  Better yet, make an arrangement with a mom who lives nearby.  If you call her for backup, she don't ask questions, she just comes over and relieves you and you do the same for her.  

If you find yourself needing more than two backups a week, I would say it wouldn't hurt to find a good therapist.  Taking care of kids is hard work and therapists have tools they can give you to cope with the stress.  

Role Mommy:  What does your company or product offer families?

Brit:  Responsible Family Company is designed to educate and empower families in the areas of safety, health and responsible living.  Our award winning DVD Care for Kids: The Essential Guide to Preparing Caregivers is the perfect tool for parents who want to make sure that their child's babysitter or grandparent knows how to handle an emergency situation or to just brush up on emergency preparedness themselves.  

The program goes over common childhood medical emergency signs and symptoms, it reminds people when they need to call 9-1-1 and gently instructs them to supervise children constantly.  It is all of the things that moms want to say every time they leave the house, but hate having to say time and time again.  I love to put this DVD on for new babysitters because even if they have taken CPR or First Aid courses, I know that the basics are covered in this program. 

Role Mommy:  What do you hope for your own kids?

Brit:  For my own kids, I want them to feel free and empowered to be who they want to be in life while being happy and healthy.  I want them to feel safe and loved in our home and in their hearts.  

Role Mommy:  Who is your Role Mommy?

I have a lot of Role Mommies because I truly believe that having many role models is important for everyone to succeed in life.  If I had to pick one, my Role Mommy is Julie Aigner-Clark, the founder of Baby Einstein.  She has raised her daughters in a way that they know how important they are to her.  She kept her focus on her family while she was building an empire and battling cancer.  The overall message that inspires me about Julie is that her focus was always on her family even with her tremendous success in business.  Julie is a survivor, a positive person and an inspiration.  She is the ultimate Role Mommy!

Are you a Mom of Reinvention? We want to hear from you!

Posted in: Moms of Reinvention on 04/17/2008