What did you do before becoming a mom?
Lisa: I was a reporter for the Associated Press for almost ten years in Wisconsin, Michigan and Florida, where I covered everything from the insanity trial of Jeffrey Dahmer (in Wisconsin) to a national investigation of the foster care system (Michigan) to the deadly ValuJet plane crash in the Everglades, as well as hurricanes and wildfires and a national team investigation about migrant children laboring in our nation’s farm fields (Florida).
When did you decide to reinvent your life?
Lisa: When I was coordinating everything (daycare, etc.) to get back to work at the Florida AP after my oldest daughter, Maya, was born, I realized I really didn’t want to go back to work in that capacity. I’d kind of fallen into journalism many years earlier, and while I was incredibly grateful for the opportunities I had at the AP, I also knew it was time for me to move on and pursue my original goal of being a writer, as opposed to a news reporter. So I quit the AP after my maternity leave, and started to freelance. It was a long and hard road — and still is — but I’m so grateful I decided to take the plunge (which was quite a scary one for my family, as I was more or less considered the “real” wage earner in our family at the time — my husband is a boat captain and his work tended to be more erratic, fewer benefits, less security, etc.)
How have your children influenced your career path, and how many do you have?
Lisa: We now have three children, ages nine, five and four. They’ve completely altered my career path, but in the very best way. I feel like they’ve given me this opportunity to reinvent myself, which I never would have done on my own, without their presence and influence.
What’s your favorite Time Out tip for moms?
Lisa: This is a hard one for me, as I’m not the greatest at taking time for myself. I do enjoy going for walks in the evening, through a wooded area near our home in South Milwaukee, Wis. down to a secluded beach along Lake Michigan. Watching the lake change through the seasons is incredible, and it seems like something new is waiting for me there every day. I tend to go a little stir crazy on the days I don’t get my walks!
What does your website offer moms or kids?
Lisa: A whole ton of great stuff — suggestions and ideas from the very best early childhood teachers in the nation on everything from how to establish routines to how to handle transitions to answering questions about school experiences and providing suggestions from great classrooms on wonderful books to read with kids. It’s at www.WhatTeachersKnow.com and there is also a blog. I’m in the process of redesigning the site, and the new site should be online by the end of this month.
Who is Your Role Mommy?
Lisa: We’re so lucky that there are a ton of wonderful women in the world today who are just fabulous and inspiring role mommys. The ones who have touched my life and parenting most directly are probably my closest friends, who range from a stay-at-home mom who is an amazing portrait artist to a very busy working mom who is a powerful bank executive to my old college roommate who juggles her own family with her work as an incredibly busy pediatrician and health advocate to a friend who is a professor of Spanish and raising her two daughters to be bilingual. (There are a ton of amazing mommies out there!)
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Role Mommy 3.0