Doing the impossible, daily: 3 local moms talk about balance, business and being inspired by their kids | Entertainment/Life
Actress and comedian Tina Fey once described what so many working moms feel: “You go through big chunks of time where you’re just thinking, ‘This is impossible — oh, this is impossible.’ And then you just keep going and keep going, and you sort of do the impossible.”
Managing a career while raising kids is a balancing act, to say the least. So as Mother’s Day approaches, we highlight three local mom-owned businesses, inspired by motherhood and by helping fellow moms.
News kids can use
Mary Nilges, the mother of a 3-, 5- and 8-year-old, created Little Lens News (littlelensnews.com) — a free news site for kids 6- to 10-years-old. The project began in early 2020, when COVID shut down society.
“My oldest had questions about it, so I started writing a daily newspaper for her, to show her that she was still connected to the rest of the world while we were quarantining,” Nilges said. The Uptown mom also wanted to show her daughter — in a kid-friendly way — what else was happening besides the pandemic.
Nilges sister, who has a background in journalism, thought the news outlet would be helpful for other children, so she began writing the stories. Nilges edits the articles.
The site wasn’t quite complete back in February, when Russia invaded Ukraine, but Nilges knew this was a significant event. Her oldest child confirmed that kids were discussing the developments in school.
“We said, ‘Let’s just push this out in the world and see what happens,’” Nilges recalled.
So she published the news site, which has a “read-a-long” component so younger children can play a video that narrates the story.
Members of online groups for moms shared it with one another, which has helped the project grow.
Little Lens News covers a mix of local, national and international news — “all the news that is out right now,” Nilges said, framed with life lessons and written with youngsters in mind. Some subscribers are teachers who share the stories with students in their classroom.
Nilges says the biggest challenge of running the news site is time management.
“As a mom, you have to learn to get it all done, but also have reasonable expectations for yourself,” she said.
She breaks the responsibilities of her personal and professional life into manageable pieces. They overlap when Nilges’ children watch her work and offer feedback.
“It’s nice to have them see the process, and to use this as a teachable moment for them,” she said. “Motherhood is full of trying to find teachable moments.”
A story is born
Carrie Murphy, a Mid-City mother of a 3-year-old, has worked as a doula for 10 years, providing information and physical and emotional support to pregnant women and their families before, during, and after birth.
Murphy also has an advanced degree in creative writing and has published two books of poems. After her son was born, writing her birth story seemed like a natural next step.
“It felt really important to have the birth story as a family artifact, as something that my son could look back on and read as he gets older. Also as something that I could look back on,” Murphy said. But despite her experience as a writer and a doula, penning a birth story felt overwhelming.
“I was procrastinating, and then I was like, ‘Well, if I feel this way, other people probably feel this way too,’” Murphy said.
Murphy researched and developed a “write your birth story” class — a $33 course “for people who really want to have an intentional, mindful approach to processing their birth in a written way,” rather than a “super comprehensive learning experience.” She donates 15% of the profits to Black birth workers. (writingyourbirthstory.com)
Murphy works four days a week and spends Fridays with her son.
“I’ve made it so we have one day a week for us to spend together, but it’s definitely a balancing act,” she said. “I’m always doing a little bit of work after his bedtime, during TV time, and trying to be intentional about giving each thing enough time, both in my schedule and also in my brain.”
Clean up time
Tami Hills became a professional organizer 25 years ago, possibly before there was an even term for it.
“I just have this ability to organize things in a very artistic way,” Hills said.
At the time, she was a single mom to a son who is now 26-years-old.
“It gave me the freedom to make my own hours and work around a school schedule,” she said.
Hills said she comes from a family of “hoarders” — something that instilled anxiety in her as a child. However, Hills’ surroundings helped her become a better organizer. She uses her own home, and her experience as a mother, to practice what she preaches.
“I love going inside people’s homes; I’m like the clutter detective,” said Hills, who lives in Broadmoor.
The best of part of her job, however, is simply helping others.
“Sometimes when people come to me, they are at their worst,” she said, explaining how she has met with clients suffering from depression or a personal challenge, such as parent passing away, leaving children with a lifetime of belongings. “I like to come in and be a breath of fresh air, and help them find a better, easier way to live their life.”
If you have youngsters, Hill suggests doing monthly “cleanouts” of toys; placing items with small pieces up high, so children have to ask for them; and stocking your home with containers that make it easy for little ones to put things away.
Also, when it comes to special occasions, encourage friends and family to provide experiences rather than things, she said.