Mom Interviews

Tell us a few things that you never thought you'd do before you became a parent (and found yourself doing them).

There is not enough space on the entire web to detail all of the things I never thought I’d do as a mom, yet find myself doing on a daily basis. There’s a whole section on this in my book (“The 5 Second Rule and Other Disgusting Parenting Practices You Will Embrace”) that details many of them! Here’s the thing: Before you have kids, you have all of these ideas about how that will look. You judge other moms because you think you will never let your kid have a pacifier or a public tantrum or eat a Cheerio off the floor. And then you get there, and you realize sometimes your child’s happiness (or your sanity, or both) is more important than what “anyone else thinks.” Eureka!

What is most challenging for you about your work-life juggle?

Trying to be present with the girls -- and that means shutting off the CrackBerry, closing my email, not checking Facebook every five minutes -- and just being. It’s so easy to get caught up in all of that stuff because in the moment, so much of it truly feels important. It’s a constant struggle to remember what really matters.

What's next on your life to-do list?

More books! Lots and lots of books. More first-person parenting stuff, children’s books, eventually fiction. Spend more time with my kids. Remodel my bathroom. Get back into yoga. And hopefully, get a little sleep. But not the big, eternal kind. I’ve got too much to do.