We’re so excited to share with you our very own writer, Kira, for our working mom series, because with four kids from 0-11 years old, she’s in the thick of motherhood while working full time.
Read on for her pros and cons of in-home daycare versus in-home nannies, she’s tried both options, as well as her three top tips for juggling being a working mom (hint: one of them is so something a project manager would say!). Kira also shares how having her own outlet/hobby is a non-negotiable for her and what her outlet is.
XO,
EVM
Name: Kira Henning
Age: 37
Location: Las Sendas, NE Mesa
Children: Layla (11), Charley (8), Pryce (6), Thomas (8 months)
Tell us about your role and how you got to this point in your career
I work as a Project Manager (also known as a PM), I’ve always worked in the healthcare/healthcare technology space, starting in Training and Development and then progressing into Project Management.
Tell us a bit more about your current job title and the ins and outs of your day-to-day work.
As a PM, I work with various departments in the organization to facilitate things like product operationalizing, migration planning, and other cross-functional needs. This means leading and attending A LOT of meetings, staying super organized, and documenting everything along the way.
Tell us a little bit about your family!
I am married to my high school sweetheart, Brian. We have been married for almost 15 years (holy cow!) and right now, he is also working from home so he has been on baby duty during the day while I work. Speaking of baby… Thomas, is the perfect little caboose to our family. We also have three amazing daughters, Layla, Charley, and Pryce who we refer to as “The Chicks.”
How do you balance working full-time and being a mother?
Early on in my journey of working motherhood, I read a book that said balance is a crock – ha! I think of it kind of like a pendulum, sometimes things swing heavy on the working side…those days are harder and yes, I have mom guilt, but experience tells me, the pendulum will swing the other way at some point and I get more time to just be mom (weekends, vacations, evenings, etc.).
Can you walk us through your morning routine?
I wake up between 5-6, feed the baby and then my husband and I tag team getting the girls up/dressed/ready for school. I consume lots of coffee and then get myself ready quickly, start my workday, pump/feed my son as I am able and get as much done as I can before the noise (my girls) return home from school.
As a working mom, how did you decide what childcare situation was best for you and your family?
We have gone both routes of in-home nanny and daycare. Both have advantages and disadvantages. But the nanny worked best for our family. Our nanny became a family member. During COVID, I’ve been very lucky that my husband is home and his schedule allows for him to care for our son while I work. We also have support from my wonderful parents. We know my husband will be returning to his facility soon and are currently in the process of looking for childcare for baby.
Can you share a few mom hacks you rely on to make things work in your day-to-day life?
Accept help when offered. Plan for everything, but be flexible. Use the edges of your day – 5 minutes here and there adds up throughout the day so don’t waste that time.
Were you able to take maternity leave? Tell us about that experience.
I did take maternity leave with each of my kids, though I wish I could have taken more time with my first three. My current company is the only workplace that has offered paid leave. For my first three I had to use/borrow vacation/sick time with my other children so that financially, maternity leave was possible.
This maternity leave was supposed to be everything that my first three leaves were not: My older kids would be in school, my husband would be at work, and I could just snuggle my baby on the couch all day and not feel guilty about it. But Covid had other plans…instead, I remote schooled my girls and tried to keep the house quiet for my husband who was working from home. We made it work and I still made sure to get those couch snuggles with my little guy when I could.
In your experience, what do you believe are the key components in balancing your career, your relationships, and parenthood?
- A tribe – you need support
- Open communication and collaboration with your spouse
- An outlet – whatever helps you feel like you is so important and needs to be a non-negotiable. Mine is Crossfit—and Crossfit Perception in Mesa is an incredible space to support mom athletes. Check out our Strong as a Mother guide to read about all the support they provide to mom athletes.
For some fun chit-chat, now!
- Favorite restaurant in the East Valley? Board and Batten Bistro
- Greatest challenge in your career thus far? Traveling while nursing – I have pumped in more airport bathrooms than I care to remember.
- Most embarrassing mom moment? I completely forgot my middle daughter’s well visit one year, yet I asserted that she had been seen/vaccinated when she definitely had not
- Best mom advice you’ve been given? Everything is temporary! Repeat it to yourself early and often.
- Last Netflix show you binged? Good Girls
