Tiffany on Being a Working Mom
Submitted by Paul
A lot of working parents struggle to balance work and parenting and I'm no exception. People think the showbiz industry is all fun and games, but it's also hard work. I know that by working hard, I'm able teach my son, Elijah, about a good work ethic and to send him to college. But at the same time, there are a lot of times when I wish that I could have been the soccer mom.
When my son was little, I wasn't able to go and hang out with him on weekends or get involved with sports. I worry that maybe he missed out. Sometimes I look back and think about when he was younger and I'm like, "Oh I didn't do that" or "I should've done that," and I feel a little bad.
But I've always tried to make up for it. When I take time off, I've always given my son all of my focus. I turned off my cell phone during family time, and I didn't think about all of my future commitments, I only thought of my son. I always try to keep my work and the L.A. lifestyle separate from my son. We've always done things at our house, in our environment. It really is a balance.
I have friends whose kids are younger and they beat themselves up for having to work long hours or work on weekends. I say, work as much as you have to, and when you take that time off, really take it off. No exceptions, no crisis to get in the way. Your kids know when you're not "there," so when you are there, be there for them.
Besides being a mom, Tiffany is best known as a music artist, with hits like "I Think We're Alone Now," "Could've Been" and "Just Another Day."
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