I’m thrilled to introduce you to one Smarty Mom that I met this summer. She is now a dear friend and has taught me so much about balancing family, work, volunteer time, children’s responsibilities and more. She’s one of those moms who has her hand in so many things, you probably have met her before. Everything she does, she does it all the way. From balancing her busy career as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner to volunteering at her children’s schools to helping out at church, Trish jumps right in without hesitation and her energy for all she does is contagious. This is something we can truly learn from Trish, to just go for it. Time will work it self out. Trish also doesn’t hesitate to allow her children to take on more responsibility which allows her to do all she wishes. That is such a great reminder to allow our kids to be self-sufficient at times because we know we do way too much for them. It’s good for them to accept responsibility and definitely good for mama. Thank you so much, Trish, for sharing with us today! You truly are one Smarty Mom that sets a great example for us all.
Smarty Mom Stats:
Married to & years: Clif Moody 15 years
Children (age): Tate, 12 year old daughter at AG Middle School, Beckett & Brooks, 10 year old twins at Park Road Montessori
Hometown: Greensboro, NC
Alma Mater: UNC- Chapel Hill, always a #GDTBATH
Years lived in Charlotte: 21 years, how has it been that long???
Occupation: Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at OrthoCarolina
Questions for you:
You are one Smarty Mom that has a lot of irons in the fire, share with us about your career and how you balance that with your family life.
It is wild! Every day is an adventure and has to be taken one day at a time. I absolutely love my career but there are definitely lots of times that require juggling to get it all done. My job requires a firm time commitment without any flexibility during the clinic day so running out to be at a school event in the middle of the day is a challenge. I also depend on some fantastic other moms for carpools since sometimes my kids need to be at their sporting events or practice before I even get finished at work. It takes a village. I also have a supportive spouse who understands how important my career is to me and helps with the kid stuff. The kids have also gotten really good at coming home and getting themselves ready and back out the door on their own. Moms try to do it all, but sometimes we just have to hand off some of the responsibilities.
We have many mom readers that work, what has it meant to you be a working mom? What would you like other moms to know that might be considering going back to work or struggle with continuing to work?
This is probably the biggest conflict moms struggle with! I have so many wonderful friends with careers and know an equal number of fabulous ladies who have chosen to stay home with their kiddos. It is such a hard decision and every mom has a unique situation and has to decide what feels best for her. For me, my career is a strong part of my happiness and a big part of who I am as a person. I have spent the majority of my life helping other people and I get a tremendous amount of personal satisfaction from making a difference in people’s lives. If I can make a difficult situation with an ill or injured child easier and less stressful, that brings me a lot of joy. I know that I am a better mom because I am happy and fulfilled in all aspects of my life, both at home and at work.
There have definitely been lots of times where life would have been much easier if I did not work. When the twins were small and I was still nursing, my days started very early. I got up at 5:00 and pumped milk for their bottles for the daycare. Then I had to get myself ready for work, get three little ones up and fed, dressed and delivered to daycare. Then it was time to pump again before I had even started my work day! I had to block my clinic appointments a few times during the day to pump and spent many hours dictating charts or eating lunch while pumping! Without a doubt, that first year is the hardest to be a working mom when the needs of an infant are so great! Once I had made it through that year, I knew I could successfully manage being a career mom. My advice to new working moms is to hang in there, it gets easier!!
How long have you been in the nursing field?
25 years. While in nursing school at Chapel Hill in the early 1990s, I worked on the pediatric floor at UNC Hospitals. After graduating, I started nursing on the pediatric oncology/bone marrow transplant floor at Duke Children’s Hospital in 1995. I finished my Masters of Nursing at Duke University in 1997 and relocated to Charlotte to work as a nurse practitioner.
Have you always focused on Orthopedics? This seems like a very busy, yet rewarding field. How do you enjoy working in this area?
My first position as a pediatric nurse practitioner was at a busy Pediatrician’s office. I worked alongside 6 amazing Pediatricians and had a wonderful 5 years of primary care pediatric practice. I was feeling the itch to learn again and wanted to progress my career and had a fabulous opportunity to join Miller Orthopedic Clinic, so I transitioned to Orthopedics in 2003. Miller Orthopedic Clinic is now OrthoCarolina and an amazing company to work for. We provide top notch Orthopedic care to pediatric patients in our region. I have a position where I am able to use my love of healthcare and pediatrics to manage common and complex orthopedic problems. My daily schedule involves seeing patients with common orthopedic injuries, fractures and sports issues. We also manage complex problems such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, scoliosis and other chronic medical issues. We have 5 pediatric orthopedic surgeons and 4 nurse practitioner/physician assistants. We are a very busy team who love making a difference to children and their families. We have 26 children of our own between the 9 of us on our team so clearly we love kids!
You are also very busy with your volunteer time with your children’s schools, church, & more. Share with us those things that are near to your heart. How do you fit everything in?
Life is SO busy! I really believe it is important for my kids to see me prioritize things that are important to me and our family. My children, their schools and our faith are paramount. I want my kids to know that their success in school is important and I will support that in any way possible. I am the class parent in at least one class every year. I volunteer staff the front office, head the teacher appreciation committee and manage a large fundraiser for the school. My kids see me in their classrooms supporting their teachers and their teachers know that I am involved and aware. This partnership of families and teachers is key to the school and children’s success.
Involvement in the church is important so our kids know that we value our faith. Teaching Sunday School, working the check-in kiosks, and participating in volunteer opportunities and collections allows me to be a part of the children’s church experience. I hope to grow their faith so they will be faithful servants and active in their church throughout their lives as well. Sundays are a time for family so we try and always spend ours together.
There are definitely no free hours in our life but we truly enjoy everything we are involved in!
Just for fun:
Favorite activity to do with your family at home and out & about?
Criss Crossing the state. We love spending time away at our beach house as a family but my hubby grew up in the mountains so we are there often also. Our kids love a good mountain hike as well as a day in the ocean. When we are at home, we enjoy bike riding the greenway to our favorite restaurants. Somehow it always involves a stop at the Dunkin Donuts. We are suckers for some munchkins.
Go-to for Lunch:
Mayobird. Although now Yafo on East Blvd is open, I will split my time!
Coffee, Tea or Soda Girl?
Sweet Tea. So bad for me but everyone has one vice.
Best Quick Night Dinner:
Jason’s Deli. Win-win for everyone and who doesn’t love free FROYO?
Favorite Hobby:
Real estate. We have renovated several houses and enjoy dabbling in building and selling houses.
Favorite Netflix Show:
Who has time for TV? Certainly not me! No streaming in our house yet.
Best Advice another mom ever gave you:
Learn to say no. I still don’t do it well but I am trying!
Favorite Sport Team:
TARHEELS!!!
App you couldn’t live without:
Here Comes the Bus, why didn’t someone invent this sooner?????
What you’re most look forward to doing this year:
Creating a new school! Our home was rezoned during the last student reassignment so our twins will be part of the first class to start at Sedgefield Middle School under the new assignment. The school will be undergoing a major transformation as our school system works to diversify our schools better. I am looking forward to spending time in the new school and helping other families work to make it an amazing middle school experience for our children.
