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maskmatters.org
summer
2012
Minute with MoM
Family First
story // Nicole France stanton
N
ot only am I a mom to a 1- and a 5-year-
old, but I’m also a partner at a law firm,
the “First Lady of Phoenix,” and an
anti-bullying advocate. Sometimes I feel like I have
four full-time jobs, but I love every minute of it.
People often say to me, “I don’t know how you
do it.”The truth is, sometimes I
don’t know either. What I do know
is that my husband and I couldn’t
do it without help and that we
aren’t always going to be perfect.
Regarding help, we are blessed
to have my mother who helps
smooth out those days when
kids are sick, a client is in town
or there’s a city crisis. Regarding
our lack of perfection, I’ll be the
first to admit that my son thinks
making cookies “from scratch”
means rolling out the dough I bought from Fresh
& Easy, stamping it out with cookie cutters, putting
the cookies in the oven, and then decorating them
with a container of Betty Crocker’s finest frosting.
While Martha Stewart might not “approve” of our
method, to me, it’s more important that we spent
the time together and had fun in the process.
As the mayor of Phoenix, my husband answers
to 1.4 million Phoenix residents. As an attorney, I
answer to my clients, whose
life situations need to be
resolved. But at the end of
the day, the most important
people we answer to are our
children because we want to
make sure we have an impact
on the people they become. We
want to impress upon them
the importance of their local
community and service. We
want them to feel safe, confident
and loved, and to do that, you
have to spend time together.
For our family, having time
with our kids is more of an
art than a science. Both my
husband and I have been known
to pick up our kids from childcare for a spontaneous
weekday afternoon outing after a particularly busy
stretch at work. As a family, we take time out to
visit local museums, entertainment and educational
spots, restaurants and parks. Our favorites are the
Arizona Science Center and Encanto Park, where
we enjoy the rides, playing
in the water and going for
a bike ride. I cherish the
moments I have with my
children, Trevor and Violet.
Like all moms, I lament that
their time as little people is
flashing before my eyes.
For me, early mornings
and late afternoons have
always been a time to
cherish with my kids.
My typical day means
leaving work at 4 p.m., spending the evening with
them, and then getting back to work for several
hours after they go to bed. While it may sound
like a demanding schedule, there’s something so
peaceful about having dinner with my children,
tucking them in at night and watching them drift
off to sleep after an adventurous day. It is this
peacefulness that makes all of the challenges of
the day (and the night yet to come) worth it.
“For me, early
mornings and
late afternoons
have always been
a time to cherish
with my kids.”
reboot & reconnect
It’s a tough world
out there. howwIll
you protect her?
engage. educate. empower.
visit
maskmatters.org
to learn more