For modern women wondering whether they can balance child-rearing with their career, NY1’s morning meteorologist Stacy-Ann Gooden has an answer.
“You can have it all,” she said. “But you may not be able to have it all at once.”
In addition to presenting the local weather for Mornings On 1, Gooden writes a parenting blog, “Weather Anchor Mama,” about raising her children, 8 and 5, while working a full-time job. In it, she shares tips about raising biracial children, styling curly hair and easing the pains of potty training.
Gooden, who was born in Jamaica and grew up in Brooklyn, wanted to give her children a strong sense of identity as they grew up. To give them her full attention, she left her job for two years, and encourages other parents to use similar tactics while juggling parenthood and work life.
“I want to be a good mom, but I love my career. And so I stepped away, and in doing that I became a better person,” she said. “By taking two steps back, you can be taking two steps forward in the long run.”
Now that Gooden is back at work, she wakes up at 4 a.m. to go on the air from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Her eight-hour shift ends early enough for her to pick her children up from school and help them with their homework. But Gooden doesn’t do it all alone.
“Having a support system is so important,” she said.
She relies on family members to watch her children during the summer. Her husband, who works in finance, picks them up from school when she works late. She also stressed the importance of working for a company that supports families and understands that employees have lives outside of the workplace.
Gooden hopes that her blog will inspire other parents to not abandon their ambitions while caring for their children.
“I want to encourage other parents — I work full time, I’m juggling two kids — I want them to know that this can be done.”
