Name: Melissa
Age: 41
Town: Rockford
Marital Status: Married
Kids: 24 year old step daughter, 23 year old daughter, 14 year old step daughter, 12 year old step daughter, 22 year old son, 12 year old step son, and 10 year old son.
Occupation: Medical Claims Examiner
1. If you could go back to one part of your children’s life and enjoy it all over again…what would it be?
Preschool for all of them! Seeing the wonder in their eyes and the excitement was amazing!
2. Was it difficult trying to get pregnant?
My first two not at all. My youngest was a miracle after having uterine cancer and being told I wouldn’t be able to have any more. 8 years after beating cancer I found out I was pregnant again!
3. Do your kids do chores? If so, what and do they get an allowance?
All 4 kids at home do! Cleaning their bedrooms, helping with dishes, vacuuming, taking care of our dogs, lawn work, etc. If they help out without being asked we do give allowances to them.
4. What’s one “mom chore” you would forever outsource if you could?
Laundry!! With my husband and I working full time and all the activities during the week for each child, weekends are the catch up days and usually have about 8 loads a week to do.
5. Do you have any picky eaters? How do you deal with it?
Everyone has something they don’t like to eat but my youngest is the pickiest of all. Rules of our house is you have to at least try it and have a few bites. Since we have so many different things kids don’t like we try to have at least one item on the table they all like so they will eat.
6. Do you daydream about being a stay at home mom? Do you think you could do it?
I have been a stay at home mom and a working mom and both are tough. I actually found it harder to stay home. I figured since my husband worked so hard for all of us I had to be a perfectionist at home. Clean house, hot meal ready, kids taken care of and appointments, homework, showers, bedtime, all to make it easier on him. Since I am working now we are actually more of a team with the kids and house and makes it better. I don’t think I could stay home again.
7. What’s your (honest) meal plan for the week?
Make sure we have leftovers and frozen pizza on hand! I try to schedule at least 2-3 crockpot meals a week and we grill out a bunch of meat on the weekends just in case. Between sports and band and appointments it gets tough to cook every night.
8. What’s the one thing you would have done differently so far with your kids?
Listened better. I am a good listener but at times I think I would rush them through what they said or not paid close enough attention. I’m making time for that now.
9. Weirdest item in your purse?
Not weird to me but others think so. I have a lock of my mom’s hair I carry with me. (She passed away last November)
10. Describe the inside of your car right now?
Do I have to?? Its a mess. Clothes, empty bottles of water or Diet Pepsi. Charger cords. Crumbs. Pop cans (still need to drop those off) I believe a pair of shoes may be in there since we can’t find them in the house. Towels. A dog leash. Wrappers. Just a typical mom van.
*Interested in being our next featured mom? Email Lisa Tyler: Lisa@b103fm.com
Read about past featured moms here: https://www.b103rockford.com/10-questions-with-a-stateline-area-mom/