Connections in Parenting
By Heidi Godman, Keynote Speaker for our upcoming “Giving Sarasota a Healthy Start” Luncheon, Friday April 28th, 11am – 1pm at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Catered by Mattison’s
It happens in the grocery store, the hair salon, the shopping mall, and even on my morning walk: someone recognizes me from my job, and asks about my children. Being recognized is part of the deal when you have a public career, as I did when I anchored the local news, and still do now that I host a daily radio program. The fact that people are interested in my family says a lot about the power of connection.
There’s an intimate exchange when you watch an anchor on TV or listen to someone on the radio or a podcast. In that moment, you feel the information is for your eyes or ears only. Even though you know that many others are consuming the same details, it doesn’t diminish the experience. If you choose to watch or listen to an anchor or host on a regular basis, it’s likely because you feel a personal connection. This is true on the national level and even here in our market.
It’s no surprise, then, that people who’ve connected with me have picked up on what’s most important to me: my family. Viewers watched me go from an inexperienced young reporter to a working-mom-anchor. They saw my wedding on the news. They saw me anchoring through three pregnancies. They heard me talk about my family a lot on TV, and they can hear me talking about them now on my radio program.
If you’ve connected with me, then you get it that I love what I do for a living, but I am proudest of being a mom, and raising three amazing kids with my best friend and partner of 30 years. When you ask about my children, I get it that you feel a connection, and you care.
What will I say if you ask? I’ll probably tell you that the children are happy and healthy, in their teens and early 20s now, and towering above my 5’2” frame. I may tell you the latest—that Christopher is getting ready to go to law school; that Carson is rowing and on the track team; or that Alexa just got accepted to Girls State, hosted by the American Legion.
If you want insider info, I may tell you what it was like when my kids were little and I had baby schmutz on my shoulder as I anchored the news; how I coped with alarming news details that I had to compartmentalize when I went home to my family each night; or how those details, and the health information that I continue to research and report, have turned me into a protective, vigilant parent.
And if you ask about my family, please know that I’m going to ask about yours. It’s not just because I’m a reporter and naturally nosy. It’s because I care right back. Beyond our jobs, we have a bond as parents; it’s our connection to each other. It’s recognizable whether you have a public career or not. And it’s reason enough to ask each other about our kids, whether we meet in a grocery store, a shopping mall, or in a neighborhood on a morning walk.
To hear more from Heidi, check out her show Health Check with Heidi Godman, and make sure to come to our “Giving Sarasota a Healthy Start” Luncheon, where she will be the keynote speaker! Click here for more information and to purchase tickets and sponsorships!