ENCOURAGE YOUR KIDS DREAMS--AND THEY WILL COME TRUE!

As a Supervising Producer for the Martha Stewart Show, I will tell you that I knew at a very early age that I wanted to work in television. I actually thought I could have been an adopted sister to the BRADY BUNCH Family. By day I lived in a LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRE and by night I lived on FANTASY ISLAND—one night I was THE BIONIC WOMAN, the next I was one of CHARLIE’S ANGELS, and every night I DREAM (ED) OF JEANNIE! I always took ONE DAY AT A TIME, but the FACTS OF LIFE, were that I loved television. I think what I liked about television the most was trying to create my own stories, trying to think of new plots, twists and turns of my favorite shows. I didn’t know at the time this was the role of the “Producer”…but I knew it’s what I wanted to do with my life. I never second guessed this path for me mostly because my parents were quite supportive about my decision. They encouraged me to follow my dream—even though it might not (at the time) have been a conventional one.

So now as a mom of 5 beautiful daughters (yes it’s a dream come true to juggle family and a job I love), I want to encourage all of their hopes and dreams. Ever since my second oldest daughter Caroline was young (well really young since she’s only 9) she has loved baking. Almost every night she asks if she can bake something sweet. And when I’m thoroughly exhausted from a tough day at the studio—and I reach for the brownie box mix (yes I know Martha would kill me)—I am saved by Caroline who says “no mom, I want to make it handmade” (meaning from scratch). Martha would be so proud. Brownies are probably Caroline’s specialty, but she also enjoys baking birthday cakes and decorating them too with homemade icing. She loves making hand pies. Last season baker John Barricelli came on the Martha show and shared his delicious recipe for hand pies—Caroline has been experimenting ever since with different fruits and fillings. (My favorite is apple). Caroline also makes a mean cannoli filling and when it comes to chocolate covered pretzels there is none better. If you were to ask Caroline what she wants to be when she grows up, her answer would be two fold—a police officer like her dad and on her days off she will run her bakery “Cakes by Caroline”. I will do all I can to encourage her all her dreams.

Pauline who just turned 7 is trying to figure out what she wants to do. While she’s undecided about the far future—she knows exactly what she wants to do in the near future—play SOCCER. And so I’ll sign her up today. It’ll be a juggle with Graceann’s 3 softball teams schedule…but that’s when you accept help from other parents willing to lend a hand.

Gemma wants to be Cinderella when she grows up. And Rebecca who continues to jump from couch to coffee table (will this stage ever pass?) tells me she wants to be a monkey. I will continue to encourage all of my daughters’ dreams. It’s important to constantly introduce them to new and interesting things to help them figure out what they like to do. Until then—Gemma here’s your crown and yes Rebecca you can have another banana!