Stay At Home Mom? Working Mom? Both? PART 3

When stay-at-home parents make the decision to leave their careers behind and focus on staying home with the kids, it can be a tremendous sacrifice. Many stay-at-home parents make the decision to continue to contribute financially, if even a little.  

In of this series we spoke with Susan Hubbard, a mom who decided to go back to work part-time, from home, in her previous career field.

In we had the opportunity to speak with Jennifer Hurley, a mom who joined established home-based direct sales company Initials, Inc. and became a direct sales consultant with them.

And finally, in Part 3 we get to chat with Katie Ficca, a mom who last year started her own business on Main Street in Historic Ellicott City. Takin’ is an art, photography and yoga studio for children, offering classes throughout the year.

Kim Lemmonds: Tell me what you did as your career before you had children.

Katie Ficca:  I worked as a behavioral therapist before deciding to pursue graduate school to get my Masters of Education, which would set me up for the “perfect” schedule to raise a family.  I worked as both a kindergarten and 1^st grade teacher before my first daughter was born in 2004.

KL:  When you had kids, how did you come to the decision to stay home with them rather than go back to work?  Was it a difficult decision for you?

KF:  I have three kids.  With the first go ‘round, with my daughter Lilly, I knew that I was going to try to be a stay-at-home mom and do everything possible to claim the name “mommy.” I was determined to do everything from playtime, mommy & me yoga, Gymboree class, flashcards, and art … not to mention play dates and moms groups.  As a former teacher, I wanted to be that mom who taught her child to read and exposed her to as many facets of life as possible.

I did truly enjoy every minute of [staying home] and I can proudly say she did learn rather quickly but after a year at home I realized I lived in a completely new world where all I focused on was her and part of me was missing in the process.

Having a passion to teach and inspire others (besides my beautiful daughter) naturally led me back to teaching. As a new mom, part time jobs appealed to me and I was able to get a job as a part-time pre-kindergarten and first grade art teacher, which fit with my background and studies in art as a minor in undergrad.

I loved the school I was at and worked several years there before getting pregnant again with baby number two. This time I made a decision that it would be too much to continue work and that I would in fact be a stay at home mom with my newest addition, Nina, and my now-3-year-old Lilly.

Accepting this decision was the hardest part for me. I would Google job openings just to see what was out there even while fully knowing that I had just left my favorite school setting and a great job to stay at home. After much inner turmoil, I was enticed yet again by Lilly’s preschool teacher and former parent of someone I went to high school with. She knew me from the time I was a teenager and actually remembered me for my determination and desire to achieve, referring to me as an “over-achiever.” 

With her persistence, I applied for another teaching position and was hired as a K- fifth grade art teacher.  During my two years there, I decided not only to try to have another baby but also start my own business.

Takin’ began in December 2009 and incorporated my favorite things: art, yoga and photography. Baby number three came a little while later; my third daughter was born on Valentine’s Day of this year.

KL:  It was a long process getting to where you are now – a local small business owner and mom of three. 

KF: I think I still struggle with the decision to re-enter the workforce but with each new little addition made to our family I realized that in the end everyone is happier when mommy is happy and for mommy to be happy, she needs to feel like an active member of society. In my case, I need to inspire others by teaching children to be creative and expressive through art, helping them to feel calm and strong through yoga, or showing families to view the world through a lens and capture life as it unfolds.

KL: Tell me a bit about Takin’.

KF:  Takin’ is a unique environment where wellness and creativity collide to strengthen a child's imagination, body, and spirit.  I offer enriched lessons that incorporate art and yoga.  The classes expose children to new experiences and allow them to explore freely.  It’s a small class size so that supports growth and well-being by giving each child the ability to express themselves and build self-esteem.

KL: How did you pick this particular set-up for your business?

KF: I had been doing photography since college and spent a couple of semesters studying and in the photo lab. I continued this as a hobby until later my family and friends began to ask me to take photos of them. I have a very informal style and I think most people appreciate that and hopefully I open them up to seeing the world in a different way. 

Art was an obvious addition to this … and I wanted to continue to inspire children to have a love for art as I do.

Yoga was also a good fit as I believe that taking care of yourself and being aware of yourself in each moment is equally as important as appreciating the world around you.  I have practiced yoga since I was 18 years old and was certified in children’s yoga shortly after the birth of my daughter Lilly. I recently attended a workshop to teach baby & me yoga during the pregnancy of my third daughter, Josephine.

The three facets can lend themselves to each other and also give me flexibility for growth and continual change. Within these first two years along with the classes and photo shoots, I have tried combo art and yoga classes, mom’s nights, play dates, and birthday parties. It is fun and exciting and it keeps me evolving!

KL: How is it different from what you did before?

KF: It’s different from what I did before because [now] I can create my own schedule and I can create lessons based on interest, and not worry so much about a curriculum. I feel freer creatively and I feel that the children who take classes at Takin’ do as well. The biggest difference is I get to do all three of the things that I am passionate about without feeling over scheduled since I am my own boss and create the schedule that works best for me and my family.

KL: How do you balance working from how and being with your kids?

KF: I will say it is just that, a balancing act, and some days I do it better than others, but I do have a very supportive husband who helps me a lot. I also try my best to do all my work during nap time and once my children are in bed. I have always found myself as a multi-tasker and am good at managing my time accordingly.

KL: What about going to all their events and carting them around?  Do the two interfere with each other?

KF: I must say that I have done a pretty good job of attending most of their events, especially the ones that are most dear to them such as their special school events, field trips, and after school activities like dance, piano, and gymnastics…It has all been a matter of scheduling out the time I know that I need to be “mom.”

KL: Do you still consider yourself a “stay-at-home mom?”

KF: I consider myself a mom of all trades. I can go to story time at Barnes and Noble with my girls or I can let them hang with the nanny when I have work to be done.  I know they appreciate the time they have with me as much as I cherish it but I also know they love (and I mean love and sometimes request) to spend time with our nanny.  Currently our nanny is their oldest cousin who they adore.

KL: How many hours per week would you say you work?

KF: I work about 20 hours a week sometimes less and sometimes more but always just enough!

KL: Would you ever try to make this into a full-time job?

KF: I am enjoying having the best of both worlds and will probably continue to celebrate the fact that it is part time job but later down the road when all my girls are in school I may reevaluate it.

KL: What do you get out of this?

KF: I get a sense of well being. There are challenges that I love solving, themes for birthday parties that I love planning, families I love meeting and moments I love capturing, children who have become “groupies” in my classes, and the town itself which is so interesting and full of character and characters like myself trying to show Ellicott City locals (and those visiting) the passion and hard work of being a small business owner and the charm of Historic Ellicott City!

KL: What do you enjoy the most?

KF: First and foremost, I enjoy the feeling of knowing that I am inspiring my girls to take chances and do something they are passionate about. I also enjoy inspiring others whether it is through art, yoga, or photography. I enjoy the smiles of the children who take classes, the parents who rave about the how much their children love the studio, and the families I become connected to in the process.

KL: What are the biggest challenges?

KF: The biggest challenges some days are juggling it all because just when you think everything is in balance, the world throws you another ball. There are days when a child is sick or someone kept me up all night because they had a hard time going to sleep.  There are also the days when I just want to stay in bed and cuddle or ride bikes with my girls. There will always be something, but in the end when I look back on it all I know it will all be worth it.