A Mommy Minute: Year End Review

By: Jessica Byrd

I love the holidays, particularly at  the end of the year. This time of year is so exciting! Most of us are preparing for the holiday and getting ready for a new year and this is when I look forward to new beginnings and do my own year end review to look over my past mistakes and lessons learned. Here are a couple things I've learned about life, parenthood, balance and so forth this year.

1. Each and every child is different and you have to treat them accordingly. My children are thirteen months apart, and although they're close in age, they are completely different. My daughter is self sufficient, my son is not. His whining used to bother me so much, and still does, but I had to realize that I can't compare my children, nor can I discipline them the same, or talk to them the same way. Through trial and error I've learned the importance of treating my children like individuals instead of a group. 
2.  Every relationship needs clear communication, and expectations to be clear. This was huge for me. Being a mother is important, and my marriage is the most important (yes it says this in the bible also.) A lot of arguments could of be avoided had we had clear communication. Same for friendships, we and in this case I, sometimes can place expectations on my friends and when they don't follow through, I'm upset. All of this must be communicated with every relationship you have. This was something huge I learned this year. 
3. Redirection is huge! So, I'll admit, I am big on discipline, but not everything needs a spanking. I learned the importance of redirection for my children, but I've also learned the difference between needing to use redirection and discipline. When my children are crying because they can't get their way it's no need to have a debate, young toddlers don't understand why they can't have something, which means you have to explain the reason to them and redirect your children to a "yes" !  
4. Patience! I have none, and the minute I asked God for patience, the more I was tested. I reworked my schedule sometimes to have more patience. As I mentioned before, waking up earlier in the mornings allows for more patience with your children. Same goes for life, preparation is huge in life and decreases a big rush. Preparation is key! 
5.  Pray till you can't pray anymore. I saved this for last but it is the most important. Although I consider myself to be a spiritual person,  prayer was something that I didn't do everyday. Life can get so busy, but prayer is important! Of Course we take our big issues to God but what about the small things. Praying for a good day, praying for your children safety while at school, praying you make good sound decisions. Recently, I've started my days off with prayer and it helps!

**This weekend was my daughter first dance recital, she did so good and loved every bit of it!!

 

Jessica M. Byrd is the parent of a two and one year old. 

She is the founder of CHICMoms (formerly Detroit Moms Rock) and believes 

every mother should live a life on purpose!

A Mommy Minute: The News Is Out!!!!!

By: Jessica Byrd 

Yay!!! The news is out! Moms Club is officially a non-profit organization and our new name is CHICmom. 'CHIC' stands for, Confident, Heroic, Inspiring, Courageous Mom. I am so excited for the direction that CHICmom is going. Our main goal is to equip mothers with the tools and necessities to become better mothers, while encouraging mothers to live their best lives. 

Being a mother takes a sacrifice and more often then not, mothers always put themselves last. I want mothers to know that our title as "mom" doesn't stop us from fulfilling our dreams and life purposes. Too many times we give up on ourselves to be the best mothers we can be to our children. Motherhood is very important but I encourage mothers to be our children's example. Through the CHICmom organization, we will host workshops, play dates, moms nights out, and more. Are you a CHICmom ? Join us! 

This weekend was princess Lailah birthday party!!! My baby is now the big 3! Her party was held at the Hands on Museum in Ann Arbor and afterwards we sang happy birthday, had ice cream, cake and tacos at home! It was so much fun!!!! 

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!! I am looking forward to another year! In January CHICmom will host our vision board party! Details will be coming soon! 

Jessica M. Byrd is the parent of a two and one year old .
She is the founder of CHICMom (formerly Detroit Moms Rock) 
and believes every mother should live a life on purpose!

A Mommy Minute with Jessica Byrd: Birthday Parties..Don't Be Like Me!

By: Jessica Byrd

In honor of my daughter’s birthday this month, I decided to talk about celebrating our little ones birthday! Yes, I am one of those moms who goes above and beyond for my children’s birthday, however this year, I’ve decided to take another approach. One significant goal for me as approaching 30 next year is to become financial stable. So that means no more $300 parties for my little ones every year, maybe milestones but not every year! And yes, I have spent $300 on my children’s parties at the mere age of one and two years old. I love celebrations and I just can’t let a birthday go by without celebrating but this year we’re inviting close family and friends to a special outing then singing happy birthday at our home! I want to share with you a couple mistakes I’ve made through  this whole birthday planning extravaganza.

1. 1st birthday parties should be at home!!! So many people told me this, but I wanted to do it my way. I must admit my son’s first birthday party at My Little Gym was awesome, but we celebrated my daughter's birthday at Chuck E Cheese, and in my opinion, it’s no place for a one year old!! If I could do it all over, I would save booking a place for at least the second birthday, and celebrate their first birthday at home with family and close friends. Let’s be honest, our children won’t remember at this age, and this birthday party is really more about you than anyone else. If you don’t want to do it at home, try a small outing, but please don’t make the mistake I did spending almost $300 for two hours, and your child remembered nothing or better yet couldn’t even participate in the activities. Instead start your child’s college savings account and ask family members to contribute. Save opening the gifts and fancy locations for an age that your child really can remember and better yet enjoy!!

2. Cakes!!! I love fancy cakes, but again, if you can save a buck or two, I’m all for it!

With that being said, I think the easiest and most efficient treat for children’s parties are

cupcakes and bakeries are becoming really creative with cute ways to decorate cupcakes.

Last year, I even purchased cupcakes from Sam’s Club for my son’s party and everyone

raved about  how good they were.

3.      Choose a venue that suits your child not it’s attendees. This suggestion may sound a

         little selfish, but if your child is turning 3, laser tag might not be a good choice. For me,

         birthdays are all about the birthday boy or girl, if we become too consumed with pleasing

         our guest and trying to chose venues based on the people attending, then whose birthday

         is it? I would chose a place that fits the birthday boy/girl and let the parent decide if they

         want to bring their child. Now of course this is based around the majority of your

         acquaintances because you don’t want an empty party either.

** In other news, I had a great time celebrating Halloween with my children. We did Trunk or Treat at my church, and then I had a crafts and arts Halloween party at my house. The children decorated their own pumpkin, it was a lot fun!!!

The Moms and Finance workshop is approaching and we only have 5 slots left. If interested in attending please send me an email at mrsjessicamarieb@gmail.com. It will be held on November 14th from 2-4pm.

Jessica M. Byrd is the parent of a two and one year old. 

She is the founder of Detroit Moms Rock and believes 

every mother should live a life on purpose!

A Mommy Minute with Jessica Byrd: God Knows Perfect Timing

 By: Jessica Byrd

God is really amazing! He knows our flaws, He knows our hearts and He's always right on time! I'm in the midst of starting a new career, and when I gave my previous job my two weeks notice, I had the option to go right back to work, or take those two weeks off. As tempting as it was to go straight back to work, I prayed ,and God told me to take a break. That was the best thing he could of ever told me. After I had my son, I went right back to work after only two weeks, and have been working ever since! Now, I'm on week two from my break and it has been an amazing relief.

I had time to actually spend the day time with my son, just me and him, since my daughter goes to school during the day. I almost cried watching my son play because I realized that our time together had been limited to after work hours and weekends. During this break, my son decided that he was ready to use the big boy potty! Perfect timing!

God knows everything there is to know about us. His timing is perfect, and we have to trust and believe that God always have our best interest at heart! It's easy to allow other things to lead us like money, but sometimes you just need a good break. I couldn't tell you the last time I had two weeks off, but what I can tell you is that it was something I desperately needed!

 When is the last time you had some time off? Are you overworking?! Do you have unused vacation days at work? If you can't take two weeks, start with ONE day. Vacation time doesn't always have to be used for trips, sometimes you need a day to just relax, be normal and enjoy the simplicity of life!

This weekend we went to ZooBoo, The Detroit Zoo’s annual “merry-not-scary” Halloween trick-or-treat trail through the front of the Zoo in Royal Oak, Mi. It was crowded and a bit overwhelming, but the children enjoyed it!

 
Jessica M. Byrd is the parent of a two and one year old. 

She is the founder of Detroit Moms Rock! and believes 

every mother should live a life on purpose!

A Mommy Minute With Jessica Byrd: Mom's and The Workforce

By: Jessica Byrd
 
Last Monday, due to my daughter, Lailah, being home sick, I stayed home with her. This meant taking a sick day to be Doctor Mommy . Which brings me to this week's Mommy Minute post; do employers really respect, better yet understand your duties as a mother? I've always been raised to believe that my children come first, no ifs, ands, or buts about it! From as long as I could remember, if I was sick, my mom was right there by my side. I know some mothers in the workforce don't have that same luxury, but I'm also wondering, when you call in sick because your child isn't feeling well, does your employer really respect this or do they see this as another excuse?!  Women have come a very long way, we're now able to provide for ourselves, get higher paying jobs, be bosses, and educate ourselves, but, when it comes to the workforce there still seems to be a thin line between the understanding of your number one job, Motherhood! 

I'll never forget an employee once told me, "never tell your boss your excuse is your children, they don't want to hear that." I immediately thought "Children are NOT my excuse, they"re my reality." It's so hard for working mothers, and that's not to say being a stay at home mom is easy; something as simple as leaving out the door can be a power struggle with toddlers, truth be told.  By time we get to our own work, sometimes we're already tired, exhausted and mentally stressed from a meltdown our toddler decided to have on their way to school. While I understand the importance of leaving your problems at home, and putting on your big girl panties and keep it moving, I don't think It's fair for employers to ignore the importance of motherhood and simply look at caring for our children as an excuse! For mothers struggling with this I suggest two things:

1. In your next employer, examine the culture of the job. This is very very important! I know as mothers we do what we have to do to provide for our children, but I wholeheartedly believe we deserve to be happy even at work! If your job is stressing you out, not being understanding and causing you more headache, it might be time for you to seek another employer. I think we have this mindset that all employers won't care about you being a mother first but that's not true! Examine the culture of your new job, some employers really believe in work, life, balance. This may mean allowing you to work from home one day a week, having a flexible schedule and etc.

1. If seeking another employer isn't an option find the peaceful time for yourself before you get your day started. As mentioned in one of my previous blogs,  many times, I would be exhausted the night before, and my children would wake me early in the morning. By that time, I'm a walking zombie and we're rushing out of the house. Someone suggested setting my alarm clock an hour early and start my day with prayer, that way I controlled the mornings instead of my demanding toddlers. Furthermore, we're not rushing out the door which usually causes more confusion. 

Believe me mothers I know the struggle of being a full time mom, and trying to jumpstart your career is not easy--the tolls it takes on you can be very stressful. It's important that everything we do, aligns with the fact that first, we're mothers! Even if that means forgoing  a dinner party during the week because that night you have to prepare for your morning. It is a daily struggle that will continue  until your children turn 18 (kidding!) 


This weekend we watched Michigan State's victory over U of M!!!! And Sunday the whole family went to church! 

Don't forget our moms and finance workshop is approaching! Must RSVP to attend!

 
Jessica M. Byrd is the parent of a two and one year old. 

She is the founder of Detroit Moms Rock and believes 

every mother should live a life on purpose!

Raising A Family In Detroit: We Are Not Statistics!

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I saw an article about raising a family in Detroit in Metro Parent and it immediately hit home. I have been a Detroit Girl all my life; I’m even a product of the Detroit Public School system, and while I have a long way to go, I would like to say I'm on the right track. When I hear people negatively speak about Detroit I quickly jump into defense mode. It wasn't until I had children that I actually contemplated jumping the fence over to the suburbs. I still struggle with my decision but I know that I would only move out of Detroit to provide my children with an outstanding education. However, when I look back over the things I struggle with as an adult, it’s mostly family structure more than education. I know my mom did the best she could to provide for my brother and I, but we do learn from our parents and try to be even better parents. Here are some things I believe are essential for parents to do, particularly those living in inner cities such as Detroit that sometimes sets us apart as successful adults. 

1. Save for your children's education: I admit, I was that parent—fancy birthday parties every year, spending $300 for a two hour party for a toddler—that won't happen again for me as I quickly learned this was a mistake. I do believe in celebrating birthdays but it doesn't have to be so extravagant every year. Children just love being around their friends and I think the single best gift I can give my children is a tuition free education. That way, as an adult, they're not struggling with debt like I am. Now, I’m not saying everyone in Detroit is in debt and everyone living in the suburbs is debt free, this is just data from the majority and it seems that suburban communities have already grasped this concept.
2. Education is important but home is a priority. Yes, education is important but even if you send your children to top-of-the-line schools, I doesn’t matter if your home doesn’t have a loving, structured learning environment. The same goes for children attending public schools; there are very successful people that came form public schools but because their home environment also supplemented learning and taught them values, they were able to close the gap if it wasn't being offered in school. Parents are also teachers since learning doesn't stop at school. As parents, we need to implement homework times, discipline, structure, teach manners etc. The home is a child’s first classroom, so don't neglect it! 
3. Race does matter! Yes I said it! Everyone says race doesn't matter and that children don’t notice racial differences at a young age. I don't think race is as important as we make it, but, I do believe that children notice when they look different from everyone in their class. It's important we talk about race with our children and people who look different in general. We can't ignore race, especially not in today's society.  
4. Extra-curricular activities are important. We need to expose our children to activities that develop a sense of teamwork and discipline. Detroiters may not have access to the prestigious golf clubs, and tennis clubs but we still have access to recreational centers such as the YMCA in downtown Detroit that offer a lot of activities for toddlers and teens.
5. We don't have to be a statistic. Everyone raising their families in inner cities are not low income, or ignorant. Some people just believe in their city and support the progress in their current city. I have been raising my family in Detroit for almost three years and my home has never been broken into or anything of that sort. You don't have to be a statistic, we can teach our children different but it all starts with us.

Raising children is one of the single hardest things to do but as parents we have to make the best decisions for our children's longevity.

Join us on November 14th for our moms and finance workshop!!!  To learn some savings and finance tips!! 

 

Jessica M. Byrd is the parent of a two and one year old. 

She is the founder of Detroit Moms Rock and believes 

every mother should live a life on purpose!

  

Two Years of Marriage: What I've Learned

-->Today marks my 2^nd wedding anniversary, so it's only right I share my learning experiences. Marriage is not just Instagram and Facebook photos; it is a long-term commitment of forgiveness, compromise, and unconditional love! I'll be the first to admit when I first got married I didn't know all that was in store. I still had a selfish outlook on marriage and wanted everything to be about me; but God quickly showed me that marriage is no longer a ‘me’ attitude. In a two-year time span here’s what I’ve learned (plus much more) about being married, raising children, and finding a sense of self.

1. Every marriage is unique: I can't stress this enough. We tend to idolize someone else marriage forgetting that we’re different people. We are all unique individuals, what works for you may not work for someone else and vice versa. Don't compare your marriage, use that time to invest in your own marriage and work on things that need to change and don't just fuss at your mate, try working on yourself as well!!

2. Above everything, seek the kingdom of God first! This should have been number one because it should be the number one priority in your marriage. God is everything in your marriage—your counselor, your friend, and even someone to vent to. I learned this the hard way in the beginning, I wanted to share all my problems with friends and family and I was so frustrated but I learned that God gives the best advise. The best part is, he doesn't share your problems with anyone. My husband and I just recently started doing bible study together at home and I love it! Marriage is hard, you need God as your backbone! 

3. Your children are important but so is your husband! So again, I admit, I didn't always abide by this! Everything in the beginning was all about my children, I forgot about the other grown child at home (just kidding!) but seriously, men love attention and quality time too. While they might not say anything, believe me, they notice. Make time out for dates, trips etc. I know with children it can be difficult but even if it's enjoying a glass of wine together after you put the children to sleep, or watching a movie, find time to spend together!!!

4. Marriage is not a fairytale it's perseverance. I recently heard a quote from The Pope and it hit me like a ton of bricks! I'm a fairytale girl and I thought life was like the books and the movies. I had no idea about the amount of work I had to put in, in particular within myself. It's easy to put up with yourself but in a relationship, you have to work on things for the betterment of your partner. I surprised myself with my outlook on marriage and God showed me a lot about myself as a wife. Neither one of us is perfect but the one person I need to start with, is myself.

5. Make time for intimacy. Yes, I said it! Intimacy is important and sometimes the most over looked!! Make time to love each other—share a kiss out in public, hold hands while walking down the street. I always joke with my husband when I see a couple holding hands, I say, "Oh, they're in love!" You have committed to be with this person for the rest of your life, don't lose that spark! 

My husband and I celebrated our 2nd year anniversary in Miami! We had a good time! 

 

Jessica M. Byrd is the parent of a two and one year old. 

She is the founder of Metro Detroit Mom's Club and believes 
every mother should live a life on purpose!

 

 

How My Children Taught Me Discipline and Structure

By: Jessica Byrd

Please let me begin with a disclaimer: my blog in no shape or form is suggesting that you need to have children for structure, this is just my experience.

Let me introduce you to my life before children. I did what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it and that was all to it. This spilled into my career as well, I knew I only had one person to take of which was me. So I never took work seriously, I came and gone as I please, my whole mindset was, "I'm not working in my desired career so whatever!" The max I would stay at a job was 1 year and it was an accomplishment if I made it that long.
I didn't work out, and I pretty much ate whatever I wanted, and going out was of the norm. Boy has my life changed!

Now let me be honest, at first I wasn't willing to accept my life wasn't the same. I wanted to do the same things and sometimes at night when my children were asleep and my husband was at work, resentment would come staring at me face to face.

After a while I started to embrace this new life and it really affected me in a positive way!  It took me literally two years to get structure within myself and it really does make for a more peaceful day. My mornings used to be my daughter waking me up, me rolling over super tired, leaving out for work and taking my daughter to school super late and talks with my boss about my hours.

Well.. My daughter started a new school and she has to be there on time for Circle Time,  this consequently helped me with structure. The reason I couldn't get up in the mornings was because I stayed up late enjoying my only "me time". Someone told me about working out in the mornings instead of after work when you can easily forget about it. I searched a boot camp Groupon and started working out at 5:45-6:30 am in the mornings, come home, make my daughter breakfast, and we"re out the door by 8:15. I found my "me time" in the mornings working out and plus I'm getting fit! Win win situation!


In addition, I had to learn proper eating habits for my children, so we rarely and I mean rarely eat fast food. I am now becoming best friends with the crock pot, and meal preparation during the week.

Weekends, both of my children have activities in the mornings so I have to develop a routine for Saturday mornings to get my daughter to dance at 9:45 and my son to soccer, starting in October.

I am really learning the importance of structure and structure takes discipline. This has really helped me personally because I am going from a always tired and exhausted mommy to learning about balance and preparation to be a happier mommy and wife. I'm still learning but as of now I am very pleased with myself, pats myself on the back (moms learn how to do that, there's no awards for this job!)

In other news: my daughter first week at her new school was amazing, she cried the first day and didn't cry since! My son will start the same school once he turns two.

 

Oh! Also, the devil has really been trying to get my family from going to church. It feels like every Sunday there is a roadblock! Not today I had the family up and out for church on time! Take that devil!

I can't wait for the Moms Club Meet and greet this Saturday!


 



Jessica M. Byrd is the parent of a two and one year old. 

She is the founder of Metro Detroit Mom's Club and believes 
every mother should live a life on purpose!

Happy Labor Day Everyone!

By: Jessica Byrd

We"re preparing to send my daughter to a new school tomorrow and I'm excited and nervous at the same time.

In other news, I want to talk about the emotional detachment we teach our sons just because they are Boys. My son will be two in December and I can't help but to notice how different  friends and family treat my son than my daughter. Sure I understand saying, "put down that purse" or "that's for girls" but this one time my really close friend was over and she has a nine year old son. My son was crying for some reason and she said to him in a deep voice, "stop that crying" and he started crying more. I immediately responded he doesn't react well when you speak to him that way, I still speak to him soft no matter if he's a boy or not, I mentioned,  I leave it up to his father to speak to him in a manly firm voice, but I am still his mother. Her response, "well he will always cry with his mother then." I revisited that statement when I got home and thought about a couple of things and started to do some research. I found my research to be quite interesting, it talked about the pressures and emotional detachment we try to embed in our sons as early as one year old. There is this stigma that our sons have to be tough, and crying doesn't involve being tough even for a toddler. And while many times I did fall into this stigma after the research I separated myself from this society pressure we have on boys. Sure I want my son to grow up and be a man but I also want him to have feelings. If you've been following my post for some time you would know that I don't condone cry babies for both of my children. I express using your words for my son and daughter but I also understand the need for toddlers to cry sometimes and I don't look at it differently because of their gender. I think we shouldn't try to teach our boys so young to try to be a man forgetting the fact that they are human. I do understand why we do this, but for now lets let children be children!


We spent Labor Day weekend at the Michigan State Fair! I couldn't believe how expensive it was now that it's moved to Troy. None the less the children had a great time!

 




Jessica M. Byrd is the parent of a two and one year old. 

She is the founder of Metro Detroit Mom's Club and believes 
every mother should live a life on purpose!

A Mommy Minute: Teaching Our Children About Faith And God

 By: Jessica Byrd

In a casual conversation with my friend we were discussing the characteristics of very well- mannered and successful individuals, we immediately focused on their childhood and the one thing we both agreed on was the importance of education, family support and faith. Yes, faith! Which proposed the question should we send our children to Christian based schools. My children are not attending Christian based schools only because I found a school that I believe was very keen on a childrens's education. I had a hard time finding a school that excelled in both areas and the one school I did find, a child couldn't attend until they turned 4.

Because I believe teaching faith and values at a young age is very important, I will supplement the teaching of faith at home. I found this great book on Christianbooks.com called Instant Bible Lessons for Preschoolers and I can't wait to start this curriculum with my children. It was only 9.99 and includes biblical teaching to teach your children values and morals while also teaching your children about God.

I will keep you guys posted about the lessons my little ones are learning!!!
Besides regular school lessons our children need to learn about faith, especially in today's time!

- This weekend, the children attended another barbecue with friends and enjoyed a Sunday brunch with family! Also my son learned how to climb out his crib which means a whole new set of problems!!!!

 

Jessica M. Byrd is the parent of a two and one year old. 

She is the founder of Metro Detroit Mom's Club and believes 
every mother should live a life on purpose!

  

A Mommy Minute: Teaching Your Children to Use Their Words

By: Jessica Byrd

This particular blog is for all the struggling mothers of toddles as myself. As mentioned before I'm trying to work on my patience with my children but one thing I have very low tolerance for is whining and crying to get your way. My favorite line to my children is "use your words"  I'm trying to teach my children to communicate their needs instead of crying, especially my soon to be three year old. She sees her brother crying and tires to follow suit! NO way! Here is one example of me expressing the importance of using your words to my daughter;

My daughter usually holds herself in the morning and cries. I know she has to use the bathroom so when I walk in her room I say, "Lailah do you have to potty" sometimes she's still whining, I say "ok Lailah I'll come back when you tell mom what you want" of course their is a possibility that she could potty on herself but thank god she hasn't. When I walk back in the room she usually says, "mommy I have to potty" I would then say, "thank you for using your words Lailah, you're such a big girl! I usually give her praise ask for a high five and she's usually a happy camper. I am repeating this praise over and over until she learns that using your words is the best way to communicate your needs!

My son on the other hand is a little younger, he will be two in December but I'm starting the same routine with him. Especially when he cries for milk, I usually stop him in his tears and say, "do you want milk"? He says yes and I reply "how do you ask mommy for milk like a big boy" he usually says "milk please" and I praise him! Of Course there are times when their both way too frustrated and crying is the easier answer for them, but for the most part mommy is teaching them this is a use your words zone!

Make sure you're teaching your toddlers to use their words and not answering to their every cry without properly explaining how to ask for things and use their words! It's a process but they need to learn how to communicate.



*This weekend was a park weekend we celebrated some friends birthday and went to the park both days!

As promised, I was going to keep you guys updated on my children's school. I took Lailah out of Childtime which I believe was awesome for when she was 1-2 years old but as she transitioning into her pre preschool years (she will be three in November) I want her to attend a school environment. She will be starting Early Impressions this September! I am excited for her to attend a big girl school but nervous, as any parent would be. You can't start this school until you're two so my son will be starting January 1st (his birthday is December 31st) I will keep you guys posted about the school!

Jessica M. Byrd is the parent of a two and one year old. 

She is the founder of Metro Detroit Mom's Club and believes 

every mother should live a life on purpose!

Being A Mother Doesn't Stop Your Dreams

By: Jessica Byrd

So many times I hear people say that being a mother caused them to put their dreams on hold. My heart drops when I hear this comment. Yes, I know being a mother causes us to not go full speed but to completely stop dreaming just makes me want to cry. I truly believe God is setting me up for a great blessing, and my life will become a testimony to many. So here’s my story.. While I was pregnant with my first child, I worked full time at Chase bank as a personal banker, I hated every minute and moment of my life at the time. Banking is a great career for some, but not for me! This was the first real job I knew I had to keep because I needed good insurance for my child, and a steady income. Everyday I went dressed to work dreading my purpose. I worked until I 9 months with child, I was tired, miserable, and wore out! But at the moment, I sacrificed my happiness for my soon to be daughter. Fast forward my daughter is born, and going back to work full time was not an option for me, I opted to work part time at Chase and it worked out perfect for my schedule.

A year later, I am pregnant with my son, still a personal banker, this time I was able to take some time off sooner than 9 months, due to my bedrest my doctor assigned for me. I was at risk for my pregnancy and my doctor felt my stress from work was having a negative impact on the proper growth of my son. Instead of actually going on bedrest, I used this time to intern two days a week. I was determined when I was pregnant with my son that I was not going back to doing something full time that I literally hated. I was determined to go after my goals, and I was determined it would work out in the end. I interned for no pay, and through the grace of God, he fulfilled all my needs. At the time, I had high hopes of being in the publishing career, and nothing was going to stop me. After my son was born, I left Chase, took another low paying part time job, and still interned for the Michigan Chronicle two days a week. All while having two children under two, I was determined. Yes, I had a huge support system! I let everyone know around me this was my decision and I had to do this for me. I was working events for my internship without pay, eight months pregnant. Yes, there was nights when I felt like I should be home with my children, mommy guilt had the best of me, however having a brighter future was important to me. I knew I had to do this for myself and better yet for my children. I am a strong believer of living a life on purpose!! When my internship ended, I wrote a proposal to my job to hire me, they told me they didn’t have any openings at the time. Therefore, I continued to work my low paying part time job. Exactly two weeks later, my internship called me and hired me as an contractor account executive. During my time as a contractor, I expressed my interest in event planning, and a year later I became a full time employee as the event coordinator for the Michigan Chronicle. My first big event was this month, The Men of Excellence!

This is an abbreviated story, but it shows my determination to succeed. There were many of hopeless nights, especially when I’m struggling, working hard, and my finances were based off of a part time gig.

I know I have a long way to go, and while I am still growing, still learning, and still developing my niche in my career path and surely not rich. I am wealthy by the grace of God, I know he is guiding my steps, and I know my future is bright!

Therefore as a mother never sell yourself short, go after your dreams, make it work for you, and  follow your heart. Yes our children are priority but live your best life possible!!!! Now In my current role, I still have time to spend with my children, I make sure I am at all my children’s activities, and I utilize my weekends for my children. My children are still my priority but I am not giving on myself in the process.

**Mom’s Club summer playdate was this weekend at Heritage Park and we had so much fun!!!!!

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If you’re interested in joining the Moms Club our next meet and greet will be in September so make sure to send me an email.









Jessica M. Byrd is the parent of a two and one year old. 

She is the founder of Metro Detroit Mom's Club and believes 
every mother should live a life on purpose!