Rhonda Ross is an actress, business owner, and founder of Ross Realty International. She recently sat down with Big City Moms to talk about her busy life and role as super mom.
Managing work and home life.
“I am blessed to have wonderful help. My husband is an excellent father and support to me and we work with several loving care-givers (each speaking a different language with my son), but even so, the work/life balance is a constant juggle. The choice that is the most successful for me is to work from home. This way, I am not forced to kiss Raif goodbye at 7:30 in the morning and not see him again until 7:30 at night. My daily schedule is fluid, I sneak into the other room to do several hours of work, then I take time to play or eat lunch with him, or put him down for his nap and then I can work again. We get a chance to relate to each other throughout the day. But whether you work in or out of the home, the balance is a difficult one. Be nice to yourself. Give yourself a break when you don’t get the balance right.”
How motherhood has changed her life.
“Becoming a mom has changed my life in too many ways to count. As cliché as it sounds, the depth of my love for my son takes me by surprise every day. I find myself saying ‘There is NOTHING I wouldn’t do for this boy!’ And when I say it, it feels like it’s coming from my gut, from my toes. There’s a depth to it that I don’t remember experiencing before. I love my parents. I love my siblings and my friends and God knows, I love my husband, but the love for one’s child is just different. I believe it’s why mothers can lift cars to save their kid — it’s that deep.”
Most memorable moments as a mom.
“Again, too many moments to count… I try my best to journal and preserve the moments as best I can. I take a lot of pictures and video, but (as any parent knows) the best moments pop up when you least expect them, and they can just blow you away! I wish there was a little digital camera that I could wear on my face – a contact lens with a memory card installed, like something James Bond would use — so I could capture moments all day long. Someone should invent that!”
Activities that she and Raif like to participate in.
“We are really into bike riding. He has a balance bike; I think they are great for toddlers! To me they are better than tricycles and scooters and give him such self-confidence. When the weather’s nice, we go the park a lot. When the weather’s no good, we can spend hours just singing and dancing around the apartment. We love it!”
Advice for new moms.
“Before having my son, I have to admit I was better at taking care of myself. I took long walks and long baths. (Don’t worry, I still bathe, but now it’s for efficiency and less for luxury). I worked out, practiced yoga, and meditated on a regular basis. Since becoming a mom, keeping myself healthy, well-rested, well-fed, and calm has been my biggest challenge. There is just SO MUCH to do! My advice to new moms is: do your best to prioritize. Put yourself, your health, and your happiness toward the top of that list (allowing other things to fall by the wayside). In many very real ways, mothers hold up the entire world – we are raising the next generation. It’s a big job. If we collapse, the world collapses with us. We must take care of ourselves!”
Read the full interview here.
Photo above shows Rhonda, her son Raif, and her mother, singing legend Diana Ross, at the 2012 Skating with the Stars gala on April 2, 2012 in New York City.
