Julie Lopez, the founder of LAMamiLife, a bilingual family and lifestyle podcast, was born and raised in Paramount, California. She grew up speaking Spanish but learned English when she was about 10 years old in fifth grade.
Julie, a mom of one with a second baby on the way, enjoys sharing her motherhood journey from a Latina millennial perspective. She and I chatted about new moms, the transition of “working mom” to “stay at home mom”, and pregnancy during quarantine.
“It’s been hard to adjust. Our daughter misses her Target outings! She misses her friends. Both my husband and I work at home. She needs attention, and it has been difficult to find alone time. Couples time.” Julie’s experience echos the lives of most parents with young children. As far as transitioning back to working outside the home, Julie suggests allowing time to mourn what was and what is, yet again.
Tips for couples’ time:
- Streaming – Find a show/series you both enjoy watching together.
- Love notes – Communicate via texts throughout the day, even if in the same house. A good reminder that you’re being appreciated.
Tips for working parents as they rejoin the workforce outside the home:
- Choose to be patient – it takes time to accept the change.
- One day at the time – be flexible
- Mourn what was – validate feelings of loss
- Use a planner
- Delegate – use services that can help – if possible, food services/restaurants/cleaning/sitters/family
