I get this question quite often -- "How do you
juggle a full time job with your role as wife and mother of four? How do you maintain balance?"
This is going to have to be part one on this subject, the things that impact my daily walk are endless. The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that I was a
TEACHER before I was a Pediatric Dentist!
As all educators know, we learn a lot in those first years of teaching. Teaching, and my fellow teachers, taught me
many life lessons that I am able to apply to my everyday life.
For example,
one of the most important lessons learned was that I needed to create a sense
of community in my classroom and with my fellow teachers. In my classroom, rules and organization were
vital to maintaining order so that I could teach effectively. And, as
teachers we all relied on each other for ideas, supplies or just simple advice. It’s
the same in my work and in my home. Whether it is my husband and I or my staff, we are a team.
Another
important lesson learned from teaching was that organization was key. Being
prepared and getting everything ready the night before is so important to
keeping the ball rolling. Organization is vital to making my life work and I
rely on my wonderful husband and extended family, as well as, a fantastic group
of staff members to get all of the jobs done!
Whether it is getting one of my own children from point A to point B,
planning field trips for Brownie troops, or helping to run my practice…it
actually does take a village (actually, with four children, I think more of a
state!)
I also learned the art of delegating! In my
classroom, every student had a ‘job’ or responsibility each week within our
classroom community. It’s the same in my
office and at home. We all have our strengths, making us all a part of the puzzle serving for the greater good! It is vital that I
collaborate with others and ask for help and delegate. I recognize that I
cannot wear all of the ‘hats’ at my office nor in my home. At work I have to train and delegate responsibilities
to each staff member and know that I have the right people on my side and as part of my workplace team. I have to defer to others expertise on accounting or other matters integral to running a business. At home I have to realize that my children need me to just be me, mom. Not a car shuttle or check book- just to sit and spend time with them. I have to recognize that my specialty is Pediatric Dentistry and being a Wife/Mother, all the rest is up to everyone else and their particular strengths.
Another
principle that I learned from teaching was that, in order to gain respect from
my students, I had to respect each and every one of them
first, and I needed them all to know how important they were in this
world. I have tried to apply those same
principals to my children, my staff members, my patients and to their parents. During my teaching days, I had students that came from dysfunctional families and low socioeconomic conditions as a result of that they tended to have very low self -esteem. By
entrusting each one of my students with a responsibility for our classroom
community and by being respectful of each and every student, I was teaching the
students that they were important and integral to the classroom success every
day. I believe that the same message applies to everyone and I strive to show this to my staff, patients and to my own children. In fact, as I write, there is a list of 100
positive, affirming phrases hanging in our staff lounge to remind all of us here to take the time to remind our patients and their parents of
their value and importance in the world. Because who knows? Maybe this is
the day that one particular patient or their parent really needs
affirmation. Maybe they have had a bad
day or a bad week. We have the privilege of being a place where we can offer a
sense of community and kindness and affirmation-- we take that privilege very
seriously.
Another
lesson that I learned from teaching is that in order to be an effective teacher,
I needed to show my students that I was accessible and needed to show them
how much I truly cared for them and their families, and I needed to
exhibit and truly show my enthusiasm for teaching and learning. Guess what?
These same qualities are required to be an effective Pediatric Dentist
or support staff member.
When children feel comfortable and know that we truly care about their
dental health, then we are more effective at doing our jobs and taking care of
their teeth! And, these are all
qualities that I look for in staff members here at ARPD and that I nurture in
myself.
Other
lessons from teaching that have served me well?
·
Have high (but still realistic) expectations of those that I serve… . I learned long ago that people tend to live
up (or down) to what you expect of them. This applies from my spouse all the way to the check out clerk at the grocery store. I strongly believe that If you don't have expectations for someone, it shows that you don't believe in them.
·
Nurture a Love of Learning… in myself and in my staff members. I know that I am
never finished 'learning' to be a pediatric dentist! I love attending CE courses and keeping
updated on new procedures, materials and products. I enjoy maintaining my Board Certification in
Pediatric Dentistry! Board Certification
insures that I will always be striving to be a better pediatric dentist. There is always more to learn each year. Not to mention what my patients and children
teach me, maybe even more than all of my classes!
·
Be a Skilled Leader… boy, this takes work! In order to manage the business and a large
staff I am constantly problem solving, trying everything until I find out
what will work.I am always shifting gears, adapting and changing until I get it right. Unfortunately ;) this means admitting my mistakes and learning from my mistakes, a true sign of someones professionalism. All of these skills are
vital to running a business, and, might I add, vital to being a mother and working
with children! So, once again, thank you
to my education experience.
And,
finally, one of the most important methods that I use to ‘juggle my life’ and
find balance in all that I do is to choose
positivity daily. In order to do this, I have to make a very intentional
effort not to lose personal connection. I have to remember what it was like to be a child, a
student, and a patient. I strive to learn from those that I serve and to those
whom I interact with each day. I try to look at every person I interact with with a desire to truly understand their needs.
Not to long ago I posted about my love of reading. Well, here’s a literary reference from one of my very favorite novels (for
all of you “To Kill a Mockingbird’ fans out there). This quotation is from
Harper Lee’s Atticus and describes a state of mind that I truly feel makes life
easier: "You never really understand a person until you consider things from
his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it…” That says it all, right?
