Harris Faulkner is a motivational speaker and a TV journalist, but she has one more important role — she’s a mom.
Faulkner loves getting into the kitchen with her daughters and making big breakfasts together — something they do regularly on weekend mornings before she heads off to work at Fox News. They also love walking to one of the many nearby parks in their New Jersey suburb.
“I love to go to the park because they love to go to their park. They love to swing and swing and swing,” says Faulkner.
Faulkner says that when she’s with her kids, she focuses on them and only answers the most important of calls and texts. “When it’s their time, it’s their time,” says Faulkner. It’s something she says is really important for moms to do.
“Whether it’s 15 minutes or an hour, completely give your child attention. It’s a way of loving your child. That’s really important because children get their self-esteem points from you listening to them. It makes them feel like they matter,” Faulkner explains.
Working through it
The work week for Faulkner is a little different than for most people — she anchors Fox Report Weekend, which airs Saturday and Sunday from 7 to 8 p.m. ET. and also is a breaking news anchor on Happening Now weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. It’s not exactly a 9 to 5 assignment.
“I have a pretty busy schedule Wednesday through Sunday, so there’s some added challenges for balancing home and work for me,” says Faulkner, whose oldest daughter is in kindergarten. “My job is basically in the evenings.”
Still, her work day begins with an 8 a.m. editorial phone call that she takes from home. And then she has to coordinate with producers on what’s happening that day. Around noon, she heads into the office.
Mondays and Tuesdays are essentially her weekend — and a time she uses to recharge and also spend with her family.
Couple time
Many busy moms are trying to balance it all — career and kids. And unfortunately, it’s easy to neglect your hubby or partner amidst all the chaos of work and parenthood. Faulkner prioritizes making time for her and her husband — something that she says has helped keep them connected. “He keeps me honest on that because we both know how important that time is,” she says.
Faulkner and her husband have a weekly date night — which sometimes means snacks and a movie at home after the kids are in bed, and other times means getting a babysitter and heading out. “Of all the things I can say, he is he biggest romantic I have ever met. He loves to just plan a Monday evening and he gives me three choices,” says Faulkner.
Can women have it all?
For Faulkner — a successful woman who is balancing a demanding, busy career and an involved motherhood — the question of whether women can have it all is an intriguing one.
“I think we can have anything we want. [However] I do find it unnecessary to have everything… There is a certain emotional danger when we get into chasing everything,” says Faulkner.
Faulkner says that for her, she has found a way to have everything she wants — which isn’t necessarily the same thing as having it all. “Having it all must mean different things to different people,” she says.
Mom advice
Every day moms make decisions — big and small — that make an impact on their children. “I make decisions that are based on my core values,” says Faulkner. “The things that I think need light at the moment or need positive energy.”
