Ultimate Girl Boss, #mamagoals and my not so secret Insta girl crush (haha), Jordan is the face behind With the Whittakers. She has two adorable babes and a Hubby who has his own following!! Read all about her below and then go and check out her page x
Could you tell me a little bit about yourself and what you do:
I’m a 26 year old stay at home Mama with a little side hustle in the form of being a ‘Content Creator’ (or social influencer if you wish, though I’m not a huge fan of that term). My husband is in the Air Force and between us we have 3 kids - Jayden (19), Brooklyn (5) and Marlo (2.5). We live in the beautiful Blenheim currently, though we are due to move north (Air Force life) at the end of this year to the Manawatu. I’m excited to get there and settle for a while! Age when you had your first baby:
I was 20, and turned 21 a week later! What was your reaction when you found out you were pregnant?
With Brooklyn - thrilled but nervous. I’d had a miscarriage before his pregnancy, so didn’t want to get too excited until I was in the ‘safe zone’. And with Marlo - much the same! What has been your biggest challenge with running a business and being a mama at the same time?
The time factor. Finding the time to fit it in around the kids. It’s usually done in the evenings, or if Marlo is entertained by something I will take advantage of the moment and reply to emails on my phone. How do you balance Home and work life? (any tips/tricks to share?)
I’m not sure I have this nailed... even after 5 years! But I guess if I’m starting to feel guilty about the balance being wrong (work coming first), then I cut back. My priority is my kids, they come first. So if I have to take on less jobs, then I will. Best piece of advice you were given about parenting:
Take any advice with a grain of salt. People mean well, but it can be super overwhelming getting told this that and the other. So sure, listen to what people have to say. But only apply it if you wish, and if you think it will work for your baby/family. What would you do if you weren’t doing your current job/running your business?
I would be doing a side hustle of Graphic Design, it’s what I was doing prior to my current ‘job’ (still feels weird calling it a job!) and it’s always something I have to fall back on - if the social media world disappeared. I enjoyed doing logos and business type design! Have you met any challenges being a mama in your 20s?
Being the first of my school friends to have a baby was really hard, though my choice - it was a tough time drifting apart from them and having to make new ‘mum friends’. They were out travelling the world and partying and I was up all night (not partying) and had breast pads shoved in my bra 24/7. Once I found my groove and made some new friends (thank god for the internet!!), it became a bit easier. But having a baby at 20 sure makes you grow up quickly! What has been your biggest challenge in your 20s (non-parenting related)?
Being happy in my own skin, this probably goes back to the fact I was my only school friend with kids - so I was super envious of their beautiful non-stretch marked bodies and perky boobs that I would see in photos on Facebook. Envious being the key word there, I wasn’t ugly jealous - I was like daaaayum girl I wish my skin looked as flawless as yours! But 2 kids and 5 years, later I’ve learnt to give less F’s - I’m proud of my body for growing a 9lb 5oz and the a 8lb 10oz baby in a few years, so stretch marks and saggy boobs are just my reality now and I’m ok with that! Though I would like to get a boob job one day, not gonna lie! If you could give one piece of advice to twenty-something’s pre kids what would it be? I think the perception of having children is that you need to get all your travelling and ‘living’ done first, because it’s all over once you have a kid. But it’s SO NOT! It’s the opposite! It’s literally been the best time of my life! And this comes from someone who doesn’t get out a lot either, but it’s still the best ever! There ain’t no hood like motherhood, right? It’s a pretty cool gang to be part of!