Blending work and family is a skill that Cheryl Hickey, the long-running host of ET Canada, has fine-tuned over the years. In 2005, she began the show under the media spotlight as a single gal and we all watched when she got married, and then became pregnant and pregnant once more. Her kids Nyla, 4, and Jackson, 7, have inspired her career decisions along with a new start up, Cheryl Hickey Family, and the launch of Arm Here for You, a pillow and blanket that make feeding and snuggling easier for all. While she’s full tilt in the real mom movement and revealing the beautiful mess of working motherhood on her social media feeds, she’s had to balance the chaos with a high professional IQ to continue her joyful ride.
About getting real with her mom self…
“As a new mom, your hormones aren’t balanced for a good few years. I don’t really understand why people don’t talk more about the fact that your body goes through so much after having a baby. I believe we can’t pretend that it’s equal for men and women after having a baby. Our bodies and hormones are still changing and we’re not sleeping, and then you have to go back to work when nothing is normal in your life. Pretty quickly you have to figure how to make your family and work blend together so you can take care of yourself, your family and your career.”
About negotiating her work-life beat…
“Women have to have the mojo to say, ‘this is what I need to do for my family and this what I need to do for my career. How can we make this work so the company doesn’t suffer?’ At the end of the day it’s all about business and I think every situation is unique. You have to take a look at where there is room for negotiation and compromise and try to maximize those moments. For me, I came back after 6 months and I was prepared to do that so I could work part-time until both kids were 2 years old. Then I started working 8:30am to 3:30pm, so I could make dinner and be present. I think a lot of companies are becoming more flexible and realize in 2017, things aren’t as cookie cutter as they used to be. Big companies that are evolving are recognizing the contribution women make in the work place and say, ‘we’re going to figure this out.’ I’m grateful that I work for a company who is willing to make this conversation happen.”
About her secret power at work…
“I definitely speak up at work. I’ve never been afraid to offer my opinion, and yes, sometimes I’ll regret it later but I believe that’s why they hired me and the whole ET team: To embrace the show, be creative and offer solutions and suggestions. That’s being part of a team; you have to be willing to get involved in the dirty bits too.”
During our shoot Cheryl shows off her wacky side (yes–she totally has one!)
About how work empowers her…
“Recently I had something going on personally that was difficult, but nobody knew on the show. My world can be falling apart but the moment I step on that show, I’m good to go. Work offers me a zone and flow that lets me escape and it also gives me time and space to gain perspective on whatever it is that is bugging me. It actually helps me through whatever it is that’s bothering me.”
About her secret power at home…
“The biggest thing I try and foster in the kids is mindfulness and thoughtfulness. We are really a love-y family. There are a lot of giggles at home, we’re very mushy…there’s never a good few hours where we don’t say I love you or hug and kiss each other. I would die if I didn’t get six hugs a day. And we talk about everything; about how something made us feel and if something goes wrong, we talk it through. We sit down every night at the dinner table and talk about what we’re grateful for and see if there’s anything we can do to help each other. I make our home a safe place where the kids can say anything they want because that’s what my mom gifted me with.”
Her backyard lets her escape without having to go far
About how her kids empower her at work…
We’re more conscious about not showing celebrity children anymore and that’s not just because of me. Our viewers, who are predominantly women, weren’t responding to seeing children of celebrities and we listened. There are also times when my mom brain switch goes on and I think about the moms and dads sitting in their house with their little one and wonder what if they catch a glimpse of something that might bring up questions? That’s when I’ll say, ‘If you have kids in the room, just a heads up’. And I’m proud of that. It’s my responsibility to think beyond the screen.”
About surviving mom guilt…
“When my kids were born, I thought when is that feeling of worry and guilt going to go away. I know the guilt will never go away. If I miss a dinner I’ll feel it—boom—right in the gut. But I accept the mom guilt and to be honest, that makes it easier to get to work. What I do now is try not to worry about what’s happening or what I might miss or mess up tomorrow—at home or at work. When and if it happens, I will worry about it then and process those feelings. I’ve realized there’s a difference between worry and anticipation. Worry is destructive to your happiness whereas anticipation is simply preparing for whatever comes.”
“My me-time is with my kids. I know that’s an unpopular answer, but it makes sense for me and my schedule.’
Must-Haves & Mementos
A treasured pair of Louboutins helps her step outside of her comfort zone, especially when she’s gotta get ready for the red carpet. “I don’t naturally have a lot of edge to my personal style. These helped me feel beautiful, sassy and bold when I wore them to report from Cannes.”
She’s obsessed with oils for her skin, in particular, Peoni L’Extrait (you can meet the Montreal-based founder and mom on Love, Mom) and Lalicious The Oil. “I love anything with vanilla and that smells sweet. Delicious scents make me feel happy,” including a long time addiction to Calgon Hawaiian Ginger Body Mist (below) which she still seeks out for her beauty routine today.
She says her Lumio Book Lamp is a marriage saver. “I love to read at night and if my reading light was any brighter, my husband would lose his marbles.”
Mother’s day gifts from Jackson (above) and Nyla (below) quick-changes any case of the blues. “In the jar, there are little notes that say stuff like, ‘I love my mom because she buys me shoes, or because she gives me healthy food or because she drives me to school and sings. His words are so pure and ridiculous and amazing. When I have a crappy day, I just reach for anything the kids have made me.”
