Sarah: Today is all about mothers and juggling real estate as you're all doing a great job right now and being able to manage it all, being able to not only invest in real estate or work in the industry.
But we would love to hear from you. And I have Katherine here today because Katherine you bought your first property as well, your first investment property, and you are also a mom of three and now a grandmother as well. And Katherine, this is your first event that you were hosting with me.
I'm excited to host it together. So, let's get started. We will introduce the four and Katherine, obviously we can introduce you as well, but we'll introduce our ladies, our mothers in real estate investing today. So, let's start with Danielle. Danielle Chiasson is a serial entrepreneur known for her work in the field of real estate investing in residential redevelopment and rental housing. She works as a General Contractor, managing various trades and staff while managing her businesses. She feels her days operating multiple businesses, underwriting properties, balancing finances, managing rental properties and endlessly educating herself.
She's also a licensed real estate broker in Ontario and a member and contributor of several real estate education organizations, and also a single mom. Welcome Danielle.
All right. Next Milena Cardinal is a private real estate investor and lawyer specializing in real estate, who loves to find creative ways of resolving complex legal issues that her clients bring to her law firm. Puzzle solver all coming in handy as a mom and juggler of a busy family. Welcome Milena.
Sarah: Claire Drage, a mortgage broker for people who hate going to see a mortgage broker. Claire has been an active member of the mortgage and real estate investing industry. For more than 30 years, she started her career managing over 140 properties in Spain.
And upon moving to Canada, when her sons were three and six, she began growing her mortgage brokering business. When her sons were five and eight, she started her own firm and now the boys are grown up and Claire is a grandma to two kids. That's awesome. Welcome Claire.
Carina Guzman’s background is in urban planning. She now runs a full real estate land development company with a power team of architects, engineers, and planners. Carina invests in real estate, is a private lender, is also a coach and speaker and a mom of two amazing boys. Welcome Carina.
We're going to essentially have each of you share what you can to other parents. Moms, it could also be dads, how you've been able to manage it all. But Katherine, I want to give a minute for Katherine to introduce herself. And I'm putting you on the spot, you've obviously raised three wonderful kids. You are now a grandma. Starting in real estate. So, maybe if you want to do a 30 second overview of what it is that you do.
Katherine: My background is corporate communications and has been for about 25 years. So, it's operations management, events, coordination, and everything. But while I was doing that, I found myself a single mom.
When my daughters were just two, not even two, but two, three, and five. And from there, I went back to school. Retrained, got myself back into the corporate world and built myself up and now I am married to a lovely man, grandmother of six. And I'm just starting at 60 to a new career in real estate investing.
Sarah: Amazing. Congratulations. Awesome. All right, let's get started. You know what, maybe Danielle, let's start with you. If you could provide some tips on, how to juggle it all and, and how to invest in real estate while being a mom of three amazing kids.
Danielle: Yeah, so three kids. I got to tell you they're teenagers now, and I'm not sure if it's easier now, or it was then when I could just leave and they could stay with somebody. Now, I leave them at their home and it stresses me out. Cause I'm not sure what they're doing, but yeah, when I first started in real estate back in 2013, my oldest was nine.
And I had the three kids. They were all under nine. And a few things that I did honestly like being a full-time real estate investor, I was able to manage my schedule around them, but you know what, having a really good support network around you like family and friends is critical. You do have to be super organized, but being able to lean on the people that are around.
So, like my sister would come here and I could go do my groceries. And so I could get in and out of the grocery store a lot quicker than if I'm lugging all three kids. So, it's just really like super focused on time management and leaning on that support. That's really key. And I know that you said I was a single mom.
I don't particularly like that word for my situation because I co-parent, so it's a 50, 50 split. So, I really took advantage of having that 50% of time where I didn't have the kids. So, I just want to put that out there for those of you that are with a spouse, make it a 50, 50 split. That you can do that, even though you're together, it doesn't all have to fall on you.
So, he is your support network. So, lean on him for times that you need that. And don't be afraid. I think what happens a lot of times, we think that we have to, we do take the helm a lot of times as mothers and leaders at home, but ultimately there's no reason why you can't lean on your spouse and say, hey, look, I have to go take care of this.
Can you take the kids to go to the park? And doing stuff like that. So, you can even just lean on your spouse a little bit more than you probably already are. So, that to me is really key, is leaning on the people that are within your network. That's true to keep and by the way, not just to get stuff done, but to take care of yourself because what I've learned as I got into business is how critical self-care is. In order to have success within your business. So, what I used to do with my partner when we were together is that he would let me sleep in an extra hour or whatever. So, I didn't have to get up with the kids and go first thing in the morning. So, that was one of the things that I did too. That was pretty cool.
Sarah: Amazing. Great tip. And I liked that you also mentioned, try to find a balance and do a 50, 50 that's great. Katherine, any comments that you'd want to add?
Katherine: I definitely think one of the most important things is taking care of yourself, because if you deplete the wealth for yourself, then you have nothing to do.
To anybody else and you can't keep going. It's like keeping gas in the car, but that's really important to do that. Thank you. That was great Danielle.
Sarah: Thanks Danielle. Alright. Milena, let's go to you next. Any tips and insights that you would like to share with us?
Milena: Sure. I can. Maybe by way of background. I split up with her father when my daughter was three months old. So, I raised her on my own. And it, when I got to a place where I had to decide, do I become an employee? Which I hated because I don't really know how to stand, stay in line. I like being the master of my own faith or something, I don't know. I wasn't a very good employee.
So, I was like, I don't want to be stuck in a job that I disliked. So, I decided to go back to school when she was three years old. And for the first three years of her life, I was on welfare, depending on Christmas baskets for being able to put food on the table for Christmas.
Like I've been through tough times and I went back to school, not really knowing for sure that I was going to become a lawyer. I just like the idea of studying law and I really loved it. And then, that kind of naturally led me to become a lawyer. And it's a very male dominated industry.
I'm sure some of you ladies can relate to a very male dominated industry. I was definitely not part of the old boys’ club. Definitely felt like I was almost out of line starting my own practice in a small town with all male lawyers. Definitely had to push the boundaries of that. And then as my daughter was getting older and she was looking at going to university and I was like, okay, like, how do I pay for her university?
What I'm still paying for on my own. So, I was still paying my student loans. And I decided to get into real estate as an alternative source of wealth. And I absolutely love it. I think it's so amazing when moms get into real estate. So, that's why I was so excited to be here.
Tips. Okay. So, I would say make it as easy as possible on yourself. One of the things that I did is that I lived in my office for the longest time. I didn't have my office in my home. I lived in my office, I set up some bedrooms so that I could live at the same level. I was running my practice and it was just easier because that way I could work at all different hours and I didn't have to follow the streamline of what everybody was telling me.
Also, I think of our super power as women, I believe our instincts are motherly instincts and our female instincts. Yeah, we need to follow our instincts. Like I've been a trailblazer every step of the way. I haven't done anything the way that other lawyers aren't doing it and telling me, you're doing it wrong.
This is not the way that you're supposed to run a law firm. I was like, okay, watch me. And sometimes I stumbled and I had to figure it out. But at the same time, I just refuse to not be me. And I refuse to not do things on my own. And I'd say the biggest tip that was like a life changer for me is don't let people believe you.
And then realizing that really all the bullying was I was doing it to myself. Like it was all in my own head. I was so critical of myself. I couldn't stand making mistakes. And then I realized that's something that women also do very well. And with the help of other women, I've learned to conquer that and to not.
Not constantly talk negatively about myself and also let things go, you know what? I make mistakes and that's okay. You know what really learned that? That's okay. And it's not only okay for me, but it's okay because my kid gets to see me not be perfect. So, she's allowed to not be perfect and she's allowed to make mistakes and stumble.
And then, yeah, so, don't beat yourself up. And then more on the practical self on the practical side of build a team, a networking of professionals that will assist you and, ask a professional that you trust, ask your broker to refer you to a lawyer. Your real estate agent will refer you to a broker until you have a team that you really trust.
And most importantly, those that want to work together, like your broker, your realtor, your lawyer, your financial advisor, even your banker, they should all be talking to one another. Yeah, tip that. I give it every single presentation. I am trying to spread the word, you're like the Messiah, when it comes to this stuff, build a team of people that work together, not just work with you. Okay.
Katherine: That's great tips. That's really excellent Milena and making sure. And that's really unique that you actually thought about putting the bedrooms and moving into your office. Really? That's phenomenal. Really cool.
Sarah: Awesome. Thanks Milena, for sharing our rights. Carina what are some of the tips and insights that you can share? And, obviously we're doing this for Mother's day is coming up very shortly. But if you are not a mother and you're listening to this, it could still apply to you and these are all great tips. That, I think even just for me, I don't have any kids, but there's some good tidbits of information there that I, I think are very valuable also for everybody. Carina, what can you share with us?
Carina: Sarah, you're absolutely right in that. You don't have to be a mother. One of my big aha moments that I had very early on for me was that I had to set the expectations upfront with my family. So, that's not just with my husband and my kids. That was literally with everybody, my whole family.
So, when I started and literally did it backwards because I was in the corporate world and I wanted to really expand my real estate business, but I didn't know how and nor was I in a position to just be like, oh, I'm just going to give up everything and do that. So, what I did is I intentionally had a baby, this is my story.
I had a baby. We said we're going to have a baby, so I can take one year off from my corporate job. And in that year, I'm going to take it to figure it out. This was my second son in 2015 and yeah, basically I just, I took that one year and I went into land development. So, Milena was saying it's a very men-oriented world.
And I was literally like out there with my baby. I took him with the carrier and I would go and do deals and I'm doing stuff. I think Milena did the same too. And a lot of mothers, we drag our kids along. And I learned through that experience. There was no objection. Like I always thought, there's a lot of men and here I am just dragging my kids along, but I had never had anyone say oh, what are you doing?
Or how come, you're bringing your kids? There was never that question. And it made me evolve into doing this the way that I want. And whatever that takes didn't matter, if I had to bring my kids, so here I am bringing a little baby with me to different meetings and stuff and going to the city, I would literally bring him in with me.
And I would make a joke like this as a businessman and training and all that. But setting the expectations with my family too, because I told them this is what I'm doing. I really want to pursue this. I'm doing it hard for this year and you will be surprised how many people were so supportive of it.
My husband was very supportive of it. My mother, my father, my sisters, they all were like, okay, where can we take the kids and I'll take them for you for the weekend and I'll do this. Everybody just stopped. And it helped because it wasn't something that I felt like I was doing on my own.
And Danielle was saying, you're right. You don't have to do it on your own. There's no reason why you can't take the help because moms, we always want to do everything. We feel guilty that we're not giving our children the time that they need from us. And there's this constant guilt, but at the same time, I realized what they get to spend time with.
And they get to spend time with grandma and grandpa and they get to enjoy their cousins. And so, it's also that shift in mentality that, you know what, we don't have to do everything ourselves. We can reinvent. Being a mother and being in business and using that help that people are giving you. So, I say, take that into consideration, and it's easier when you set the expectations upfront. The other part is that early on I used to, again, just be like, it's my business and I'm learning this thing. And then I felt like I really did. Maybe I didn't give enough information to my partner, my husband, because he'd be like, I'd be working like crazy and doing stuff.
And I realized that when I did include him a little bit, because men, I find men in general, they want to solve solutions. Like they're always like, I want to help you out. I want to do something. One of the things that I switched kind of a pathway, because I realized that he felt maybe neglected, this is part of being a mom too, you have to. You're also in a partnership with somebody taking care of the kids and all of this. I found that when I would give him just talk to him about, this is what's going on, I'm like meeting. Help or just somewhere someone to bounce off ideas with, to find solutions and make him feel happy.
Like he was, what about this? And what about that? Not in a way that I only want to talk about work, but in a sense that I would involve him a little bit and he would feel happy about that. And he would see the successes and help me out through the way. So, I switched that halfway through.
I got to say, because at the beginning I was like doing it all by myself and I realized that, you know what, he does have some input or some way of helping me. So, that also helps with the relationship too. I would say another big aspect would be to also like Danielle was saying, taking care of yourself. I don't like the notion of you going to work like crazy, or you see this a lot in the development world or the personal development world, I guess I should say that, work hard non-stop, work crazy hours, go to bed late. But like Danielle was saying, if you are tired, you're going to be cranky and you're going to be cranking with your kids.
You're going to be cranking with everyone else. You're not going to be able to focus. You can't find solutions. You're just, everything is foggy. And I think, it doesn't always talk about work or business. There has to be a balance between your business. And of course, I can care for the kids, but taking care of yourself is still key.
I don't believe in work nonstop. No, you have to rest and sleep well. I get up very early every morning. I do my workouts first thing in the morning. I used to try to do it in the middle of the day. It never worked out because I would get so caught up in work. That was the last thing I'm thinking of.
So, if I do it at the very first thing, 5:00 AM. I'm doing my workout. I have a gym. We actually have a gym at home, a full-fledged gym in our base. I know, I understand. Not everybody can do that, but if you can do something, it doesn't have to be a full gym, take care of yourself physically and mentally and eat well during the day.
But don't overeat because the problem is also, this is that we're here and we're working. And a lot of us, I think most of our work is on the computer. Like I'm on especially now with COVID we're on zoom all the time. It's so easy to open. But eat well, just don't overeat. Even if you're eating healthy food, just don't over eat the healthy food either because that's not healthy.
I found you're going to lose the energy and the momentum throughout the day. So, it's very important to keep healthy. And also, one last tidbit is what I implemented in myself is when I'm doing my business and I'm working on it, I work hard and I'm focused on it as much as I possibly can.
But when I am with my family, I want to work, play hard too. So, work hard, play hard and feel life, really enjoy it. The little bitterness of every day that your kids are around. And when you're spending the time with them, you're actually present because it's very difficult in the business world.
We're constantly thinking about, oh yeah, this and that. And this is coming up or that's coming up. So, try your best. I know it's hard because as women, we think like a billion things in a second. So just try your best to be there as much as possible when it's time to be there. And then when you're at work or you're doing your business work on that.
So, work hard, play hard, take care of yourself. Do as much cardio and work out as much as you can do it. First thing in the morning is the best time. Otherwise, you're never going to get it done and take the help from the people around you who generally really want to see you succeed. We'll do that and you're going to see great violence.
Katherine: Wow. That's a huge list, but it's also accurate and it's so important for all of us to take care of ourselves. And I really love that you said to set your boundaries like you are so important. And I also love that you were taking your kids to work. I dragged them all in and they'd have pillows on the floor and everything else that you need to do when it is that you're growing.
And I just saw that Angie Pettyjohn just commented too, that she did the same, but now her daughter is in her business. It all grows, it all comes in. And so, it's pretty exciting, but all of those are just fabulous tips. And I guess Claire, I'm sure you've got a few tips if you've been doing this for quite a while.
Claire: I was like echo everything. Everyone has said. As a mom, we take on a lot, where my husband got, when we landed in Canada, like you said, the boys were three and six and within two years my husband got seriously sick and we were both self-employed. So, he had to quit his business.
And I became like you say, like Danielle was saying. Single mom, but co-parenting cause I was also looking after him. So, it was like, I suddenly got three kids all of a sudden overnight. And that was 21 years ago, but we made it work. And the thing that I I looked back and I go, people say, we've got to find a balance between personal absolute BS.
I'm sorry. There is no balance. There is no magic. There is no, you only see 1% of what goes on. You see this, you don't see. The crap that was up the babies, but, and love makes up in a ponytail and three-inch roots. And like we only see the good shiny stuff, but the balance, there is no balance.
If you're thinking, each week is going to be perfect and there's going to be rainbows and unicorns, I'm sorry, delusional. But I think the sooner I realize that, I'm going to do the best I can. So, when there's going to be busy times in real estate closings month, end Fridays, it's okay for us to live on takeout and the dog doesn't get walked for a week or whatever it might be.
We're just going to do what we can. But what I did very early on was started to have dates with my children and when I was with them, just like Carina said, when I was with them, I was a thousand percent with them. The cell phone was not even with me. We used to go bike rides a lot cheap and cheerful.
We used to go for a lot of bike rides. And date with my eldest son. I know, we're really lame. We go to get sushi and then we'd end up in Chapters. Because we both liked to read books. What we realized is it's better to have one or two hours with my kids and it's dedicated to doing what they want as opposed to four hours of mum, who's trying to do seven or eight things.
So, recognize that every week is not going to be perfect, every day is not going to be perfect. Sometimes you don't know you're doing it right until they're in their late twenties and you've got great. And you go, yeah, I did something. But when you're in it, you're like, oh, I'm not doing this right.
I'm a failure. No, you're not. Like just take each day as it comes and knows that there is no balance. So, anyone who tells you the reasons for the crash. Like as soon as I could afford it. And we were in Canada, we had no friends, no family, and a new country. And I'm like, and when my husband had to give up work, like there wasn't that much in money, but I realized that I wasn't, back then not superhuman just doing exactly what we could.
And I also realized that my kids didn't necessarily want stuff. Like they want mum and dad more than they need stuff. So, sometimes I catch myself overcompensating for my lack of time by buying them. Oh, sorry, buy them stuff, which keeps them happy for five minutes and then they're back at you, so again, it was finding that time to really spend, real time and then creating those boundaries like the other wonderful lady said I had to. I don't know if this is really a tip. I think a lot of these tips are what we learned, not what we did, we learned by.
I would say yes to everything. So, I volunteer at the school. I'll help you do this. Yes, I'll and I just, I thought I'm going to break and everyone needs a piece of a player. Claire needs a piece of Clara too sometimes. I found it really empowering when I started to say no, or I can't help you now, but I can in September or whatever and not feel freaking guilty about it.
Stop apologizing. Cause. I'm so sorry. I can't help you. My goal, we even apologize when we let it all fall behind us to someone else that comes in afterwards. So, I just realized, don't apologize. You're doing your best. You can, and we have the best job in the world.
And that's being moms. And that's special and it's okay. If you go and cry in a corner or have a few glasses of wine when the kids are asleep, as long as you do with the previous workout the next morning, because I think I also realized with everything there's a consequence.
So, I realized that, okay, if I did have that half bottle of wine, cause I'm so stressed, one of the awnings and washing is still going to be there tomorrow morning. If I don't ask someone to help me. But also, the consequence was I'm going to be fuzzy tomorrow morning and that's not necessarily a good thing either.
So, it was, yeah, it was just trying to find what works for me. And I'm in finance, my first boss said, stay doing what you're doing because it's a man's world. I'm like, awesome. I'll prove you wrong. And here I am today. It's, it's also, it's the best job in the world.
I will finish by saying I realized the reason I had children was to have grandbabies, but that probably is the second-best job in the world for sure.
Sarah: Amazing. Awesome. And Katherine, you're a grandma too. I'm sure you can relate.
Katherine: Oh yeah, absolutely. And it's true because you're so busy and so focused on making sure that you're taking care of all the details and making sure that your business is taken care of and making sure the house, the home, the laundry exactly.
As you were saying, like life happens and you think that you're doing all right, and the next moment there's something that happens. Or you've got a big meeting and the kids have come down with the flu and it's not just one. It goes through all of them, how do you juggle all of that?
How do you get it all in? And sometimes people have help and sometimes they don't. So, it's a matter of just being real. And I think I found all the way along, the more transparent. That I have been, or the number of moms and the number of ladies that I've met through the REITE club and through a number of things that I've done.
It's the more real they are and not putting on pretenses and thinking that it is okay. And that it is all perfect. Then it's more relatable and actually people connect with you better.
Claire: This is not a competition. Motherhood is not a competition.
Katherine: No.
Claire: It's not a competition, it's a blessing and we need to see it that way.
Katherine: Somebody asked me once about what your job is as a parent? And realistically, I believe that your job as a parent is to raise number one, viable tax, paying citizens. And number two is to give them enough topics to discuss with their therapist when they get older. And I assure you, I have succeeded in that for sure.
Sarah: Amazing. Lots of great tips. And those watching, if there are any questions, we can take a couple of questions before we wrap up. And Danielle, I know you had your hand up, I don't know if there was a comment that you wanted to add or something to one of the speakers earlier.
Danielle: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. To what Claire said, no or delegate. If you feel bad saying no delegate, find somebody else who can help that person. It's a soft way to say no, but you're not taking on that task. But actually, I had in my hand that just to dovetail on what Carina was saying, because at the end of the day, here's the thing.
And Claire too, her kids were three and six. My daughter, when I decided to go into this, my kids were, my daughter was the youngest six. The boys were eight and nine. And at that point up until then I was a stay-at-home mom and I had my whole life. I worked for my ex. So, I really was more at home than I was at work.
And it was a lot to Carina's point. It was a lot of work to try. Get them on board and transition them into mommy working full-time because now I wasn't available. They work my number one per se, which they'll always be my number one to be clear. But part of me is going back to work and choosing to become a full-time investor. I was feeling guilty because I was always there for them. And now I had to say no, or put them off or shift things around. And one of the benefits to being a working mom was that. I got to show them that things don't come easy in life. You have to work for them. And they had a very entitled and we have a very entitled life. And so what I wanted them to see that it doesn't.
Show up one day. You don't just get to go on vacations, you have to work for it. And they never saw me working. And then what I did cause kids can't, they have a great imagination, but they don't understand work. So, I used to take them on site. So, for five years I did flips. I used to take them when I did walkthroughs.
When I was doing demos and stuff in my hand, or go bang on that, and they were a part of it so that they understood when mommy went to work, they could visualize and actually buy into that as opposed to while she's just gone. And when you're giving them something tangible to hang on to, and then you reinforce that with. Because mommy went to work. We get to go away for the weekend or we get to go to Disneyland or we get to go to Florida for Christmas break like that. Those are the things that you have to tie it all in for kids in order to enroll them. And then I just wanted to say, if you are starting out and your kids are already older and they've had you, it is going to be a transition.
Give them time. Like it probably took me a good year to get them on board and anybody else in your family that you're enrolling. And I'm definitely including spouses in this because, probably the biggest babies of them all, for them to share you now with work is really difficult. Your little ones are going to adapt much quicker than he will. I'm just going to put that up in the lady's lap. So, I just wanted to piggyback on that because that was my number. Like when I decided to do it, that was probably one of the hardest things was to shift my life and have everybody enrolled. But if you take the kids with you to work and then explain to them, we get to have this because of that, that makes things so much easier.
Sarah: Absolutely. Thank you for that. That was awesome. And, I think just the last question, I don't know who wants to answer that, but I love the fact that you're taking them and you're showing them what you do. I think that's huge and, picking that interest for them to potentially want to do this as well.
And right now, obviously with kids being home and learning and having people, the right club community, juggling everything, real estate jobs, kids at home. Are there any tips, like quick tips, maybe like 20 seconds each that you can maybe to somebody on what you've done today, or, and recently the past couple of months that have really helped you be successful in all of those different avenues. Maybe 20 seconds.
Danielle: I can go really quick. I had a list of stuff for you guys. So, number one on the weekends, cook some meals and have them frozen because you're going to get caught where you're not ready to put dinner. I went to pick up food for dinner, came home, and something happened. And then just throwing that in the oven works so much better.
Have a morning routine with your kids and yourself. I think Carina said she gets up in the morning, have a morning routine. That is the same every day. And then it starts off your day. Bright at night, I always got the kids' lunches ready so that my morning routine was better. So, whatever you can do the night before, definitely do that.
And if you can afford it, hire a cleaner because I'm telling you there's a difference between organizing your house, which is tiny and cleaning. So, I have a cleaner that comes in, does the floors, the toilets and the dusting. That's all she needs to do. I take care of the rest, but boy, that probably frees up four hours of my beat, which is priceless.
Sarah: Amazing more time to spend either working on your business or with your kids and family, which is awesome.
Thank you for that Carina, 20 seconds or less, any quick tips on what people can do right now while everything is happening and kids are learning at home?
Milena: Sure, I can step in here. Danielle, just to follow up on what a very wise real estate coach told me once, if somebody else can do it for 20 bucks an hour, you shouldn't be doing it.
That was such a lesson for me because yeah, like we can we can find other ways to generate. That you can hire someone to do those tasks. And one last time, tip ixl.com saved my life. Like getting the kids on IXL and having this. It's an automated online learning system at the beginning of the pandemic, when the teachers didn't know what they were doing, we basically told the teachers, yeah, we'll take it from here.
And we put them on IXL and it was so much better. I would spend about 15 minutes a day determining for the day what their tasks would be, what I wanted them to learn. The platform is amazing. It was something that. $20 a month for one kid and $3 a month for each additional kid. Like it was very reasonable and it's a platform that saved my life at the beginning.
Sarah: That is very cool. What is it like? "I" like the letters I X L or
Milena: That's right I X L that's what I was trying to find out. Let's see if I can find it real quick. We can always put it in the chat as well, but that is. Yeah, perfect. That's a great tip for sure. Thank you, Milena, that's awesome. All right, who wants to go next?
Carina: I'll go next. Okay. Go for it. I love what Danielle said too. It's about how the consistency of the day is very important and I do that for sure. It always helps out, but also to add onto that. I tell the kids, I tell them my boys, how my day's going to be, because I know what I'm doing that day.
So, while we're having a breakfast routine that we always have every morning, I literally am going through, have this meeting at this time, and this is what's happening today. I'm also going to step out because I'm going to go look at that other place or you're going to come with me or whatever the case might be, or I'll tell them I have a really important meeting coming up today and I'm including them in it and telling them the story behind it.
And then they'll tell me, this is what we're doing at school and this and that. It's not just about keeping up with what they're doing, because obviously they have school. Now we're online schooling. We have to keep up with all their school and all of their homework that they have to do, but I'm also telling them about what I'm doing.
So, similar too, I do take them to the sites we go out and they're part of that. I literally have rolls of my permits and my plants and I go through it with them and I show them and they take that on themselves. They'll drop plants out and they use Lego and they'll build their own little mini houses and their own layouts.
They like, they love that, but they'd like, no, what I'm doing. Oh, it's no longer a surprise either. They're like, oh yeah, you have this big meeting coming up. And at the end of the day, when we're spending our time, there'll be like, what was, how did it go? How did that meeting go? What happened? So, I'm telling them what happened and then we talk about it.
So, they're part of it in some way. And then they're intrigued about it and as well they're just seeing the growth and they're seeing that. So, their interest peaks up, that’s also really, it's fun and it makes it fun and it's part of our day to day.
So, they're involved in that way. So, I really like that. And it works very well. And the same for your hubby. So, it's the same thing, but you're doing it with the kids, so it works out great.
Katherine: And that's great that everybody is interactive in the family and that you are encompassing that in all of you, ladies are finding a way to be able to do that. And I think it's totally awesome. Claire, what are your final tips there?
Claire: I would say I have two small ones. One would ask other moms how they're hanging situations just struggling with? We don't ask others how dumb Google it, like for goodness’ sake, ask other mums, other, especially, real estate mums, a specific, what are you struggling with? So, when I would have to take both boys to the supermarket that would be a struggle.
It was a high stress activity just before you even got in the car, just getting them dressed and packaged up. And I couldn't leave with my husband because he was sick. So, just go into the supermarket and then you're in the supermarket and it's all I want this, I want that. So, one of the things I did early on, which was brilliant, I don't know where they got the idea from was, I get told each of them, they had 500.
So, when we went to the supermarket, they had five bucks to spend. And therefore, if they wanted anything in the store, so if I was going to get cereal and I was going to get plain boring rice krispies, but they wanted coco pops. They had to figure out the difference between the cost of the cocoa crops and the rice Krispies and take it out of there.
So, it became a little bit of a, mom's going to go down this aisle. I need to get five things. If there's anything you want, remember, get your numbers out. And you've got five bucks each dispense. So, I didn't have that. I want something because it was a game and then they had money.
So, you'd call it bribery, if you want to. I call it negotiation and good finance and it made it exciting, they got themselves ready to go to the supermarket because they had something to do. So, it was just making it. Not in game, but how can I make this easier for me? Which is keep your kids occupied because when they're not occupied, that's when all hell breaks loose.
Sarah: Amazing tips ladies Danielle, Carina and Melinda, Claire. Thank you so much. That's amazing. Happy Mother’s Day to all of you and Katherine. Thank you as well. Happy Mother’s Day. Thank you for co-hosting. That was awesome. And the REITE club community has a great Mother’s Day as well. And thank you for all the insights and all the tips, and I'm sure there's going to be lots of people women, and men listening to these steps and looking at ways to start applying them tomorrow.
So, thanks very much to the REITE club community. Thanks for coming and growing with us.
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