A Superwoman who exudes confidence and single-handedly balances it all while valuing her importance.

Kristy Zupa is a superwoman of a single mother to her eleven month old son Dominic. She exudes confidence and single-handedly balances it all while valuing her importance and the willingness to ask for help. I met Kristy through a friend from high school who was hosting an Usborne book party that I attended as a “watch” party on Facebook. When I began watching Kristy, I was intrigued by her high-energy, her caring and kind personality, and her ability to take something like talking about children’s books to a whole other level. She made the books dance and come to life. Kristy and I have never met each other in person if you can believe that, but I feel like I’ve known Kristy forever. Shortly after the Usborne books Facebook event, Kristy messaged me and asked if I would like to host a book party of my own with her as my consultant. Now, being a second grade teacher and a Mom to an eight month old who loves to “read” and puts all books in his mouth, this felt like a spectacular time to seize the moment, get a chance to earn some free books, and offer a comforting space for my friends and family to go on a Wednesday night during COVID-19. What I did not realize was how much Kristy and I had in common.

Due to Kristy’s out-going and gracious personality, I soon learned that she was in her tenth year teaching as a special education teacher. Not only that, but this goal oriented woman recently started working for Usborne Books and More as a consultant. She co-hosts virtual book parties and maintains a VIP Facebook group with sales, reading tips, newest releases, and much more. Kristy seems to do it all and she does it with grace and poise. If she’s not working on her Usborne book endeavor and working on lesson plans for school, you can find Kristy spending time with her eleven month old son Dominic. When I asked Kristy about her son, she described him as a “little MONSTER” - in the most loving way possible of course! She explained that Dominic gets into everything and cannot be left alone for even two seconds in his barricaded play area! Even when she thinks she has baby-proofed the whole room, he finds some trouble to get into. He loves climbing on things, reading books, and listening to music. He even found his own baby rhythm and personality with singing and dancing. Dominic loves eating, going in the pool, and crawling around in the grass. Unquestionably, Dominic is the happiest baby you’d ever want to meet. He loves spending time with his Nannie, Papa, Uncle Danny, Uncle Mikey, and Aunt Vicky. He also likes to terrorize his older dog sibling, Cassie.

This hard-working and dedicated Mama finds beauty and grace in the “balance.” She tries as hard as possible to separate her work from her son Dominic. From the hours of 7:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on school days you can find Kristy giving it her all to her students in the classroom. Instead of hanging out during her lunch breaks and chatting with colleagues, Kristy works during her lunch so she can spend the rest of her time at home with her son instead of lesson planning or grading. She says this is a personal choice of hers but one that is well worth it. This superwoman of a Mom states that when she is physically home in the house with her son, she can focus on him and upkeep of the house. If she has any grading or planning to be done at home, she does it during Dominic’s nap time or when he goes to sleep. That’s what I call time management right there!

Kristy’s Advice for New Mamas: “Do NOT be afraid to ask for help. Sometimes it is too much and you need a break or you need some time to get things done. It is okay to admit you need help, no one is judging you. Also, it is okay to feel overwhelmed or frustrated and break down. I know there were nights I barely slept and had to go to work the next day. It was tough, but you get through it all. Just try not to be so hard on yourself Mama! You are a superwoman working and taking care of a precious life. Take a deep breath and think of how much you are accomplishing."

What does Kristy want New Mamas to know? “There is this weird shift that happens once you become a mother and you go back to work. Before being a mother, I feel like teaching was my entire life. Once Dominic was born he became my number one priority and I felt a bit differently about going to work. I still loved my job, but now I had another full-time job too. I also found out I could do WAY more than I ever thought possible on even less sleep than I thought possible! There are days I truly don’t know how I functioned, but being a mom is your motivation to get stuff done. One positive thing that happened is ironically I was LESS stressed over work things. Now that I had a baby to take care of I left work stress at work. I stopped perseverating over anything that happened during the day once I was home with Dominic.”

Thank you for sharing your story of motherhood with us Kristy, you are an inspiration to us all and have adapted your lifestyle to keep up with the “balance.” You exude confidence and single-handedly balance it all while valuing your importance and the willingness to ask for help.

Way to go, Kristy!