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The Profession and Parenting: Strategies for Making it Work - Rachel D. Moore

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Rachel D. Moore M.Ed, LAT, ATC

As an Athletic Trainer (AT) it can be a challenge to balance work and family life due to long hours and irregular schedules. In this series, we feature real stories from AT parents who successfully juggle their professional and personal lives, and “make it work.”

Rachel D. Moore M.Ed, LAT, ATC is an AT practicing at Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland. She has been with the school for 11 years. Moore is also a kinesiology and rehabilitation instructor and committee chair for the Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee for the state of Maryland. She have been a BOC Certified AT since 2005. Moore took the time to share how she makes everything work in a recent Q&A.

Can you tell us a little bit about your home life?

I’m married to Christopher Moore. He works as a traveling IT specialist. We have a daughter who is six and a son who is two. My daughter is involved in a dance company and swimming. Right now, my son goes to a kid’s gym for social and physical activity.

Describe a typical day.

A typical day in my household is when I wake up at 4:30 a.m. and go to the gym for some selfcare. My husband is up at 5:45 a.m. We use this time to have a cup of coffee with one another and plan the day’s activities.

At 6:30 a.m., we wake up the kids and get their morning started with the usual teeth cleaned, get dressed, make lunches and eat breakfast to be out the door by 7:15 a.m. During this time, we also try to spend about 10 minutes of the morning sitting on our bed and having morning coffee and milk with our kids. It is a nice way to spend some time together and get everyone in a good mindset for the day ahead.

Between 7:30 a.m.-8 a.m., the kids are dropped off at childcare/bus stop and then I head into work. The morning is spent teaching my classes, returning emails, setting up fields and providing updates on injured patients.

In the afternoon, I spend an hour meeting with my colleague on any information and updates from the day before that we might not have been able to share with one another. From 2-6 p.m., I usually work with our middle and upper school patients with treatments, rehabs, game coverage, etc.

Depending on our evening schedule, we aim to pick up the children from childcare before 5:45 p.m. and work with them on homework or activities. We also make sure they have dinner and take them to events planned. For us, 7-8 p.m. is usually bath time, story time and getting ready for bed. Afterward, we make it a priority to have mandated family snuggle time including watching some TV or talking about the day’s events. The kids are in bed by 8:30 p.m. and hopefully falling asleep quickly. After that, my husband and I have downtime before bed at 10 p.m.

As we all know with athletic schedules, it can be very fluid, and change can occur the same day. Some game days may not end until approximately 10 p.m. On those days, my husband does all the household tasks with the kids. When my husband travels, which is usually about once a month, I rely on my parents, childcare or work out a system with my coworker to be able to complete assigned duties.

What are some strategies you used to make your professional and personal life work?

When we decided to have children, I met with the administration at my job and talked about the expectations of my job and worked on ways to make sure I was able to have a work and life balance. My husband and I consistently communicate about plans for the children and ourselves. We have several calendars in the house and shared online so that we are always able to inform each other about what needs to be done. We also make sure that we utilize the people around us including family, friends, coworkers and childcare providers. You are not a failure if you need to ask for support or help.

How do you approach daily opportunities that arise as an AT and at home?

I am a big planner and things are always changing. You must be able to improvise and adjust when needed. I try and use this thought process at both work and home:

  • Communication is key.
  • Take advantage of all the good moments.
  • Do not take work home or stressors of home to work.

What is your greatest achievement as an AT?

I enjoy watching patients who were injured return to play after working so hard to get better. I like to see my patients come back after graduating and maintain those relationships that were made long ago. I have seen them go to college, get married, have children and been a part of their lives through all that time. It is so meaningful.

What is the best part of your day?

The best part of my day on the job is developing relationships with the students I teach and care for on a daily basis. At home I love to see how excited my kids are when I walk through the door.

What advice would you give a fellow AT who might be struggling balancing their career and parenting?

Don’t over exceed yourself in either aspect. Advocate for yourself at both work and at home. You are not doing anyone any favors if you are not taking care of yourself. It is ok to say no, and you are doing a great job!

This article was originally featured in 2020 summer “Cert Update” as a part of a series.

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