Supermodel. Businesswoman. Mother.
Of all those titles, the most important to Kathy Ireland is her position as a mother.
Sure, she's appeared on the cover of countless magazines, and her business, Kathy Ireland Worldwide, is thriving, but Ireland said she truly treasures her role as the mother of three children.
"My life changed instantly when I became a mom," Ireland said in a recent interview. "I cannot think of anything more challenging and important than raising children."
While far from being perfect, Ireland said she has learned a lot during her nearly 15 years as a mother. This April, she released a book to help other mothers with tough issues they may face. The book is titled "Real Solutions for Busy Moms: Your Guide to Success and Sanity," and deals with issues such as money management, safety, balance, creating a happy home and also finding passion in life (Howard Books, $23.99).
Ireland starts each chapter with her personal thoughts and then includes responses to various concerns other mothers have shared with her.
Her advice to any mother is to remember her priorities and to try and maintain balance in her life. For Ireland, faith is her top priority, then family and then "finding solutions."
"It's tough out there, and what I say to all moms is they have a full-time load and it's really a matter of determining priorities," Ireland said. "People ask if you can have it all and I think, yes, but not at once. Our life comes in seasons. It's important to decide and figure out what your values are and put boundaries in place to protect those priorities."
She also encourages mothers to enjoy each stage of motherhood. Her children are now ages 14, 10 and 6, and she said she believes each moment with her family, including her husband, Greg, has gotten better with time.
One thing Ireland has learned to better enjoy her life is to say "no" to things she cannot do. She said she has also learned to ask for help.
"We have a philosophy at our company and we call it 'DDD,' " said Ireland. "That means, "do it, ditch it, delegate it.' For women, we feel we just have to take it all on and do it ourselves. Well, find someone else who can get it done."
That issue of balance is stressed throughout her book. In addition, Ireland also strongly addresses the topic of money management. The first chapter of her book is titled "Money Matters," and then the book closes with some thoughts on the nation's recent financial crisis. She encourages women to "pull their heads out of the sand" and to face any challenges head-on, whether it be credit-card debt or the need to talk with a child about a tough issue.
Ireland also tells mothers to remember to take care of themselves.
"Be good to yourself," Ireland said. "Frequently as women, we put off taking care of ourselves. We are caring for everyone else. We are nurturers. But when we say our family is our priority, we need to remember we are a member of that family as well."
For more information about Kathy Ireland, log on to: www.kathyireland.com. Copies of her book are available online and at major bookstores.
E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com