Q&A with ‘Burbank Mom:’ Jessica Cribbs

She was born in Toledo, Ohio, raised in a small Michigan farm town, but Burbank is where Jessica Cribbs calls home, and it’s where she and her husband, Don, have spent more than the past decade raising her three children, ages 9, 7 and 4.

Some residents might recognize her as “Burbank Mom,” the name she blogs under at BurbankMom.com. She began the blog in 2005, took a few years off and then relaunched it in 2012.

There, she shares recipes, gives parental tips on where to seek family-friendly activities in the area, reviews children’s books and shares her experiences as a local parent.

“I remember thinking that there wasn’t an online source for parents to find things to do with their families in Burbank at the time, so that’s why I started it,” she said.

What do you love about raising kids in Burbank?

I love raising my kids in Burbank because of this community. Burbank is a small town, and I just adore that about this place. I see people I know almost everywhere: Costco, the gym, the library, local events. My kids have friends in all the schools. The parks and recreation program here is phenomenal. Families we’re friends with through Girl Scouts are also friends through my son’s hockey, etc. I feel like we’re all living in two degrees of separation here. I love the small-town truth to this place. I know our world is changing and even Burbank is getting bigger. I do hope that my family can be a part of keeping it feeling small.

What are some favorite places for your family to eat?

There are so many places in Burbank [where] we love to eat. This is a very hard question. I’m thankful that I have kids who will eat mostly anything. We’re very easy… We love Dino’s Pizza, Flavor of India, Momotaro and Pinocchio’s. My husband is a huge fan of South Street Cheesesteaks.

What’s the best thing about being a mom?

The best part of being a mother, for me, is watching my kids learn. When they get something, it makes everything else in this world less important. When they’re learning, they’re growing. First steps, ABCs, reading and writing, math facts, sliding into home, making a free throw, conflict resolution — even the bad things like getting caught stealing, or forgiving a friend who hurt them, or not studying for a test they didn’t do well on. Everything they learn, means they’re growing, and then, for a second, I think I’m doing my job right because really, what I’m doing is teaching them to live without me — to be independent people. The best part of this job is watching them learn.

What’s the hardest thing about being a mom?

Oh, man, this list could be long! The hardest thing about being a mother at this moment is finding balance. The answer to this question seems to change with each stage my kids are in. But right now, juggling the nonstop duties of housework, grocery shopping, cooking, homework, disciplining children, being a wife to my husband and making sure I get time for self-care, whether that be lunch with a friend or going to the gym, that is the most difficult thing; finding balance.

Being a mom, what were some things you once worried about, but don’t anymore?

There are a couple of things I don’t really worry about anymore. First of all, I don’t worry about what other moms think of me and my parenting. It took me a while (and a couple of kids) to fully realize I am my kids’ mother. I (with my husband) make the choices I do with my kids, because that’s who we are. I will absolutely do it differently than others and that is really OK. I just don’t worry about that anymore. Nor do I judge other moms for what they do.

I also don’t really worry about how rough my son is playing. I used to. I feel like I would protect him and walk behind him apologizing for how loud his “[Teenage Mutant] Ninja Turtle” impressions were or stop him from wrestling with kids who were willing to wrestle with him. As long as he’s not being rude or harmful with his boy behavior, I’m completely OK with it. I actually adore it about him.

What do you try to teach or instill in your kids?

This is a tough one.. I know what I try to teach and instill in them, but only time will tell if it actually works.

I want my kids to love God, love people and love themselves. Quite honestly, that’s it. I want them to love the differences in all of us. If we were all the same, what a boring world it would be. I hope my children respect and love people, respect themselves, be people of their word, stand up for what they believe in, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, laugh at themselves and try hard at everything they do. Now, if I could do all of that, too...

What are some things your kids have taught you?

I’m going to make it clear that I still have a lot to learn in this job, but my kids have taught me what an insanely important job being a mother is. (Dads: I’m not slighting you in any way.) There is no way I could understand how important this role was until I became one myself. My job is important, no matter how the world might view me as a stay-at-home mom, or some of my friends as working moms or single moms.

[My children have] taught me things I never thought possible — that there’s enough room in my heart to love each of them individually for who they are. They’re still in the process of teaching me what patience is and the art of taking deep breaths. But more importantly, they remind me constantly to laugh and lighten up.