Shannon and her husband have a teenage son
With Mother’s Day this coming Sunday (this could be the first of multiple reminders), Farms.com is connecting with multiple farm moms to participate in a Q&A about motherhood, and to share a piece of advice for new moms.
The first mom Farms.com is highlighting this year is Shannon Douglass (SD), the current president of the California Farm Bureau.
She farms in Glenn County, Calif., together with her husband Kelly raising walnuts, beef cattle, hay, silage and seed crops, and their 13-year-old son, Heath.
“My son is an active and busy teen,” she told Farms.com. “His time is divided between show cattle, swim, and school. He’s an old soul who is self-motivated and independent but also empathetic to others. He gave a girl a cow once because she was sad about selling hers at the fair.”
Farms.com: Describe where you were when you found out you were pregnant for the first time. How did it make you feel?
SD: I was excited, a bit nervous, probably like most people.
Farms.com: Describe the feeling of holding a newborn for the first time.
SD: I can’t really remember this but there is tremendous weight to being a parent and suddenly being responsible for a small human. Joyous of course as well.
Farms.com: What’s the best part about being a farm mom?
SD: I think being able to work with your child and have your family with you so much of the time is pretty awesome – albeit challenging. Heath went to farmers markets with me starting as an infant and he’s been working with us since he safely could. I think that family time together is a tremendous blessing, and not all parents get the same opportunity.
Farms.com: What’s the hardest part about motherhood?
SD: I think just trying to do the best you can for your child can be a challenge. And there are so many choices to be made – are you picking the best school, the best teachers, the best childcare. And working with them as they work through complex problems – watching them navigate something hard can be tough to watch. But we must remember that they grow in the learning to navigate that, not when we do the hard things for them.
Farms.com: What part of parenthood makes you feel the most vulnerable?
SD: I think this teenage stage where you are letting them be so much more independent. My son will fly by himself now and having your child traveling across the country alone is certainly something that makes me nervous. I’m proud of his independence and confidence but I’m still nervous.
Farms.com: Who is your favorite fictional parent, and why?
SD: I can’t say that I have one. But I would also argue that most of the entertaining TV/streaming these days doesn’t focus on great parents.
From left: Kelly, Shannon, and Heath Douglass.
Farms.com: What’s a misconception people have about motherhood?
SD: I think that much like farming it looks much easier when you are on the outside looking in. Rewarding, but hard.
Farms.com: What is your mom’s name? What are some special memories you have with her?
SD: My mom is Linda and some of my best memories of my mom are her as a Grandma now and the close bond that she and my son have. They have traveled with me for work since my son was an infant. They both took their first trip to Washington DC together as part of a trip with me.
Farms.com: What’s one lesson you learned from your parents you try to teach your kids?
SD: Responsibility and hard work are some of the key lessons I learned as a kid that I want my son to understand. My Dad was always signing me up to do things I didn’t want to do, but those uncomfortable situations and the ability to adapt has served me well in life. I’m sure my son would argue I do the same to him already.
Farms.com: How has parenthood changed you?
SD: Parenthood changes your priorities and in the case of our family, forced us to slow down a bit. Before our son, we always worked our weekends. But once your child has activities and such, you have to slow work down a bit to accommodate. Arguably we are busier as a family now, but its more than just work keeping us busy.
Farms.com: What’s one thing all parents have in common no matter where they are in the world?
SD: All the parents I know share a desire for our kids to have it better than we did and to watch your child achieve their goals. Its frankly a very big part of my drive with the work we do at Farm Bureau to preserve farming and ranching in California. I very deeply believe that our advocacy work is essential to my son having the chance to farm in this state in the decades to come.
Farms.com: What’s one piece of advice you have for new moms?
SD: I tell people to be as present as you can with your kids. And know that most of us are figuring out this parenting thing as we go, so just do the best you can at each stage. Oh, and take lots and lots of pictures. I don’ t regret a single photography session, the time truly passes so quickly and the evidence of those amazing stages of development will be worth so much to you.
Be sure to check Farms.com often this week for more Q&As with moms in the ag community!