My Journey as a NOLA Mom Contributor

Some of my close friends and family have asked me if there was a repository online that lists all of my article contributions for the New Orleans Mom. I thought about how to get it to them and realized I should just go ahead and share, with all of the readers, my journey as a NOLA mom and go through some of most favorite/most read articles one at a time. A one stop shop of my life in articles if you will.

A lot of us contributors call ourselves the “COVID class.” The world shut down on Friday March 13, 2020 due to the new corona virus – COVID 19.  I needed a hobby that could be done inside, and could be done in addition to my job as a healthcare consultant and my job as a momma. Enter New Orleans Mom.

I wrote my first article on March 18, 2020 called: 10 Things I Hate About What’s Going On: COVID 19. “For those who think I am too lackadaisical and don’t fear this, you are wrong. I just choose to spend my time focusing on the positive and checking in on loved ones, Face Timing and sending memes that make them laugh.”

Here I am in May 2024, and I have written over 50 articles. I will share my favorite articles here and provide a snippet of each one that gives you a good sense of what my purpose for writing was. I hope some of these resonate and that you find them interesting. My biggest hope, which is also my biggest fear, is that you do not feel like you are the only one feeling certain ways. You are not alone. Promise.

Don’t Shame the Mom’s Who SEEM to Have Their Act Together: So on the days you think a mom’s life is “easy,”  just remember that we sometimes wear a disguise. A brave mask. A happy smiling mask. Some of us are good at hiding stress.  Some of us are good at putting ourselves together, even when we want to scream. Being a mom is hard enough, why can’t we just be happy for the moms who seem to have figured it out, or figured out a way to make life a little easier. Even if it is just a small effort, why attack? Why not embrace and encourage? Why not ask for advice?

Don’t Do It! Social Media Edition: I recently posted about some of the social media “sayings” that have irked my nerves for quite some time. Little did I know, I was not alone, and better yet, so many others had so many other examples.  With that, I decided to make a post. This post is in no way meant to attack anyone, make fun of anyone, or disrespect anyone. Please know this is meant to be in jest. Honestly, if I went back through my own time hop which spans back to 2004, I have probably written some of these before.

Dear Chronically Late People: So, all I am asking is that you think of all the people waiting on your arrival, the teacher hoping to not have any disruptions to class, the coach not having to reexplain the workout, the counselor not having to be late for their next session and the remaining sessions after that.  We all have busy lives.  No one’s life is busier than the other – it’s all relative.  No one is perfect.  But showing up late, for everything, all the time is not cool!

What Adults Can Learn From Watching Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: While these lyrics may seem “childlike” – sometimes it’s just that simple to solve a problem or fix a feeling. The show is about helping children to understand practical life skills and learn to express their emotions in a healthy way – let’s face it, we adults can use those reminders, too.

An Interview with a Recovering Addict: “Normal” people do not and will never understand the energy that it takes to stay high day after day, week after week and month after month. All while maintaining a double life and normally with a high degree of secrecy. The level of stress that comes with that is unmatched in regular life. Addicts have a drive and determination that is unattainable by most “regular” people in society. For most of us, this is why when we finally get sober, we become doctors, lawyers, CEOs, we run major corporations, and we become dependable responsible adults, parents, and members of society. To steal a line from the NA basic text, “We Do Recover.”

Hi, Nice to Meet You…I Have Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Here is my brain, on a daily basis: “Am I raising my children appropriately? Will they choke on that? Did I cut up their food small enough? Will they fall out of bed and hurt themselves? What if they sleep all night – are they still alive? How will they react when they start school? I really hope they don’t cry. If they cry, I will cry, and then it will be more of a scene. What if the school thinks I am crazy? Will they treat my child differently? What if my kid is different? Will kids be kind to them?” And on and on and on.

Why I Have Chosen to Wait Til 8th: I do not feel that most adults are old enough or emotionally equipped enough to handle social media, let alone young children. Growing up is hard enough. Think back to your elementary and high school days. Remember being made fun of, remember not making friends easily, remember feeling left out, remember being the one making fun of someone? Now imagine that happening not just at school but on a screen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I hate to put it this way, but we are just giving other children more ammunition to hurt our children.

True Confessions: I Love Jury Duty: The dreaded envelope that says “Summons for Jury Duty.” You receive it in the mail. You let out a big sigh and a dammit! Not me. I have been waiting for mine. Literally, I have not been called for jury duty in 5 years and I am sad. Weird? Perhaps. But I love jury duty. Am I alone? Probably not. But pretty sure I am one of few.

Zoe’s Kitchen :: I Am Not Ready to Let Go: I am not going to lie, Zoe’s. I am not ready to move on. I am not ready for CAVA. How can I ever find a restaurant that meets your qualities, expectations and love of flavor? Even though I am not ready to move on, I know I must. I will always treasure our times together. The times you saved family dinner. The times you made work meetings fun. The times you saved me, a mom, a worker and a happy hour friend.

12 Reasons Why You Need a 12 Foot Skeleton: I will be honest, I had a hard time with the $299 price tag. I normally shop for Halloween décor at Home Goods, Big Lots, etc. and nothing costs over $50. But then I realized how much this piece makes a statement and that I would not need to purchase a bunch of smaller decorations. It is a money saver if you ask me – or at least that is what I tell my husband.

Dear Matthew Perry: A Friend I Never Met: You are truly a legend. Thank you for the laughs. Thank you for the tears. Could the world be any sadder? … Hi, I’m Erika Lockhart, I make jokes when I’m uncomfortable. I really am uncomfortable. I’m sad. And not sure I will be able to watch Friends today without sobbing.

Thank you times a million to the New Orleans Mom platform for allowing me to share my life, thoughts, fears and everything in between.

Erika Lockhart
My name is Erika Lockhart and I am married to my husband, Chris. We have two children - Zane (7) and Finnley (2). We also have one 4 – legged child - Nelson a mixed breed rescue and a tarantula named Twitch. I was born and raised in Harvey, LA but now live in Metairie. I am a full time employee for a healthcare consulting company where I lead the Primary Care Provider engagement efforts from my home office here in NOLA. My husband is the owner and director of Clockwork Performance - A strength and performance gym in Kenner, LA. Odd facts about me - I love watching Judge Judy, I want to be on jury duty as much as possible, I have an obsession with mayonnaise and my dream job is to be a private investigator!

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