--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I want to work, but being a mom is my No…" description: "\"I want to work, but being a mom is my No. 1 priority.\" — Gena Lee Nolin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a8/gena-lee-nolin-22309_being-a-mom_i-want-to-work-but-being-a-mom-is-my-no_2225703.png" --- # I want to work, but being a mom is my No. 1 priority. ![“I want to work, but being a mom is my No. 1 priority.” quote by Gena Lee Nolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a8/gena-lee-nolin-22309_being-a-mom_i-want-to-work-but-being-a-mom-is-my-no_2225703.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a8/gena-lee-nolin-22309_being-a-mom_i-want-to-work-but-being-a-mom-is-my-no_2225703.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a8/gena-lee-nolin-22309_being-a-mom_i-want-to-work-but-being-a-mom-is-my-no_2225703.png) > “I want to work, but being a mom is my No. 1 priority.” [Gena Lee Nolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-lee-nolin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Balancing professional ambitions with motherhood requires prioritizing family while seeking flexible work options. **In simple terms:** Mom duties come first, work can adapt. Key Takeaway Find work that respects family time. Themes family career balance priorities Mood determined reflective Type advice motivational When to use this quote - remote jobs - part‑time schedules - entrepreneurship - childcare planning Key Concepts work-life integration flexibility role conflict Questions to Reflect On - How can you negotiate flexibility at work? - What support systems can reduce conflict? A Different Perspective Balancing may limit career advancement or income. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being a mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-a-mom/) [Mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mom/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Priorities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priorities/) ## Related quotes > [I'd always wanted to be a mom. Actually, being a mom was always my top priority. It was like, 'I'm going to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lari-white/i-d-always-wanted-to-be-a-mom-actually-being-a-mom-was-always-my-top/) [Lari White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lari-white/) > [I'm aware of how difficult it is to work and be a mom - I have an 11-year-old son - and I would love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-lazar/i-m-aware-of-how-difficult-it-is-to-work-and-be-a-mom-i-have-an-11/) [Emily Lazar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-lazar/) > [I grew up in a working class family. People thought I might go work at a mill. My mom wanted me to learn how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/i-grew-up-in-a-working-class-family-people-thought-i-might-go-work-at/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [“I work for a mom and pop business. They’re my mom and pop, and by work I mean they give me an allowance. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-work-for-a-mom-and-pop-business-they-re-my-mom-and-pop-and-by-work/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [You've got to go where the work is. My mom got a job somewhere else so I went and lived with her and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-jean/you-ve-got-to-go-where-the-work-is-my-mom-got-a-job-somewhere-else-so/) [Nikki Jean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-jean/) > [You have to keep your eyes wide open and your head high and realize that you are going to be OK. I do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-mixon/you-have-to-keep-your-eyes-wide-open-and-your-head-high-and-realize/) [Katy Mixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-mixon/) > [I feel very lucky to have grown up with such a smart, kind, incredible woman and director as my role model going through life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-gordon/i-feel-very-lucky-to-have-grown-up-with-such-a-smart-kind-incredible/) [Molly Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-gordon/) > [My little sister, who is four, can work my mom's iPhone better than she can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asa-butterfield/my-little-sister-who-is-four-can-work-my-mom-s-iphone-better-than-she/) [Asa Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asa-butterfield/) > [If I were to work with my mom, I probably would not want her to play my mom. That would get too real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zooey-deschanel/if-i-were-to-work-with-my-mom-i-probably-would-not-want-her-to-play/) [Zooey Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zooey-deschanel/) > [My dad woke up at 5:30 every morning - every single day - and drove an hour-and-a-half to work. My mom was constantly working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-taurasi/my-dad-woke-up-at-5-30-every-morning-every-single-day-and-drove-an/) [Diana Taurasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-taurasi/) > [Being a mom is what life is about. I hope people realize what the priorities in life should be and know not everything has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kourtney-kardashian/being-a-mom-is-what-life-is-about-i-hope-people-realize-what-the/) [Kourtney Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kourtney-kardashian/) > [I believe with all my heart that our first priority must be world peace, and that use of force is always and only a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-believe-with-all-my-heart-that-our-first-priority-must-be-world/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [My priorities have always been God first, family second, career third. I have found that when I put my life in this order, everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/my-priorities-have-always-been-god-first-family-second-career-third-i/) [Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/) > [I ask you to make INSTITUTE a PRIORITY.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/i-ask-you-to-make-institute-a-priority/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [I have two or three shows that I follow, and even those are few and far, when I can see them on Netflix. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ritchson/i-have-two-or-three-shows-that-i-follow-and-even-those-are-few-and/) [Alan Ritchson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ritchson/) ## More by Gena Lee Nolin > [With my first, I gained 40 pounds; in the second, I gained 35, and with Stella, I gained 25. My thing is to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-lee-nolin/with-my-first-i-gained-40-pounds-in-the-second-i-gained-35-and-with/) [Gena Lee Nolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-lee-nolin/) > [I think that people sort of stereotype me as the blonde 'Baywatch' girl who's always in a swimsuit, so, I think, to tell my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-lee-nolin/i-think-that-people-sort-of-stereotype-me-as-the-blonde-baywatch-girl/) [Gena Lee Nolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-lee-nolin/) > [It was later in life when I found out that I had thyroid issues and gained a ton of weight. I got up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-lee-nolin/it-was-later-in-life-when-i-found-out-that-i-had-thyroid-issues-and/) [Gena Lee Nolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-lee-nolin/) > [It was scary. It's a public beach that we're filming on, so there was tons of paparazzi, especially when Pamela would be working. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-lee-nolin/it-was-scary-it-s-a-public-beach-that-we-re-filming-on-so-there-was/) [Gena Lee Nolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-lee-nolin/) > [I knew I had to be on stage. I always felt like there was something bigger and better for me. If not that, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-lee-nolin/i-knew-i-had-to-be-on-stage-i-always-felt-like-there-was-something/) [Gena Lee Nolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-lee-nolin/) > [Midwestern people stick together. Gee willikers, they work hard. There's no glitz, no glamour. When I was a girl in Duluth, Minnesota, I used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-lee-nolin/midwestern-people-stick-together-gee-willikers-they-work-hard-there-s/) [Gena Lee Nolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-lee-nolin/) > [Don't be hard on yourself! You just had a baby. It took nine months to get there, and I believe it takes nine months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-lee-nolin/don-t-be-hard-on-yourself-you-just-had-a-baby-it-took-nine-months-to/) [Gena Lee Nolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-lee-nolin/) > [I love a guy in a suit - someone who puts on his nice Armani pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-lee-nolin/i-love-a-guy-in-a-suit-someone-who-puts-on-his-nice-armani-pants/) [Gena Lee Nolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-lee-nolin/) > [When you get into the public eye, one day, you're kind of unknown, and the next day, you have people in your bushes waiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-lee-nolin/when-you-get-into-the-public-eye-one-day-you-re-kind-of-unknown-and/) [Gena Lee Nolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-lee-nolin/) > [I didn't go to L.A. to be a star; that wasn't my intention. When I auditioned for 'The Price Is Right' and got it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-lee-nolin/i-didn-t-go-to-l-a-to-be-a-star-that-wasn-t-my-intention-when-i/) [Gena Lee Nolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-lee-nolin/) > [If you eat right and you exercise and you get breast implants, you can look like us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-lee-nolin/if-you-eat-right-and-you-exercise-and-you-get-breast-implants-you-can/) [Gena Lee Nolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-lee-nolin/) > [The show was that we were sexy lifeguards. Clearly, the suits were probably five sizes too small and all of that, but it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-lee-nolin/the-show-was-that-we-were-sexy-lifeguards-clearly-the-suits-were/) [Gena Lee Nolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-lee-nolin/) > [Somewhere deep inside, I knew I had to be an actress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-lee-nolin/somewhere-deep-inside-i-knew-i-had-to-be-an-actress/) [Gena Lee Nolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-lee-nolin/) > [My children are the reason I laugh, smile and want to get up every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-lee-nolin/my-children-are-the-reason-i-laugh-smile-and-want-to-get-up-every/) [Gena Lee Nolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-lee-nolin/) > [My tradition, as an adult, is to have an open-door policy on Thanksgiving. I always host, and I welcome absolutely anyone into my home.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-lee-nolin/my-tradition-as-an-adult-is-to-have-an-open-door-policy-on/) [Gena Lee Nolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-lee-nolin/) [Explore all 27 Gena Lee Nolin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-lee-nolin/) ## More Being a mom quotes > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [In many ways, being pregnant and working were more difficult than motherhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bethenny-frankel/in-many-ways-being-pregnant-and-working-were-more-difficult-than/) [Bethenny Frankel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bethenny-frankel/) > [I do think that despite my best efforts to resist it, I am now a grown-up. It's due to lots of very difficult decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-thompson/i-do-think-that-despite-my-best-efforts-to-resist-it-i-am-now-a-grown/) [Emma Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-thompson/) > [My favorite thing about being a mom is just what a better person it makes you on a daily basis,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-barrymore/my-favorite-thing-about-being-a-mom-is-just-what-a-better-person-it/) [Drew Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-barrymore/) > [Say what you want about these girls, but it must be rough being a teen mom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/say-what-you-want-about-these-girls-but-it-must-be-rough-being-a-teen/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My mother tried to kill me when I was a baby. She denied it. She said she thought the plastic bag would keep me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-monkhouse/my-mother-tried-to-kill-me-when-i-was-a-baby-she-denied-it-she-said/) [Bob Monkhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-monkhouse/) > [I’ve come to realize that being a mother makes me a better executive, because motherhood forces prioritization. Being a mom gives you so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-mayer/i-ve-come-to-realize-that-being-a-mother-makes-me-a-better-executive/) [Marissa Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-mayer/) > [The mother of three notoriously unruly youngsters was asked whether or not she'd have children if she had it to do over again. 'Yes',…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-finkelstein/the-mother-of-three-notoriously-unruly-youngsters-was-asked-whether/) David Finkelstein > [If you are a mother then you know the feeling of true love. Once you look into the eyes of your children you feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandi-nowak/if-you-are-a-mother-then-you-know-the-feeling-of-true-love-once-you/) [Mandi Nowak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandi-nowak/) > [I think most women these days can understand me juggling a career with being a mom because most of us do. I think I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-bello/i-think-most-women-these-days-can-understand-me-juggling-a-career/) [Maria Bello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-bello/) > [Being a mother is the hardest job on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/being-a-mother-is-the-hardest-job-on-earth/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Being a mom myself and it being a huge and important part of who I am, made it easier for me to play the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorraine-toussaint/being-a-mom-myself-and-it-being-a-huge-and-important-part-of-who-i-am/) [Lorraine Toussaint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorraine-toussaint/) > [Motherhood changes everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/motherhood-changes-everything/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [Being a mom has been my most important job to date, and I take my job very seriously, and I have a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-capshaw/being-a-mom-has-been-my-most-important-job-to-date-and-i-take-my-job/) [Jessica Capshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-capshaw/) > [I love every second of being a mom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-aldridge/i-love-every-second-of-being-a-mom/) [Lily Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-aldridge/) [Browse all 266 Being a mom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-a-mom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I want to work, but being a mom is my No. 1 priority.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gena Lee Nolin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-lee-nolin/i-want-to-work-but-being-a-mom-is-my-no-1-priority/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being a mom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-lee-nolin/i-want-to-work-but-being-a-mom-is-my-no-1-priority/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a8/gena-lee-nolin-22309_being-a-mom_i-want-to-work-but-being-a-mom-is-my-no_2225703.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a8/gena-lee-nolin-22309_being-a-mom_i-want-to-work-but-being-a-mom-is-my-no_2225703.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a8/gena-lee-nolin-22309_being-a-mom_i-want-to-work-but-being-a-mom-is-my-no_2225703.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I want to work, but being a mom is my No. 1 priority.” — Gena Lee Nolin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gena Lee Nolin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-lee-nolin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I want to work, but being...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-lee-nolin/i-want-to-work-but-being-a-mom-is-my-no-1-priority/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-lee-nolin/i-want-to-work-but-being-a-mom-is-my-no-1-priority/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```