THE PARENTING BIZ – Achieving The Perfect Work-Life Balance . . . A timely tribute to the relationships between parents and their children
Chris Djelebian, Real Estate Broker
Chris Djelebian, Real Estate Broker at Keller Williams Lifestyles Realty, Brokerage (a member of the Verge Real Estate Team), has been juggling the demands of raising two kids with his job selling real estate, for five years.
“Having a career in real estate there are no set hours,” Djelebian indicates. “In this market I often work nights and weekends to accommodate my clients’ needs and schedules, so I have a habit of working quite a bit. One thing I try to ensure is that I am home for dinner with the family every night; the one non-negotiable is that I never miss my children’s activities or sporting events by scheduling work around these events.”
His 16 year old daughter Nyah Djelebian, is interested in travelling, the sciences and art, while his 11 year old son Colton Djelebian, enjoys programming, gaming, and sports such as hockey in the winter, lacrosse in the spring and soccer in the summer.
“With so many distractions nowadays and the ability to work virtually and via cell phones, it’s easy to get caught up with work and running a business outside of the office, while at home,” says Djelebian. “As a parent I believe it’s important to be present, supportive and involved with your children. We often play board games, go for walks and we all talk about our day at the dinner table every night.”
However, Djelebian credits his success at work to the support he gets from his wife Christie Djelebian (a teacher with the Greater Essex County District School Board).
“On top of teaching JK/SK, Christie is an incredible mother and partner,” he expresses. “She is my biggest cheerleader and a phenomenal support person. The reason I can be so successful in my work is because she understands what it takes to work in real estate and encourages me to achieve my goals.”
In between work, school and extracurricular activities, the Djelebians also find time to travel.
“We love to travel as a family,” Djelebian comments. “Barring COVID restrictions we go on vacation every March Break, for a week during the summer and a ski trip over Christmas holidays. It’s a fantastic way to bond as a family without worrying about the everyday stresses that come up. Plus, it’s a great way to re-energize, connect and make memories.”
Djelebian sells both residential and commercial real estate, so if you’re looking for a new home or office, reach out to him.
Robbie Lynn Lemire, Print Shop Owner
Robbie Lynn Lemire opened Border City Custom Prints in 2013 after the birth of the first of her three children.
“My business has changed over the years,” informs Lemire, Owner of Border City Custom Prints, which is run out of her home. “I’ve finally found my niche over the last two years and I’m where I want to be with my business. Most of my customers are ones that have supported me from the beginning, and recently I’ve had good responses in orders and customers from activity on social media, especially Tik Tok.”
Border City Custom Prints specializes in custom clothing with fun designs, with some items taking hours to make. These include hand-bleached or tie-dyed items, with the design added afterwards. Recently, they upgraded to a full colour printer, which will allow them to make more designs with a quicker turn around.
“My most popular products are ‘mama’ items (shirts, hats, jewellery),” Lemire reports. “I try to target everyone when I create, but of course anything can be done custom if you have a design in mind.”
And all her hard work has paid off! In 2020 and 2021 Border City Custom Prints was the platinum winner in both the Printers and Gift Shops categories for CommunityVotes Windsor.
On top of growing her business, Lemire is a mom of three kids: Nevaeh (eight), Maleah (six) and Noah Beauparlant (three).
“Being an online business, my work is always on my phone, so a challenge I face trying to balance work and parental work, is learning to detach from work,” says Lemire, who is also engaged to be married. “Another challenge is managing my time; a lot of my work is done at night as my kids are in bed, so having enough time to do that at night and still find time for myself and sleep can be tough.”
Lemire believes that in order to manage work and parenting, it’s important to set a time when you stop working. Plan what you need to do, so you make the time you work more productive.
She likes to mark ‘time off’ for herself to spend time with her family. “My kids love to be outside,” Lemire comments. “So vacations with kids are often anything that can be done outdoors. They love going camping, so we head to Algonquin Park during the summer. It’s a great way to get away from life, and with little to no data in the park, we come home feeling recharged; it’s very relaxing.”
Another piece of advice she offers is to never be afraid to ask for help. Between family and friends you have the support you need!
To shop online for some really cool clothing items visit online.
Parenting Biz feature continues on page 30.
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