Family first in Juliet’s day
SHE HAS had to be awake at least two hours earlier and her life is much busier, having to balance being a mother, wife of Jamaica’s prime minister and a member of parliament (MP). However, Juliet Holness thoroughly enjoys giving service and pledges to continue fulfilling those roles effectively.
Mrs Holness would like to express a big thank you to Jamaica, as what was previously a New Year’s resolution is now reality, as she is up by 4:30 every morning to get some exercise done – an activity she fully enjoys.
“A typical day for me has actually changed. I now get up much earlier than I used to. So I am awake from 4:30 in the morning, just to be able to ensure that I get in some exercise. I then sort out breakfast for the children, get them out of bed and get them ready for school. Some mornings I get help taking them to school, other mornings I do it myself so that we can get a chance to chat, and it is the same at the end of school,” she told The Gleaner.
“It is healthy to start exercising, it means that your brain is a lot sharper and more focused and your body feels a lot better. So I have to thank the country that I am finally at this place and I am forced to not say tomorrow or put it off, or just make it a New Year’s resolution,” she said with a burst of laughter.
SERIOUS ABOUT PARENTING
The prime minister’s wife, however, did not mince words as she expressed how serious she was in ensuring that her children do not suffer and that her role as a mother is not neglected. “If we are the best at being prime minister, wife of the prime minister and MP and we have failed with our children, then we are still failures,” she declared. “I made up my mind and I decided that you cannot let the children suffer. So you still have to find time for homework and projects and make sure that they are doing well. I am always having to be mindful that God blessed me with two boys, and I have a responsibility to ensure that they are aware of how to treat women well, they are aware of how they should be treated, and they are aware of their own responsibility to their family, wider community and the country,” she continued. She said she is most grateful that her sons have adjusted nicely and have remained grounded. “They are settling in quite nicely. Still shy, but I am happy that they are level-headed and grounded. They don’t feel as if they are important at all, and I am very happy for that. As far as they are concerned, they are very normal and they don’t think there is anything special about them, and I would love for them to keep it that way,” she said. She, too, is adjusting to the public life and has accepted that she is aware that there will be harsh criticisms thrown at her husband, but noted she still intends to give him her full support. “I believe it is important that we have someone who can be very frank and tell you where you are going wrong and give suggestions. I don’t get very worked up at all. People will have constructive criticisms, people will also have their own biases, but at the end of the day, I don’t dwell on that,” she said.