Mom Club with Bridget Elkin
Bridget and her daughters Remi and Elliot. (Photo courtesy of Bridget Elkin)
Meet Bridget Elkin — a powerhouse residential real estate broker and girl mom to Remi (4) and Elliot (2) who moved full-time to the North Fork from NYC in 2014 trading in her desk job for an entrepreneurial North Fork life. Read more as Bridget shares mothering on the North Fork with us in our monthly Mom Club, a Q&A with local North Fork moms.
We hope this series inspires you and helps to make motherhood less intimidating and more inclusive. And the best part is, there’s no dress code or any other code, for that matter. All are welcome to join Mom Club just as you are.
Q: Describe your parenting style in three words.
Bridget: Playful, active, instinctual.
Q: What is your favorite thing about motherhood?
Bridget: Lately it's been watching the girls develop their own personality and humor. It's fascinating how children can inherit certain traits from their parents while also exhibiting their own individual quirks and characteristics. When you catch a glimpse of your own “problematic” tendencies, it provides both a good dose of humility and laughter... Remy has a touch of Eric's OCD and Elliot inherited my weakness for instant gratification. All in all, we are having a lot of fun with them at this stage.
Q: What is your least favorite thing about motherhood?
Bridget: Hah, losing my breasts and full hairline. Somewhat kidding but it would be nice to have those back. I am not the most organized person so I would say one of my least favorite things is the organization required to be a parent in today’s world. Luckily I have a partner who is very organized and in time, my children have taught me that sometimes doing less is best. When my second daughter refused to take a bottle, we did away with the pumping and the freezing. I thought exclusively breastfeeding would be much harder but the simplification of it was a total game changer for me as a mom.
Q: What would you change anything about motherhood?
Bridget: Is dismantling all societal expectations of motherhood an option? If so, I would do away with the idea that becoming a mother means a radical redesign of a woman’s life. Of course, your bandwidth, priorities, and logistics shift, but women shouldn’t have to feel that their varied ambitions conflict with having children. I hid my first pregnancy as long as I could (7+ months) because I was due in May and I was afraid no one would list their home with me that season. A few days after Remy was born, I was back to work and had my best year to that point… it was a real turning point in my career. Most of my clients couldn’t have been more supportive of my newfound parenthood, but a few sellers did admit that they wouldn’t have signed listing agreements with me had they known I was expecting. Needless to say, I don’t regret keeping my pregnancy quiet, but I do hope things change for this next generation of women - motherhood makes many of us even more ambitious in life which is a benefit to everyone.
Q: Assuming you do, why do you think raising kids on the North Fork is unique?
Bridget: The non-suburban characteristics of the North Fork make it both an incredibly rewarding and, at times, incredibly challenging place to raise a family. Suburbia is designed to optimize life with children, and for good reason; the logistics of school drop-off, sports, doctor appointments, and playdates can leave you spinning. That said, what the North Fork lacks in convenience, it makes up for in beauty and community. My girls speak to our 80-year-old neighbor with the same ease they speak to their 4-year-old classmates — exposure to the diversity of our North Fork community, and in particular Greenport’s, has its own set of unique opportunities for fostering empathy, acceptance, and independent thinking.
Q: What role does nature play in raising your kids?
Bridget: Most days end with stripping the girls' muddy or sandy clothes off in our front hall. We are big believers that your physical environment informs your happiness and well-being, so the varied North Fork landscape and abundance of nature are a dream come true for us as parents. Remy attends Peconic Community School, and a large part of our decision to enroll her there was the emphasis they place on outdoor learning.
Q: What's your favorite recent thing that you've done with your kids on the North Fork?
Bridget: I am going to cheat a little here and say taken them to the Shelter Island and the South Fork! One of the best aspects of North Fork living is that you have so many other regions at your fingertips. A quick ferry ride and you have an entirely new vibe on Shelter Island, an hour further an entirely different world of hiking preserves in Montauk. All that said, at the end of the day, there is no better feeling than coming home to the North Fork.
Q: What's your kids' favorite thing you've recently done together on the North Fork?
Bridget: Our girls have nothing but food on their little brains these days. Their favorite activities include picking up banana bread at 8 Hands Farm, pizza at 1943 [Pizza Bar], croissants at Aldo’s [Coffee Company], or the Greek couscous salad at Goodfood. in Mattituck.
Q: What is one thing every kid should experience on the North Fork?
Bridget: Hands down, a bonfire on a sound beach. I’m not sure I am allowed to say that because technically it might be illegal if it isn’t on private property. Either way, pure magic… ask for forgiveness not permission.
Q: It’s said that motherhood lasts long after we're gone — that it's the values that live within our kids for their whole lives, too. What are some things that you hope your kids carry with you forever?
Bridget: Hard to choose but I’ll stick to the “G”s:
Gratitude: If you continually chase a better life you’ll miss out on the best parts of it.
Generosity: It is better to be generous and a little broke than financially secure and overly frugal.
Grit: Being smart and talented is wonderful, but you need to foster some grit to untap your full potential.
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