McGoldrick, who has two young children, says it’s easy to get caught up in what you might be missing, but she’s learning to focus more on what her children are actually experiencing.
“When you meet my children, they’re the most loved children you’ve ever met,” she says. “They miss Mum and Dad, but they know that they’re loved.”
For McGoldrick, being surrounded by family has always been key.
Raised in Christchurch, she grew up in a close-knit household, with extended family nearby and heavily involved in everyday life.
“We’re very close to all of our family. I’ve got lots of cousins – my dad’s one of eight, so there are heaps of us.”
McGoldrick recalls her parents being around for all the important things in her childhood.
“Me and my brothers never wanted for anything or felt like we were missing out. They were busy, but a parent was always at a sporting event or whatever it was.”
This has informed her own approach to parenting.
“I don’t miss a lot,” she says. “That’s the priority for me always.”
Despite making a concerted effort to be present for her children, McGoldrick isn’t immune to suffering from the occasional bout of mum guilt, something she handles “some days better than others”.
Ultimately, McGoldrick doesn’t consider parenting and her career as opposing forces.
She says she still has a lot of goals and dreams but doesn’t believe those have to go on hold now that she has children.
“Instead of going, ‘I’ve chosen that over them’ – no I haven’t. I can do that with them beside me.”
Listen to the full episode for more from Laura McGoldrick on:
- Breaking into sports broadcasting
- The unpredictability of live TV
- The advice she lives by
Game of Two Halves returns Wednesday, April 29 at 7.30pm on Sky Sport 1
Ask Me Anything is an NZ Herald podcast hosted by former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett. New episodes are available every Sunday.
You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
