Renee Chou: Plenty of reasons to relish pre-dawn routines, early morning anchor shifts
This month marked a major milestone for me at WRAL. Five years ago, after a nationwide search, I was officially promoted to a permanent spot on the anchor desk for WRAL-TV’s weekday morning news. I was seven-months pregnant at the time, and my belly looked like a basketball. About two months later, I gave birth to my daughter Elsa… and went on maternity leave for 12 weeks! What a way to start a new position!
Working the early morning schedule was perfect training for those first few months of motherhood. I didn’t miss the sleep because I never really slept much anyway! Being up in the overnight hours was par for the course.
While I loved being with my little girl and cherished those early months, I always knew that I would go back to work. As I neared the end of my maternity leave, I was nervous about Elsa waking up in the middle of the night and me not being there. (And my husband wasn’t thrilled about getting up during the overnight hours.)
Two nights before I was to return to work, Elsa slept straight through the night for the first time—for 10 hours!—starting at 7 p.m. I took that as a sign that going back to my job was going to be OK ... and she was going to be OK as well. Pretty much after that, she was consistent with her nighttime sleep, falling in line with her mama’s early bedtime. I was very fortunate. If I had a night owl who kept me up most nights, I doubt I would've made it through those first few years.
Early morning hours
Part of me enjoys telling people what time I wake up, just to see their reaction. My alarm goes off at 2:35 a.m.! And no, that's not a typo. The horrified look I get in response says it all. “That's CRAZY! I would NEVER be able to get up that early and function!” they all say. You’d be surprised what you’re capable of doing.
Do I LIKE getting up that early? Of course not. It’s not natural. And it’s tough on the body. But once I’m up and the morning unfolds, I feel better and better. I get into work at 3:30 a.m. and we go on the air live at 4:30 a.m. After anchoring 3.5—sometimes 4.5—hours, I then anchor another hour of news on WRAL at noon. And I'm done at 1 p.m. And THAT is one of the main reasons I do this shift. Because as crazy as it sounds to get up at 2:30 in the morning, it allows me time to see my daughter and be a mom.
Team Elsa on the job
When Elsa came into our lives, we formed Team Elsa—made up of my husband who would handle the morning duties before he left for work; an amazing nanny who took such good care of Elsa until the early afternoon, and then I was the "anchor leg" for the remainder of the day. I treasured my afternoons with Elsa when she was a baby. Since she was such a good sleeper at night, she wasn't much of a napper.
As a baby she was very alert, happy and wide awake during the afternoons. We could have that time together before her daddy came home, and then we could all have dinner together as a family. Bath time and bed time routines were mostly me. I was so grateful (and still am) to be able to read to her and tuck her into bed at night.
Once Elsa starts kindergarten, my schedule will allow me to pick her up from school and shuttle her to her after-school activities. Maybe I'll even have time to sneak in a nap!
This particular shift also gives me weekends off—which is a luxury in the 24/7 news business. Prior to my move to Monday through Friday, I worked the weekend news for pretty much my entire career at WRAL and at a station in Iowa. We’re talking about 15 years working weekends. To have Saturdays and Sundays free to be with my family and friends is priceless!
Figuring it out
When Elsa started preschool, that gave me a little more flexibility. I take her to late afternoon dance and gymnastics lessons (swim lessons are on Saturdays.) Down the road, I’m sure we’ll add some more! But these are all things I couldn’t do if I worked the evening or late news.
At this stage in my life, the schedule works with my family! Until it doesn’t. My morning predecessors pursued other opportunities when the schedule didn't work anymore. If and when that day comes for me, I'll re-evaluate. All of us moms figure out. Somehow, some way, we always do what’s best for our families.
At least, that's what I think to myself when my alarms (I have two!) go off at 2:35 a.m. Before I head out, I pop into Elsa's room to look at her peacefully sleeping, give her a kiss, and whisper how much I love her. Hard to believe—five years of this pre-dawn routine—getting to do the work that I love, and then coming home to be with the ones I love. Doesn't sound too crazy to me.
Renee Chou, WRAL-TV morning anchor, is the mother of one. You can find her monthly on Go Ask Mom and all of the time on her Facebook page.
