“MY FAVORITE TIME OF DAY IS BEDTIME…I LOVE
TUCKING [MYCHILDREN] IN AND READING WITH
THEM AND HEARING STORIES ABOUT THEIR DAY.”
Jen Maxfield
BUSY REPORTER KNOWS
BALANCE IS A TEAM EFFORT
As a journalist, professor, board
member and mother, JEN MAXFIELD
knows she can’t do it all alone. Lucky
for her, she never has to. “It’s a team
effort,” says the busy mom of three,
whose mother and mother-in-law
both live within walking distance of
her Bergen County home. “Our moms
help out a lot, as well as our longtime
babysitter and my husband Scott, who’s
really supportive,” she says. “I don’t
ever feel like I’m trying to do everything
myself.”
Maxfield, who was born and raised
in Bergen County, is a reporter for NBC
in New York and anchors the evening
news on the weekends. After a career
spent working her way up in TV news,
from a college intern at CNN to her
current position with NBC-NY, Maxfield,
39, loves her job as a reporter. But
that’s not the role she cherishes most.
“Being a mom is absolutely the joy
of my life,” she says of her son, age
10 and daughters, ages 9 and 6. “I
love spending time with my kids and
watching them grow and learn and
201magazine.com
each develop into their own unique
person.”
With her plate so full, setting aside
special time to be with her children is
a priority. “My favorite time of day is
bedtime, when I have one-on-one time
with each of them. I love tucking them
in and reading with them and hearing
stories about their day,” she says. “Even
if Scott and I go out to dinner, we try to
get home in time to put them to bed.”
Though she enjoys the fast pace
of covering breaking news stories,
the highlight of her week is when
everything slows down on Friday night.
“We stay in every Friday and have a
family dinner to celebrate Shabbat. It’s
a really special time,” she says. And the
sporty family loves just being outside
together, riding bikes and being active.
“Our favorite place is Key Biscayne in
Florida, so when we can, we’ll get down
there and swim, bike and paddleboard
all day.”
Maxfield serves on the board of
Englewood’s Center for Food Action,
where she started volunteering in high
school, in addition to volunteering with
many other organizations. “I try to do
charity work that my children can also
participate in because I think it’s part of
their education to learn about helping
people,” she says. Maxfield also sits on
the board of her children’s school and
on the Board of Visitors at Columbia
College, where’s she’s an adjunct
professor at the Graduate School of
Journalism.
She also tries to squeeze in a workout
every day. “Fitness is important. When
I’ve exercised I feel better and I think
I’m a happier person,” Maxfield says. “I
do a little of everything. Running, yoga,
barre, Pilates, SLT… I try to rotate and
keep it interesting.”
Though she acknowledges finding a
balance is sometimes a challenge, she
tries not to feel guilty about time spent
away from home. “I feel like I’m setting
a good example for my kids. They’re
proud of what I have accomplished,”
she says. “My parents instilled a strong
work ethic in me and I want the same
for my children. I think it’s great
they see me working and enjoying a
rewarding career.”
And it makes their time together
that much sweeter. “I love the close
relationship I have with my kids,” she
says with a smile. “I find them endlessly
fascinating and entertaining.”
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