Each month, iParenting.com spotlights a mother who inspires and moves us, who embodies the qualities that we all admire in a person, a woman and a mother. Above all, the Mom of the Month is dedicated to her children. Rich or poor, famous or not, she shines as an example of what mothering is all about.

Meet December's Mom of the Month: Olympic champion Nancy Kerrigan balances the demands of skating and motherhood, and still finds time to help others.

Olympic Champion Nancy Kerrigan bows to her favorite fan, her 4-year-old son, Matthew, before exiting the ice to thunderous applause. She's just completed another performance at the Ice Castles Theatre in Myrtle Beach, S.C. and she's thrilled her son is in the crowd to cheer her on. "I'm so lucky that I can have him with me at work," she says.

As a partner, producer and performer for Ice Castles she's sometimes at the theatre for 14 straight hours, and when she returns home she can't wait to hug her son. But often Kerrigan's hours are more forgiving, and she brings Matthew with her to the rink. "He's been around skaters since he was born, and he's used to having 20 or so baby-sitters at the rink that are all looking out for him. He loves making friends with everyone, and he walks around like he owns the place," she laughs.

When Kerrigan attends meetings for her theatrical skating shows she totes craft projects and coloring books to save Matthew from boredom. And she's proud that he's already developed good manners. "The other day Matthew wanted to ask something while I was in a meeting and he waited for a pause in the conversation and said, 'Excuse me.' Manners are so important -- I love how Matthew addresses people he knows by name, looks at them when they're talking, and says please."

Time Out
Like any woman with a skyrocketing career, taking time out for pregnancy was difficult for Kerrigan. And in reality she didn't give herself much of a break. "I was performing until I was seven and a half months pregnant, but it was a Halloween show, so my pregnancy was easy to cover up," she says. And she started performing again when her son was 4 months old, but Kerrigan, who began skating at age 6 to keep up with her hockey-playing brothers and overcame a potentially debilitating knee injury to win an Olympic silver medal, was never a slacker. She says hard work has always paid off for her.

Kerrigan finds juggling a family and career challenging but rewarding. "Some days the most difficult thing is simply having enough patience. You're tired and busy, but your child still needs lots of attention. I thought I had a lot of energy, but compared to my son, I guess not," she laughs. "In today's society we're encouraged to do it all, which leads to exhaustion!" Still, she feels the family and career balancing act is worth it. "Work gives me time to interact with adults and exchange my ideas and thoughts. It's important to feel useful and productive in many aspects of life."

Kids as Champions
Matthew has already laced up a pair of skates, but Kerrigan doesn't plan to push him towards competitive skating. "I want him to find something he likes and do it, whether it's skating or hockey or something else," she says.

She offers the following advice for parents of would-be champs:

• Encourage your child without pushing too far. Coaches are paid to push kids if necessary, Kerrigan says. "A child coming home from a tough practice needs family support instead of performance advice, and maybe more important, a big hug."
• High-level athletes need lots of help. Kerrigan says the secret to her Olympic success was family and friends that helped with emotional support, financial support and everyday errands, like driving her to and from the rink.
• Don't look too far ahead. Injuries can happen, bodies change as kids grow and interests fluctuate.
  
  

During Kerrigan's childhood her family members set yearly goals, and this taught her how to achieve success. Today, Kerrigan is still goal-oriented. For example, she must keep in top shape for physical performances, and to do this she uses the AquaTrend Water Work-Out Systems. Kerrigan started using the non-impact AquaTrend after the brutal attack on her knee prior to the 1994 Olympics. "I couldn¹t walk, couldn't skate and I only had seven weeks before the Olympics to heal my knee. I used the water work-out station to get back into shape and heal," she says. She still keeps fit with aquatic work-outs.

And as cerebral exercise, she's writing an instruction book on skating. "There's so much to skating and there are lots of books out there that have some of how to teach and to do mechanics, but there's so much about mechanics that's not said."

When Kerrigan isn't working or working-out, the family often heads to the beach -- dividing their time between Myrtle Beach and Boston. Kerrigan also enjoys playing hide and seek with her son, reading to him and teaching him phonics. "He really wants to read, and he loves learning and asking questions," she says.

Kerrigan has been married six years, and because she and her husband-manager Jerry Solomon have a hectic schedule, they love to just hang out at home. "But sometimes my parents watch Matthew and we sneak away for a weekend with friends," confides Kerrigan.

During rare alone-time she paints watercolors on ceramics. Kerrrigan was recently amazed when three of her plates sold for $2,100 at a charity auction. "I thought, 'Oh my gosh, this is so exciting.' That money can really help someone," she says. Kerrigan has been sending painted ceramics, mostly featuring flowers or fruits, to charity fundraisers ever since.

She also enjoys reading before falling asleep. "I love mysteries but they had the opposite effect I wanted; they didn't make me sleepy. I kept staying up to find out what would happen next," she laughs. She just started reading love stories, even though Solomon teases her about it, because she finds the stories warm and relaxing. And after hours at the rink followed by a "why" question-a-thon with Matthew, Kerrigan knows the importance of winding down with her paintbrush or a good book.

She advises all moms to find an enjoyable activity, whether it's painting, reading, skating or something else. It's the best way to smoothly glide past life's thin ice.