Elizabeth Mitchell Interview with Parents.com

Elizabeth Mitchell, costar of ABC's hit series Lost, is warm and open and laughs easily. Mitchell, it is instantly clear, could be your best friend: She's a working mom who juggles her family responsibilities with a high-octane career, all the while wishing for a few more hours of sleep and a little more time at home in Seattle, where she lives with her actor husband, Chris, and son, CJ, 3.

Tiny Inspiration
Having a baby has absolutely increased what I am capable of doing creatively. When you have a baby, you are so tired, but your heart grows. His whole world becomes magic. As a parent, you realize you are a maker of that magic. That's one of your jobs besides all of the practical stuff: whether or not your child loves all these things, like singing and music, has a lot to do with the way you present them.

No Sleep, No Problem
I cannot be someone who is not there at all hours. If CJ wakes up in the middle of the night, then I am going to be there, and we are going to figure out how to go back to sleep. For the first year, he just did not sleep, and now he sleeps like a rock. I think this is because I put so much time in with him back then. You stop worrying about dumb things, and you really just start doing the things that are most essential.

Rise and Shine
Kids need someone fresh -- a babysitter, grandparents, whoever -- to come in with fun ideas, and then your child's life is richer for it. This is why Chris and I alternate mornings in charge. On my mornings, we get up and I have CJ draw a picture. He has his own little table and pad. And we always listen to music. Sometimes it's classical, sometimes it's jazz, sometimes it's rock -- it just depends on what mood we're in. I like to tell him who the composer is, and then he walks around saying the name because he feels he knows something. He's like, "This is Bach." It's pretty neat.


Read Full Article Here: Parents.com