Nobody will argue with you that going from a couple to a family to a family of four is a massive adjustment, but given time everything will always find its place.
That's the experience of Virgin Media's Ciara Doherty at least, as she has continued to manage her demanding career in front of the camera as well as her two young daughters at home.
Five-year-old Renée is just finishing up her first year in school and is looking forward to next year as a senior infant while at just three-years-old, younger sister Edie still has some time to go before school starts. Speaking to EVOKE, Ciara says it's always a fine balancing act.
'Before I left the house today my husband said, "When you come back, we need to discuss the summer and camp schedules". This is not something that has featured in her [Renée's], you know, life in the past.
'She does go to after-school during the year, but we would love to pull her out of that for the summer and give her a break, because she's only five years of age and I feel like she needs a break in the school environment as well.
'But I will be relying on art camps, gymnastics camps, school camps, every camp going!' Ciara admitted, knowing that she's cutting it a bit late to book a place.
The mum-of-two said Renée is thriving at school and she is clearly relieved that's one thing she doesn't have to worry about.
'I was a bit of a swot, and I loved learning. And unfortunately, I think she's probably going to take after her mother!' she laughed. 'I'm delighted with how it's gone for her, and she settled in and then.'
As Ciara's second daughter, her 'baby', is only three, she's still too young for school and camps but Ciara and her husband Richard Stern have found a rhythm to keep everything going.
'Three years on and we have finally settled into our new routine,' she said.'I think we feel we feel like we are coming out the other end now I thought, you know, having one child would be this huge change in your life, which it absolutely was.
'I didn't think having a second child would be such an adjustment. But, I mean, the juggle- ask any family with young children or both parents working, even if they're not both working full-time! The struggle is real.'
Ciara admits that life with two little girls can feel like treble the work, and her love of shopping and the days of treating herself to new clothes, shoes or a bag every pay-check are long gone. But, as she said, 'It's worth it!'
Whatever about life with kids, life in the city can be fairly full on too and as a proud Donegal woman, Ciara says she'd love the chance to move back to the quieter life back in the north-west, and so would husband Richard.
'More and more of my friends have moved back to Donegal, and I know my husband would move in the morning if we had the right opportunity.
'If I could get to the Sarah Jessica [Parker, star of Sex and the City and Donegal fan] point where I could fly in and out of Donegal to my beautiful summer house over the ocean or my second home looking over the ocean, I would love that!' she laughs.
'But to be moving permanently- maybe in retirement. It is definitely something we would love to see in our future, but I think it's in the distant future, unfortunately.'
Despite the fact that Ciara is extremely busy at home, and at work- with her role at the helm of the Tonight Show on Virgin Media One meaning lots of late nights, she still looks radiant- and skincare is something she freely admits is important to her.
Speaking at an event for ethical beauty brand Modern Botany, she said 'I have an aunt who was way ahead of her time and really looked after her skin back in the 1980s, and I was her shadow. So from a really young age, I have to say, I've been pretty responsible around looking after my skin.
'It's one of those things where if I look in the mirror and my skin is in bad condition, I know that the lifestyle isn't in a good place, either. One always runs parallel with the other! she laughed.
'The great thing I think about being in Ireland is that there are so many good Irish brands, and we have been really blessed.'
