Mom Club with Alyssa Prior
Alyssa Prior with her family at the 2025 Candlelight Tour and Tree Lighting in Southold. (Photo courtesy of Alyssa Prior)
You know how some people have “mothering vibes”? Alyssa Prior is one of those people. As a mother to three kids under 10 of her own, plus working as the Guidance Counselor at a local school, Alyssa makes balancing patience, care, and realness look natural, achievable, and, dare I even say, enjoyable?! She’s always quick to lend an ear, a hand, or her whole heart, and the North Fork is so lucky to have her as one of our own.
Read on as she shares mothering on the North Fork in our monthly Mom Club: a Q&A with local North Fork moms.
Mom Club is made possible by The Stretch Garden — your place on the North Fork for recovery and rejuvenation, reimagined.
Q: Describe your parenting style in three words:
Alyssa: Rolling with it.
Q: What is your favorite thing about motherhood?
Alyssa: My favorite thing is doing all of the things kids love and watching their reaction — taking a train ride for the first time, going to the beach, surprising them on their birthdays — I try to make each moment special for them. I want them to look back and remember the little details that shaped their childhood experiences.
Q: What is your least favorite thing about motherhood?
Alyssa: Motherhood is exhausting, and I make a lot of mistakes. Sometimes I overreact because I am stressed or overwhelmed. I do not like it when I take it out on them. I’ve had to explain to them that moms make mistakes, and I should react differently in the moment. I am hoping that by discussing it with them and pointing out my flaws, they’ll somehow see I was always trying.
Q: Would you change anything about motherhood? Tell us.
Alyssa: The guilt. I wish moms could understand they are rockstars. Moms are constantly juggling. At night, I sit and worry about the decisions I made for them during the day. I wish moms could just let the guilt go!
Q: In your opinion, what makes raising children on the North Fork unique?
Alyssa: Raising children on the North Fork is unlike anything I experienced as a child growing up in Queens. I knew I wanted my kids to have something different. I wanted them to be able to run around and be carefree. What I didn’t expect was this amazing community. From the moment I moved here moms welcomed us with open arms. From the advice to the constant support, I am not sure I could have found this anywhere else.
Q: What role does nature play in raising your children?
Alyssa: Life is really busy for us, and I don’t think we get out and enjoy our surroundings as much as I wish. Each time we go to the beach at the end of my block for a few hours, I immediately feel a sense of peace and wonder why we don’t do this more often. I wish we could take the time and do this each day. For us, it’s not possible, but it makes the moments we do get to enjoy it even more special.
Q: What's your favorite recent thing that you've done with your children on the North Fork?
Alyssa: The Southold tree lighting is one of those events that you stop and look around, and thank the universe for making me part of this beautiful community. My kids got to step back in time and experience life as it once was. What could be more magical than that? Seeing Santa and watching the tree lighting is a yearly event we have yet to miss. I feel lucky each year that we get to experience this small-town Christmas charm.
Q: What's your children's favorite thing you've recently done together on the North Fork?
Alyssa: My kids love anything we do on the North Fork. They think going to Greenport and playing in Mitchell Park is the best! One of my kids' favorite recent events is the Maritime Festival. This year we met a couple of friends and stayed on the beach all day. The kids were in and out of the water and loving every second. How lucky are we that at the end of September, we were sitting on a beach enjoying every moment?!
Q: What is one thing every child should experience on the North Fork?
Alyssa: I am going to go with the Mitchell Park carousel. The carousel ride and running around in Mitchell Park are two of my favorite pastimes. When we first moved here, we renovated our home in Peconic and were living in Greenport. My husband works in the city, so I am alone most of the time. I would walk into Greenport every day with the double stroller and just let the kids run around Mitchell Park. This would take up hours of our days! On the days the carousel was open, it made everything even more special.
Q: Mothering lasts long after we’re gone — what are some things that you hope your children carry with them forever?
Alyssa: I want my children to be kind, accepting, and inclusive. I try to teach them that each day. I also want my kids to be held accountable. If they do make a mistake, we talk about it. I explain to them how their actions may have hurt other people, and we make sure that we always address the situation. My hope is that I’m raising children who will someday have wonderful families. I want them to take the values we have within our family and apply them to their future.