Mom Club with Christina Falcetta
Christina Falcetta with her daughters, Gabriella (10) and Isabelle (8), and her husband, Michael. (Courtesy Photo)
She was not born and raised on the North Fork, but you’d never know based on how deeply engaged and invested Christina Falcetta and her family are in our local community. You’ll often find her out and about attending numerous family-friendly events across the North Fork, ever-present in her school district’s PTA, and watching her daughters, Gabriella and Isabelle, from the sidelines. Yet somehow, she’s also a criminal-immigration attorney and adjunct law professor. Yes, this woman does it all!
Read on as Christina shares mothering on the North Fork in our monthly Mom Club — a Q&A with local North Fork moms.
Q: Describe your parenting style in three words:
Christina: Nurturing, energetic, engaged.
Q: What is your favorite thing about motherhood?
Christina: Being able to experience life through my daughters' eyes may be my favorite part of being a mom. Having kids changed my perspective completely. While there is no place like the North Fork, we do a lot of traveling with our kids to try to expose them to as much of the world as we can. Even if I have been somewhere many times before, being there for the first time with my girls creates a whole new experience. It's like the world suddenly opens up in a way, and I see things that I missed without them. They are at the age now where they are developing their own personalities and opinions, and it's really fun to get their input and watch them navigate on their own.
Q: What’s your least favorite thing about motherhood?
Christina: How incredibly fast everything goes. Seasoned mothers warned me when I was pregnant that time will fly, but it is impossible to truly understand that until you experience it. My eldest just graduated from elementary school, and I am struggling to believe how we got here so quickly. It is exciting to see them grow into themselves, but just when I think I have a handle on one phase, they are already stepping into the next.
Q: Would you change anything about motherhood? Tell us.
Christina: I would love to be able to lift the unrealistic and exhausting social expectation placed on mothers that they can ‘do it all’ with ease. I think it is especially damaging for new moms navigating huge life changes without a roadmap. None of the moms in my life are perfect, but they are all exactly who their children need, and I am so in awe of them. Being able to somehow shield us from the pressure to be flawless would be nice.
Q: In your opinion, what makes raising children on the North Fork unique?
Christina: As someone who didn’t grow up here, I don't take for granted how special this place is. Having access to incredible beaches and farms right at our doorstep makes it truly unique. Couple that with the tight-knit community that is here, and it can't be beat. Being able to jump from picking berries on the farm to impromptu playdates at the beach where kids of all ages spend hours swimming, kayaking, fishing, or digging for fiddler crabs is a dream. There is an ease about this place that is becoming increasingly harder to find. Summers are magical on the North Fork, and I am so grateful that my kids get to experience them.
Q: What role does nature play in raising your children?
Christina: Nature is an anchor for us. I am a firm believer that children belong outdoors — exploring, playing, and getting dirty — and there are few places better suited for that than the North Fork. Being here full-time has allowed them to take part in year-round nature programs like Turtleback [Environmental Education Center] and [Group for the East End at] Downs Farm Preserve that teach them the importance of respecting and protecting this special place.
Q: What's your favorite recent thing that you've done with your children on the North Fork?
Christina: We just went to Orient Beach State Park Summer Concert Series, which was so much fun. They have live music on Tuesday nights, playgrounds, swimming, great food, and another gorgeous beach backdrop. On the way back, we stopped at the Sound in Southold to catch the picture-perfect sunset. Vets Beach in Mattituck and Mitchell Park in Greenport also have great summer concert series.
Q: What's your children's favorite thing you've recently done together on the North Fork?
Christina: Watching the Wednesday Night Sailboat Races in New Suffolk. We brought pizza, swam, made sandcastles, and watched the race, which made for a great night. They don’t want me to forget to mention that the ice cream truck is always there too!
Q: What is one thing every child should experience on the North Fork?
Christina: The annual movie on the beach hosted by Riverhead Rec is a summer staple that my girls always look forward to. There is nothing quite like spending the afternoon swimming, then settling onto blankets with all their friends to watch a movie on the big screen, under the stars, overlooking the water.
Q: Mothering lasts long after we're gone. It becomes the values that live within our children for their whole lives, too. What are some things that you hope your children carry with them forever?
Christina: My mother immigrated to the U.S. as a child and, despite limited opportunities, accomplished so much. She raised me to feel that I could achieve anything and instilled in my sisters and me the importance of hard work, kindness, and our own potential. She maintains a beautiful optimism about the world and a fierce belief in the importance of helping others. I hope to pass her legacy on to my girls, so that even in the most turbulent times they are able to find all the good there is in this world and feel a deep responsibility to contribute to making it better. I hope they carry the courage to try new things, and the confidence to make the most of the opportunities that come their way, knowing not everyone gets them. Mostly, I hope they always know, deep in their bones, how immensely I love being their mom.