Waitress and Working Mom Shares Her Parenting Secrets

Your first thought when meeting Chuck-A-Burger employee Brenda Helton, is, “What an incredible server.” The second, after hearing about her tenure at this St. John landmark is – “OMG – you’ve been here 30 years? Did you start waitressing in diapers?”

Just about. Since age 14, Helton has been serving up burgers, smiles and conversation at Chuck-A-Burger. “You can’t beat Brenda,” remarked customer Carolyn O’Brien of St. John. “She’s not just a waitress. She is Chuck-A-Burger.”

Three decades later, this superwaitress and supermom continues to show a new generation of parents how to juggle the demands of a full-time job with the challenges of raising a child thanks to grace, hard work and a whole lot of laughs.

In 1980, Helton joined the Chuck-A-Burger crew to make a little spending money. “After I graduated high school, I stuck with it,” she remarked. “I’m a very talkative person, so it was just my thing. The money is good, they work with me, I make my own schedule, and I get off when I need to. It’s been the perfect job.”

Her job’s also has had some personal benefits as well. In 1984, she met Ken Helton, the customer with whom she just celebrated her 21^stanniversary and the father of their daughter, Tara. Like many working moms, Helton had to figure out how to best balance her work life with her family life.

“I relied on family a lot. My mom played a big part in helping me raise my child while continuing to work. She was always there for me. I also had a babysitter who was really good. She was actually a Chuck-A-Burger employee. She watched Tara during the day and worked at the restaurant at night.”

However, as many parents know, a child’s illness can alter even the best laid plans. At 14 months old, Tara was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and was placed in a cast for almost a year to correct the disorder. Tara’s condition forced Helton to rethink how she could better take care of her daughter while continuing to help support her family.

“I just learned you have to be patient and always have a back-up plan. The hardest part about being a working mom is that you never know what could happen with your child. You should always try to have someone available that can help you. I couldn’t send Tara to the babysitter in a body cast – I had to rely on my family a lot. It’s important to keep your family close if you can.” Today, 19-year-old Tara is working side-by-side with her mom, continuing Helton’s legacy of great food and excellent customer service.

After 30 years in the restaurant world, Helton has seen how parenting and waitressing can overlap. “You try to make everybody happy. A lot of times you have to change things around so everybody gets what they need. Serving others takes a lot of patience and a lot of understanding.”

“And of course,” she said with a chuckle, “everybody else is always right.”

If you have a mom, dad, grandparent or other individual you feel should be celebrated for their parenting prowess, e-mail me at [email protected] and fill me in!

By Nicole Plegge, Lifestyle Blogger for SmartParenting