Macomb Moms: Kristin Groder Practices 'Full Power' Parenting

Having four children under the age of 5, including a set of twin boys who were born very premature, would rattle most moms, but not Kristin Groder of Macomb Township.

“She definitely had her hands full but she’s very motivated, cuts to the chase and doesn’t let anything get in her way or anything get to her,” said Groder's mother, Betty Fowler of St. Clair Shores.

Kristin and Eric Groder’s parenting journey began when their identical twin boys, Nick and Jacob, now 14, were born after just 28 weeks. Spending 55 days in the hospital, their sons came home weighing just 4 pounds 8 ounces each and were on apnea monitors for months to prevent SIDS.

“My mom came over a lot and my mother-in-law, too, but I really didn’t know any different having two because they were my first kids,” Groder said.

Another challenge came about when the couple noticed Jacob wasn’t meeting regular infant milestones and he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at just 9-months-old. Barely stopping to consider things, Groder simply pressed on, getting her son all the extra medical assistance he needed but never treating him any different or expecting any less.

“Oh we treat him just the same, always have, except maybe where we need to accommodate something based on his needs, but no one’s going to treat him different as an adult so he’s got to know that now,” Groder said.

When the twins were 3 1/2, baby brother Jack, now 10, was born, followed 16 months later by sister, Arabella, 9. Sorely out numbered, Groder still took everything in stride.

“You just do it," she said. "It was my life. I didn’t work, I stayed home with them and took them to pre-school and all that."

Noting that all three of her sons have always been pretty laid back, Groder said Nick is easy going and likes playing his guitar, Jacob is feisty, particular and opinionated, while Jack is shy, cuddly and funny. All three love to give their baby sister a hard time.

Apparently, she can give it right back. Groder said the active, aggressive one always giving her pause is her baby girl.

“Oh she was a hot mess, always climbing on things and jumping off stuff,” Groder said. “She’s me. But she also takes care of the boys, making them lunches and everything.”

If parenting wasn’t enough, Groder grew concerned about the stability of her husband’s engineering job in the automotive industry and returned to school for her nursing degree. Today, she balances everything with her midnight shifts in the emergency room at St. John Hospital in Detroit. She loves every minute of it.

“She is very strong minded and between her family and her son’s therapy, she’s involved with the children’s school and now she’s working and she just keeps going at full power,” Fowler said. “And she has a very supportive husband and family and lots of good friends, too.”