Weather presenter for Nine News Border Northeast, Sonia Marinelli is expecting her fourth child under four.
The busy mum revealed to Border Cafe how her children have empowered her, even though at times she feels she is barely keeping her head above water.
Sonia, how did you become a weather presenter?
I joined the Channel Nine Melbourne News team ten years ago as an aspiring journalist.
From there I spent several years on the road as a general news reporter for our 6pm Bulletin and various other flagship programs including the Today Show.
I soon caught the weather presenting bug after filling in for Livinia Nixon during the summer period- so when the regional weather role came up, I was elated to finally be doing what I had worked towards for many years.
You’re also a busy mum – tell us about your family and the little one on the way.
Busy doesn’t quite describe my life right now. It’s organised chaos but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am a mum to three gorgeous kids. Five year old Roman is my eldest son, then I have a daughter Eva who is three, and another son Easton who is one and a half.
And if that wasn’t hard enough, my husband Chris and I have one more on the way. I am days away from giving birth to our fourth child, who’s gender is a surprise.
You no doubt already have a full day before you even hit our TV screens – what’s a day in your life like?
Sometimes I am surprised by what I am able to achieve before I even start my day at work. My husband heads to work very early so I do the morning shift which involves getting them up, fed, dressed and ready for the day. I prep dinner, organise their morning activities and often throw in a gym session in the mix. Then I drop them off at their carer’s home before heading into work.
But of course my day doesn’t have an official start, with three kids there is always someone waking up through the night that often makes the day even more of a challenge.
Having said that, I have more stamina and determination now than I have ever had, even before kids. So as long as I am organised, I thrive in this busy and challenging environment.
But of course, the first thing I do when I finally arrive at work is make myself a cup of tea and take a deep breath!
What are the challenges and benefits of being a working mum?
I have thrived as a working mother and so too have my children. I am a better mother for working, and a better employee thanks to the skills I have gained as a mother.
Having children has empowered me and made me more determined than ever. I have to make plenty of sacrifices in leaving them to work full time, so I make sure that I give 110 percent of myself to my job every moment I am there. Likewise, I switch off when I am at home so the kids get my full attention.
“I tend to avoid giving other mothers advice. Just do what’s right for you and your family”
It’s not always easy, in fact sometimes it can feel like we are just keeping our heads above water, but most of the time things go very smoothly and we know it’s the right decision for our family.
I have been fortunate in so many ways. My children are healthy and happy, great sleepers and excellent eaters. My pregnancies have been complication free and I get to go to work and absolutely love what I do. So all of those blessings help keep me going.
Any advice for others trying the ‘juggling act’ of balancing work and motherhood, or any lessons learned along the way?
I tend to avoid giving other mothers advice. Just do what’s right for you and your family.
Everything I have worked to achieve, I couldn’t have done without the unconditional support of my husband. Although both of us working full time is not an ideal situation with such young kids, it works for us. But it is not for everyone.
As a woman and mother, I believe we can have it all…but it’s almost impossible to do it alone, so I am very lucky to have great support from my family.
What are your plans after your fourth child? Will you return to our screens?
Most of the viewers will notice I worked right up to the end of my pregnancy (38 weeks) and I plan on returning as soon as possible.
I feel so honoured to be part of the Nine News Regional family and I can’t wait to return.
What makes the Bulletin so special for me, is that I have been there from the day we launched, learning, growing and nurturing our product. So you won’t be able to keep me off your screens for too long. Of course it depends on my health and the baby’s health, so for now I plan on just taking it day by day.
What do you enjoy most about your weather presenting role?
I love presenting the local weather for the Border North East region. For too long, viewers have received either the Melbourne or Sydney weather forecasts and anyone who has spent just a few days in the North East of the state will know the weather patterns here are very different compared to the major cities.
Border North East does present me with some challenges though. You are fortunate to enjoy long stretches of fine, settled weather with clear skies and plenty of sunshine especially at this time of year. Which is fantastic if you are outdoors and enjoying it, but not so great for me to write about as it does become a little like ground hog day…but it is weather that many people would be envious of. It does come at a cost.
We are well below our average yearly rainfall, so fingers crossed we get a good soaking in the coming weeks and months.
Catch Sonia Marinelli presenter of Nine News Border North East at 6pm each weeknight on Channel Nine.
