One of the things I like best about working with family is that it keeps you grounded in who you really are. You may be a great salesperson or a terrific doctor, but with your family around, you'll never forget where you

came from and the people who made you into who you are!

Now, sometimes the kids complain that I can be a little too “familiar” at work. “Cut it out with the bunny pancakes.” Or, “I can wipe the crud off my face myself.” Fair enough. But it's important to be yourself … Who else am I going to be? If it's hard for me to stop being your mother while on the job, I'm sorry, but that's who I am. And you've only got one. (Well, techni

cally, Dr. Isles has two – three if you include me.)

So when I'm at work I'm “Angela” or I'm “Mom.” And though working at the Café has turned out to be a great fit for me, sometimes I worry that my kids' jobs take a real toll on them. They can't be “Janie” and “Frankie Jr.” They have to be “Detective” and “Officer Rizzoli.”

That's why I'm so happy Jane is friendly with Dr. Isles. They see the same things and have to deal with a lot of the same pressures, but around each other, they let their guards down. I love working with my kids, but I get it … Sometimes you don't want to talk about everything with your mom!