As 2020 comes to an end, Tia Mowry-Hardrict is focused on family.
The Whole New You author, 42, is celebrating the holiday season with her husband, Cory Hardrict, 41, and her children, Cree, 9, and Cairo, 2. Mowry revealed exclusively to theGrio that, in regards to raising her little ones, she draws inspiration from her own childhood and the legacy of her mother and grandmother.
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“My mom has always taught me that actions are more important than words, especially when it comes to building your child’s character,” the Sister, Sister alum shared while discussing her partnership with Swash detergent. “Their development, their growth, teaching them about being good people, teaching them about being kind—it all starts with action. So if you’re not being kind or if they don’t see that within your behavior, then how are they going to learn?”
She continued, “I’m all about working hard. I want my kids to be that way as they get older. I want them to know that you have to work hard for what you want to achieve. My mom and my grandmother, they’ve definitely showed me that. My grandmother—she ended up passing away last year in January—but she’s left such an incredible imprint on what family is and what it means. She will always be forever in my heart.”
The role of “mom” is one Mowry does not take lightly. The Family Reunion actress told theGrio that Black motherhood is “beautiful,” and she learned how to be “the queen of the family” from the women who came before her.
“I always say that black women are strong,” Mowry explained. “We have endurance. We have gone through so much as black women. Meaning, our kids were taken away from us or husbands were taken away from us. We’ve learned how to make lemonade out of lemons. I just feel that whatever you put in front of us, we will make it happen. [My mother, grandmother and great-great grandmother] were always the queen of the family, the backbone of the family. Black is beautiful and black women are beautiful.”
One of the ways Mowry connects with her children is through chores, an experience that led to her partner with Swash, a smarter way to wash clothes without the guesswork. According to the actress, Cree is not too interested in laundry day, but little Cairo is eager to help.
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“You know what’s so funny? Cree is not necessarily [interested in chores]. He’s so funny. I mean, he is the boy, so he loves getting dirty,” Mowry said. “But dealing with washing clothes? Cairo’s dirty diapers? It’s like a no-go for him. But for Cairo, she loves helping wash clothes. We make it fun. She’ll get into the basket. I’ll just kind of, you know, drag her into the washing room. She’s very helpful when it comes to household chores.”
Check out clips from the exclusive interview above.
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