Grammy award singer/songwriter Shakira is mom to two strapping boys. She and husband soccer player Gerard Piqué are easing into parenthood.
When their first son Milan was born in 2012, Shakira says she turned to the internet and her mother-in law for advice: topics ranged from the specific like, how to raise him bilingually and the more general like, how to be a good mom.
When her second son Sasha was born in January 2016, Shakira got the idea to create a parenting app of her own, which she called Grow. It was collaborative effort between the singer and Fisher-Price. The bilingual app is filled with developmental tips and age-appropriate activities as well as social features so parents can capture and share all of their favorite memories.
She considers the time Milan started identifying flashcards as on her most memorable moments thus far.
“We started when he was 6 months old and he caught on right away,” reveals Shakira. “With Sasha, I’ve found that he’s really musical and has an innate capacity for it; he even plays the drums! I’ve documented those moments and countless others. I’m a serial documenter.”
During the app’s launch, Shakira offered many insights about parenting to Popsugar. On how she finds time to relax she reveals that her “biggest secret to staying balanced” is an hour of exercise each day. It keeps me balanced physically and mentally by letting me focus on the task at hand, and it gives me energy to be at my best for them. Sometimes I feel tired in the morning, but by the time I’ve exercised, my energy levels are back up.”
She and Gerard have distinct parenting styles. “He’s got his feet on the ground and is very practical about problem-solving,” say Shakira. “When I get stressed about how to organize things or juggle it all, he helps put it all in perspective. And he is my biggest support. We’re both very hands-on parents, so it never feels like one is carrying the entire load on their own. He probably lets them have a little more chocolate than I’d like, though.”
On the next page, Shakira talks about how being a mom has changed her
“(Parenting) has shifted the axis of my universe. Everything is centered around them now,” reveals the singer. “It’s a new dimension of love, at least for me, that’s indescribable. It’s also helped me be more disciplined overall about sticking to a schedule now, because you’re forced to prioritize. Before I was my own boss, but I have two tiny bosses to answer to now.”
Both Milan, 3 and Sasha, 2 months are being raised bilingual.
“It helps if they are able to associate a person with a language at this early stage, to minimize language confusion,” says Shakira. “Their father, for example, always speaks to them in Catalan. I try to speak to them in mostly English, but if I switch, I try to not mix two languages in one sentence. Their first words were both ‘mama.'”
What’s the most helpful lesson she’s learned? Find out on the next page
Even celebrities like Shakira need help every now and then. Being open to parenting tips, Shakira has also gained many great lessons as she gets to know her toddler and her newborn.
“That the foundation of every level of development — social, emotional, cognitive, physical — depends on an abundance of love,” affirms Shakira. “You can never show you love them too much. A sense of security from early on gives them limitless room to develop their abilities and become responsible, caring adults.”
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