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During an interview with Mini, Jeannie Mai says motherhood has taught her to embrace tenderness as a strength and heal parts of herself
She also shared that she prioritizes her 4-year-old daughter, Monaco, in co-parenting with ex-husband Jeezy
Elsewhere in the conversation, Mai shared that she no longer aims for balance as a busy working mom
Jeannie Mai is loving every second of being a mom.
During an interview with Mini, the television personality, 47, opened up about being a mom to her 4-year-old daughter Monaco. Mai shared she has learned to become “more tender” since welcoming her daughter in January 2022, adding she now views tenderness as a strength.
“I am more resilient than I ever knew and also more tender than I ever allowed. I spent so much of my life being strong as armor, never wanting to appear soft or vulnerable. Monaco cracked me open,” she told the outlet. “She showed me that tenderness is strength.”
“That being moved, being soft, being willing to feel everything fully — that’s not weakness, that’s power,” Mai added. “She healed something in me I didn’t even know needed healing.”
Jeannie Mai and her daughter Monaco for ‘Mini’ magazine
Credit: Kimberly Genevieve for Mini Magazine
The former The Real host, who welcomed her daughter with her ex-husband Jeezy, also opened up about her co-parenting dynamic. During the conversation, she shared that she always makes sure to prioritize her daughter in every situation.
“[Co-parenting] looks like choosing Monaco over ego, every single time,” she said.
The new relationship dynamic between her and her ex-husband comes with its own challenges. She shared that one of the “hardest things I’ve ever navigated” was having to spend time away from her daughter.
“There are moments the house is quiet, and it just hits different, like a silence that feels loud,” she shared. “What helps me is filling that time with things that make me feel whole, so I come back to her as a better version of myself.”
“I pray. I FaceTime her and let her show me her toys for 45 minutes like I’ve never seen them before. I remind myself that a mama who takes care of her own soul is giving her daughter the greatest gift,” she added. “And when she comes back every single time feels like the best day of my life.”
Jeannie Mai and her daughter Monaco on the cover of ‘Mini’ magazine
Credit: Kimberly Genevieve for Mini Magazine
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Elsewhere in the conversation, Mai, who’s a busy working mom, shared that she no longer aims for balance when it comes to juggling motherhood with her career. Instead, she told the outlet she strives for “integration.”
“Honestly, I’ve stopped calling it balance because balance implies perfect equilibrium, and that’s not real life. What I am for is integration — letting Monaco see my work, letting my work be infused with the values she’s teaching me,” she explained. “Some days I am crushing it professionally, and I’m not the most present mom. Other days, I am so fully there with her, and my inbox is crying.”
“I give myself grace for both,” she said. “What I’ve committed to is quality of presence over quantity of time. When I am with her, I am with her. Phone down, eyes on her, heart open. That’s the standard I hold myself to.”
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