Shakira, the award-winning Colombian singer and superstar is featured in the April issue of Parents Latina magazine – where she reveals a glimpse into her personal life, raising a multicultural family and achieving a successful work/life balance at home.
Here’s a bit:
On raising multicultural children and her parenting style:
“Yes. In Spain, parents speak to their children as equals, and I feel that the children respond in turn. But in all three cultures, parents are attentive to their children. Their dad [soccer star Gerard Piqué] and I both grew up in very close-knit families, and that has made us openly affectionate parents.”
On which language her two year old son is picking up faster:
I would have to say Spanish, since I’m the one he spends the most time with and it’s my first language. I talk to him as much as possible — it serves as bonding time and helps his language-comprehension skills.
On her family’s playlist at home:
“We listen to Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Green Day, Pearl Jam, Carlos Vives, old-school salsa — something for every mood. Milan loves songs with a lot of percussion; I think babies are naturally drawn to those kinds of rhythms.”
On how being a mom helped her learn how to delegate:
“Becoming a mom forced me to re-prioritize and make room for the things that are most important, while recognizing that there are things I can let go of and the world won’t crumble around me.”
On how much her children influenced the line of baby gear and toys that she co-created with Fisher-Price:
“He was a great influence, especially on the soccer ball — he loves to kick the ball around more than anything else. I also wanted to include toys that I think are timeless. The blocks in the collection came from a vivid memory I had of playing with some in my own childhood.”
On how she’s raising her boys to be modern-day men:
“Growing up with a working mom is a start. I also think their dad is a good example of a modern man to emulate. Gerard and I pretty much share all parenting responsibilities, although I’m definitely the disciplinarian.”
On what’s more daunting to her right now – making another record or having two young kids:
“I really enjoy working on Spanish albums, but I always joke that Milan was easier to give birth to than my last album [2014’s Shakira]! I apply the same amount of dedication to being a mom as I do to my music — I guess you could say music was my first baby.”
The debut issue of Parents Latina is currently available nationwide. Please let me know if I can get you a hi-res image of the cover or a full PDF of Shakira’s interview.
Pictured:
A pregnant Shakira and hubby Gerard Pique attend the USA v Slovenia game at the Basketball World Cup 2014 in Barcelona
last year