Monica is opening up about how she balances her career and being a mom to her three kids.
In an interview for Hello Beautiful’s cover story for Mother’s Day, the singer, 43, who has been joining Nicki Minaj, 41, on her Pink Friday 2 World Tour for the past few months, shared what she loves most about motherhood.
“It’s a level of happiness and joy and it’s the unconditional love that you just can’t find in other places,” says Monica (born Monica Denise Arnold).
The musician is mom to daughter Laiyah, 10, whom she shares with ex Shannon Brown, and sons Romelo, 16, and Rodney, 18, with ex Rodney “Rocko” Hill. She is also stepmom to Hill’s son Ramone, 28.
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Monica.
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Monica, who calls co-parenting “easy,” says that she has “no feelings there.”
“I just have responsibilities, which is to make sure that my kids feel happy and whole. And whatever that requires is exactly what I do,” she says.
Monica adds she’s been enjoying bonding with her daughter and working to instill confidence in her.
“I’m not directing her or redirecting her away from what her goals and dreams are,” the proud mom shares. “We’re pushing her towards it because I think she has the right support system to be a part of what she wants to be a part of. But I love the joy of having a daughter. I love the fun of us being able to talk about some of the female things.”
Monica reveals she’s also been relying on Ramone to help her parent her younger kids. While she and Hill are no longer together, the singer has been in Ramone’s life since he was 4 and has taken on more of a parental role to his younger siblings over the years.
Monica.
Paras Griffin/Getty
Describing him as her right-hand man, Monica says Ramone helps her “balance a lot of things.”
“It allowed me to have this unbreakable bond with him that he knows and understands that he is absolutely no different than the other children in any way,” she shares.
Back in September, Monica celebrated her daughter’s 10th birthday with a sweet post on Instagram. “HAPPY•BIRTHDAY• @laiyah,” she wrote in her caption. “One never truly knows LOVE, until they’ve experienced YOU….. You’ve given me a decade of Joy, Compassion , Understanding & Love without Conditions 🖤.”
“May you always see YOU as special & deserving as I do,” she added. “HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY LAIYAH.”
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