Kimora Lee-Simmons is a mother, entrepreneur, and wife two times over, but she manages to keep everything in perspective. As a mother, Simmons realizes the importance of nurturing, and as an entrepreneur she knows about professionalism. When asked about various life perspectives, Kimora gave a few tips to mothers, wives, and potential business professionals.
On balancing her career and motherhood:
“It’s about prioritizing. Just take it one step at a time. Do the best that you can. I’m a mom and I have two husbands – an ex husband and a next husband. It’s a blended family and it’s very hard to keep things together, but we’re happy and we live in love. Djimon and I are so happy. Like every mom, you try to juggle, but I also want people to know that you don’t have to be a superhero. I’m not a superhero, I have a team of people who help me. I have a great family support system. I want people to know that you don’t have to do all of this stuff by yourself. There’s no award that goes for doing everything yourself. I applaud mothers everywhere.”
On how her daughters Ming Lee, 11, and Aoki Lee, 9, handle their 2-year-old baby brother Kenzo:
“They’re super protective, they’re big girls. They help me a lot with Kenzo. They’re like little moms. I worried about the age difference at first, but now I feel like it’s working to my benefit. They pitch in and help and think of him as being their baby. They’re changing diapers and helping feed him. He’s a big boy and he looks like he’s 10. Having my kids and being a mom is the first and foremost thing in my life.”
On teaching her kids to give back:
“I think it’s really important for them to understand the community at large. It’s important for all of us to understand that we’re all a small part in a bigger movement. I want them to see and understand that to whom much is given, much is expected. We’ve been given a lot in terms of life, things, and exposure. It’s important to give that back. For example, I went to the food bank in New Jersey where we made lunchboxes and were making lunches on TV, that’s exposure and helps draw attention to everything else things that you’re doing. But, it’s not always about exposure. It’s also about exposing your own kids. We also do the toy drive and the canned food drive – these are easy ways for families to engage and interact with their communities. It’s very needed.”
Read Kimora’s full interview with Parade here.
