Although Nicole Parker and Boris Kodjoe juggle numerous commitments on top of parenting duties, they have not lost their passion for one another. While one would think that the ability to keep the sparks in a seven year marriage while parenting two children is nearly impossible, Boris and Nicole say prioritization holds their relationship together.
“It’s all about priorities,” says Boris to RollingOut.com. “We make sure that we put in some sexy time, and we go out on date nights and spend quality time together, because we were here first. Everything else is a reflection of that. If she and I are good, then everything else is good. So it’s very important that we put in the time to cherish each other.”
In cherishing one another, Boris and Nicole find themselves loving parenthood even more. As Nicole explains, “Being a parent is the hardest job ever in life. Raising children uses every bit of your being — your heart, your time, your patience, your foresight, your intuition to protect them, and you have to use all of this while trying to figure out how to discipline them. But we’ve been married for seven years, and I think that the greatest challenge but also the greatest gift, is understanding that I’m way more capable than what I think I am. You have to work hard not to take your partner for granted, even when you are tired. We have a special needs child, so we also have to get up in the middle of the night and check on her. So, I’ve been pushed to the limits that I thought I had, and I’ve gone beyond those … that’s been the greatest gift throughout this journey with my husband.”
Boris and Nicole have been journeying together in the entertainment industry for quite some time and have a formula when considering acting gigs. “We work really hard at making sure that our kids always have a sense of stability and routine, which means that when one of us is working, we try our best to make sure that the other is in place so that they can still go to school and do all of the things that they are accustomed to doing in their routine,” says Boris.
The actor also states, “We also make sure that we visit each other. When Nicole is in London, I am going to make sure that I go and see her. And at the end of the year, we will take the kids over to see her and spend the final five or six weeks of her show together. When she was on Broadway, she would always fly home to see the kids if she had a day off, and to also spend time with me. So that’s how we try to keep things going … family comes first with us, so we’re going to do what we have to do to make this work.”
“Our kids don’t know anything about Hollywood. They just know that sometimes Mommy and Daddy have to go away for work. And they know that if Mommy is gone, then Daddy is going to be there, and if I’m gone, then Mommy is going to be there … at least one of us is always there. We also take them with us at times. I took them to New York at least three times to see Nicole, and we stayed a few weeks. We take them backstage and on set so they can see what we do, but they don’t look at it as Hollywood. They just know that this is where Mommy and Daddy work,” adds Boris.
In all of the glamor and glitz, Boris and Nicole are sure to remember their obligations at home because “family always comes first. We sit down together, and then we just weigh the pros and cons and figure out what ‘s best for the family. When you keep in mind what your priorities are, and for us it’s family, all of the other things just kind of fall into place.”
Nicole and Boris live in Atlanta, Georgia with son Nicolas,5, and daughter Sophie,7.
Photo: Twitter
