2020 may not be the best year we’ve ever had, but actress Tia Mowry is not letting it get her down. Mowry has been waiting out the coronavirus pandemic at her home with her family, which consists of her husband Cory Hardrict and their children, 9-year-old Cree and 2-year-old Cairo Hardrict.
In a recent interview with PEOPLE, she shared how she keeps her family “optimistic” despite it all. “I’m as real as it gets,” says Mowry. “Quarantine has been challenging and it’s something that I have had to adjust to but not just me, the whole entire family. My main goal as a parent is just to focus on the kids right now. I want to just put a spotlight on protecting everyone’s mental health,” she continued. “I think that is one thing that we have really been focusing on here, not just for myself, but for my children.”
Tia Mowry also discussed keeping her children informed about COVID-19, but to prevent her children from getting anxious she doesn’t tell them the “scary details.” “My son, he’s nine, so he is aware of what is going on, but I try to protect him from the scary details because I don’t want him to have any built-in anxiety whatsoever,” explained Mowry. “But he does know what coronavirus is. He knows how serious it is. We have adjusted. If you would have asked me the question maybe four months ago, I would have told you, ‘I’m pulling my hair out.'”
As for daily life, Tia Mowry keeps her kids busy with fun activities like coloring, especially since she partnered with BIC Kids. “My kids have been having art time in the morning. Cairo will either work on her easel or she will sit down at her desk and the same thing with Cree — and one thing that I absolutely love and that we’re huge fans of BIC Kids’ new coloring line,” says Mowry. “They always like to showcase his artwork at school. I love coloring with Cree and I can just dive into some of the great products that BIC has.”
Besides artwork, Tia Mowry and her husband also make sure to educate their children about Black culture, which is especially important in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests brought on by the murder of Minnesota resident George Floyd by police on May 25. “I’ve talked to Cree about what’s happening because even where we live, you can hear the protests going on. We took it as an opportunity to sit down with the kids and just educate them about everything,” says Mowry. “I think it starts with taking responsibility, number one, and having the conversation with your kids.”
