Former NFL star Victor Cruz and his 8-year-old daughter Kennedy Cruz are in the Halloween spirit, as they recently spent a fun day picking pumpkins.
Victor Cruz took to Instagram to post pictures of his and Kennedy’s fun-filled time collecting pumpkins. Joining them for the fun was Victor Cruz’s mother Blanca Cruz. The photos show the family, all smiles, on a farm surrounded by bright, orange pumpkins. He captioned the post: “A great day indeed. 🎃.”
Victor Cruz had Kennedy with his ex-fiancée, Elaina Watley, and they co-parent their daughter together. Cruz says that the key to good co-parenting is communication. “You can’t do anything as a co-parent without talking. Even if you’re no longer living under the same roof, the discussions still need to happen for the sake of your kid,” says Cruz. “And you have to put your ego aside because it can create turmoil and distraction. The focus should never be on the parents. If your child is happy, then everyone is going to be happy.”
Victor Cruz is best known as a former receiver for the New York Giants, making the 2012 Pro Bowl and helping them win Super Bowl XLVI. During his career, Cruz was popular for celebrating touchdowns with a salsa dance, which he learned from his late Puerto Rican grandmother and did in her honor.
In his post-football life, Victor Cruz has enjoyed his time with his daughter. Victor Cruz not only educates Kennedy about racism, but he also teaches his daughter about taking pride in her cultural backgrounds as well. Cruz tells Kennedy stories about his childhood in Paterson, New Jersey to “instill that same resiliency” in her that he had growing up.
“I teach Kennedy about Black culture, and I share stories about my upbringing. The Black community struggle means I didn’t grow up around rich people. In Paterson, everyone was living check to check, week to week, and that was the battle. But we figured it out,” says Cruz. “I try to instill that same resiliency in Kennedy. And we constantly speak to her in Spanish. She’s in a language-immersion school because we want to make sure she’s fluent. We’re making a concerted effort to raise her to be bilingual and multicultural so she’s always in touch with her roots.”
Photos: Instagram
