Essence Atkins is best known for her roles on Half & Half as Dee Dee Thorne and Yvette Henderson on Smart Guy. And, she’s now juggling a career and family in her role on the TBS sitcom, Are We There Yet?, opposite Terry Crews. Outside of acting, Atkins gains real-life experience doing just that after giving birth to her first child, Varro Blair Mendez, last Christmas. Recently, she gave an interview with SheKnows to discuss her experience as a new mother.
Finding balance and staying healthy are two things Atkins places emphasis on in giving advice. She’s found that it’s important not to be too hard on yourself and to realize that everything doesn’t have to be perfect as mothers have a tendency to blame themselves when things don’t go as planned.
“If you’re pulling from a vacuum — from something that’s void — that doesn’t do anything for anyone. You must recharge yourself and your relationship so you can be of great value to your children, Atkins said. “In the beginning, right after your baby is born, it can be a high stress time to a relationship. A lot of times your relationship can take a backseat. However, it’s critical for your happiness to give time to the relationship as you give time to your child.”
On staying healthy, Atkins notes that exercise benefits a mother’s emotional and mental health as well as being good for the body. She’s found that the time she puts aside for working out is great for planning out her day and getting her mind focused for the tasks ahead.
You can catch Are We There Yet? weekdays on TBS at 9:30 a.m. ET/PT and read the full interview on SheKnows’ website.
BMWK– What lessons have you learned as a new parent? What are some of the challenges and tasks you find yourself juggling?
Leave a Reply