20 Candid Parenting Quotes From Shakira That'll Have You Nodding in Agreement

By Celia Fernandez

Updated on 12/7/2017 at 1:00 PM

Ever since Shakira became a mom to Milan and Sasha, you can find her talking about being a parent and how much her life has changed in interview after interview. The Colombian singer likes to share advice on balancing being a mom to two toddlers and staying sane while following a busy work schedule — it does have to do with her longtime partner and the father of her children, Gerard Piqué, always being by her side and sharing parenting responsibilities.

No matter what is going on in life, Shakira always makes time for her 4- and 2-year-olds and even admits to being a bit of a "tiger mom" — just more proof that the 40-year-old isn't afraid to keep it real.

On How She Stays Sane

  • "My biggest secret to staying balanced is giving myself an hour to exercise each day. It keeps me balanced physically and mentally by letting me focus on the task at hand, and it gives me energy to be at my best for them. Sometimes I feel tired in the morning, but by the time I've exercised, my energy levels are back up."

On How Gerard Piqué Complements Her Parenting

  • "He's got his feet on the ground and is very practical about problem-solving. When I get stressed about how to organize things or juggle it all, he helps put it all in perspective. And he is my biggest support. We're both very hands-on parents, so it never feels like one is carrying the entire load on their own. He probably lets them have a little more chocolate than I'd like, though."

On How She's Changed Since Becoming a Mom

  • "It's shifted the axis of my universe. Everything is centered around them now. It's a new dimension of love, at least for me, that's indescribable. It's also helped me be more disciplined overall about sticking to a schedule now, because you're forced to prioritize. Before I was my own boss, but I have two tiny bosses to answer to now."
  • "I'm one of those tiger moms, who is all the time looking for help and information online and researching and reading. It's not easy to be a mother."
  • "Well, I will admit that I am definitely one of those mothers. I probably read every book and downloaded every pregnancy app out there. And they are informative, and I am glad I read them. I think it's an advantage to inform yourself. But trying to predict what your child will be like is about as effective as consulting a crystal ball."

  • "There are no shortcuts, in the end, to learning how to be a parent. I'm sure I've made mistakes, and there are probably many things I will continue to try doing better."
  • "But if one thing could stand out to me as something no book could have prepared me for, it's the way your heart explodes over and over, in the best way possible, from the first moment you meet your child and every time after they begin revealing their personality as they grow."
  • "Now I have a family at home, and they need me. But instead of feeling like I've had to choose between one and the other, having a child has really helped me reorganize my time and give everything I do more purpose — it's brought more discipline and structure to my life, which have contributed to an overall feeling of balance."
  • "It's one of the most difficult things I've done in my life. I've been on the most challenging stages performing in front of really demanding audiences and I've been meeting with world leaders who sometimes make you a little bit apprehensive, but nothing has made me so self-conscious as being a mom. Every day I wonder if I'm doing the right thing. I just want to improve in the job, the hardest job on earth."

On Why She's Raising Bilingual Children

  • "It helps if they are able to associate a person with a language at this early stage, to minimize language confusion. Their father, for example, always speaks to them in Catalan. I try to speak to them in mostly English, but if I switch, I try to not mix two languages in one sentence. Their first words were both 'mama.'"

On the One Parenting Tip She Follows Religiously

  • "That the foundation of every level of development — social, emotional, cognitive, physical — depends on an abundance of love. You can never show you love them too much. A sense of security from early on gives them limitless room to develop their abilities and become responsible, caring adults."

On Dealing With Her Kids Growing Up

  • "The older they get, the more interesting the challenges — I've only gotten to the toddler stage so far, but each one keeps me on my toes and forces me to educate myself further as I'm working to educate them along with their teachers."
  • "It's what really will help them thrive later on in life. . . . That is the question that I ask myself every day when I wake up. 'Am I making my kids feel loved?' This is the daily bread in my life. The everlasting question mark . . . because I know that that is going to be the most vital component and sense of security in life."
  • "I think engaging as much as possible with your child and trying to make play and interaction meaningful is really the best thing you can do. Whether we are trained to be or not, as mothers, we're our children's first educators. That doesn't mean every moment of every day has to be planned or documented, but I think forming a bond early on that is based on an exchange of information between mother and baby ensures that they will enjoy the best environment possible for maximum learning as they grow older, and will see it in a positive light as well because they associate it with those early moments of bonding."

On Documenting Everything With Her Kids

  • "One of the most memorable moments with Milan was when he started being able to identify items on flashcards. We started when he was 6 months old and he caught on right away. With Sasha, I've found that he's really musical and has an innate capacity for it; he even plays the drums! I've documented those moments and countless others. I'm a serial documenter."

On Having a Strict Bedtime For the Kids

  • "I'm Colombian by birth, but a bit German when it comes to the home schedule. Kids crave structure and like to know what's coming next. Again, it's that sense of security, and once they grow accustomed to it, they even self-enforce it."

On Showing Her Kids the World

  • "Before taking them on a long trip, I really try to weigh the pros and cons of what will be best for them, though if it were up to me I would bring them everywhere. Otherwise, I make sure to take all their vitamins and meds and things that are familiar to them, so the change of environment isn't so jarring."