Melina Kanakaredes Learning to Let Daughters Go

Frederick M. Brown/Getty

Actress Melina Kanakaredes is experiencing what every parent goes through — sending their youngest off to kindergarten. The CSI: New York star knew that it would be difficult to watch daughter Karina Eleni, 5 ½, join her big sister Zoe, 8, at school, but she wasn’t prepared for the fact that her daughter would enjoy it so much. "She had a blast and it was very easy for her but for me, it was hard," Melina explained, adding that, "She said, ‘Go, Mama!’ [I said] ‘Okay.’" Through the experience, the 41-year-old learned that "you want them to need you, but you don’t want them to need you. It’s that Catch-22."

Melina and husband Peter Constantinides have been married since 1992 and own Tria Greek Kuzina in Ohio.

Source: OK! Magazine

Comments

When my now 6 year old daughter starter pre-school I cried like a baby in a part of me wanted her to cry and not want to stay…but she was so happy at school and loved being there, she kept telling me to go home…lol It’s like Melina says, “you want them to need you, but you don’t want them to need you.”

Oh and my those last names are LONG!! lol

- Bren on November 7th, 2008

Can totally relate to the ambivalence here. Seems that motherhood is full of mixed feelings–loving your newborn more than humanly possible but simultaneously wanting her to grow up and get big so she sleep through the night, wanting your kids to cuddle more but not wanting them to cling to you day and night…
the list just goes on. We should all try to enjoy what we have and live in the moment.

- Jean on November 7th, 2008

I LOVE Melina as an actress.I bet her children are beautiful! I was just thinking how complicated it would be if those girls had both mum and dad’s surnames!

- phoebe on November 7th, 2008

I love Melina as an actress – she was so great on Providence and now on CSI: NY. Zoe and Karina must be such beautiful little girls.

- Jennifer on November 7th, 2008

I love Melina Kanakaredes! I have a photo of hers in my file with her two daughters. They are so pretty just like their mother. I think Melina has everything…brains, beauty, a good heart, a nice career, a large extended family which is what we need for us to be able to cope with difficult times, a good husband and two beautiful daughters! Some guys have all the luck. I do think she deserves it.

- Athena on January 7th, 2009