Holly Robinson Peete: ‘I’ve Evolved’ As a Mother
 Tyler Golden |
Holly Robinson Peete has come a long way from her 21 Jump Street days!
Slated to star in the upcoming season of the Celebrity Apprentice, the mom of four has stayed busy over the years through acting endeavors, book writing and of course, family. Married to former NFL star Rodney Peete, she’s mom to boy-girl twins Rodney Jr. and Ryan, 12, and sons Robinson, 6 ½, and Roman, 5.
Holly recently shot a public service announcement for the Mexican Hass Avocados Importers Association, to promote healthy eating in kids in the latest on the fight against childhood obesity. She was nice enough to take time from her busy schedule to chat with CBB about her family life, daily routine and next career moves!
Click below to read the full interview!
CBB: What’s a typical day like for your family?
Holly Robinson Peete: It starts off with a little mayhem, because we have four kids to get ready for school. But the day really starts the night before, when I pack lunches. That’s the last thing I do in the evening. I try to use a lot of avocados — we have them out all the time! The kids love it in guacamole, as a bread spread, in salads and in sandwiches. I try to put together the healthiest lunches possible.
In the morning, we get them ready, and it’s a little crazy in the Peete house! But we get them in the car and out to two different schools. Then we take a deep breath, and go on with our day. We pick them up at the end of the day, although they all have different activities and tight schedules. Then we get our homework on. Sometimes we’ll bribe them with American Idol — that’s a great bribe! — so they’re allowed to watch if everything is done. Then we get them in bed between 8:30-9 p.m.
We try to have dinner together as much as possible. It doesn’t happen every night, especially with the kids’ schedules and their ages, because they have different interests. But we like to sit down and get that meal in. Family dinners are the time where we get most of our information! It’s like a secret code of silence. We’re able to get into our kids’ heads and learn about what’s going on in their lives. I also find that that’s when we eat the healthiest, too.
 Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage |
Do you see a difference between raising boys and girls? Twins?
Between the boys and my daughter it’s a difference of night and day! I find that the boys shrug off the drama and move on, but my daughter holds onto it. It becomes Days of Our Lives! I’m happy just having the one girl. She’s all the woman I can handle in this lifetime.
The twins get along well. She’s an advocate for him in terms of the autism — she always has his back. She connects with him well now, which is wonderful because she couldn’t connect with him as well early on when he was non-verbal.
Do you plan to have any more kids?
Girl, I am done at four! I was at the house of a friend who has five kids, and I’m just glad my husband wasn’t there because he would’ve been like, “See, we can do this!” He wants another one but I don’t think I can do it. I’m 45! Maybe we’ll adopt, I’m definitely open to that, but as far as creating another one? Nah.
Do your kids understand that their mom and dad are famous?
(Laughs) I was walking down the street with my daughter, I think it was in New York City, and someone walked past and was like, “Hey Holly, how are you doing?” And I was like, “Hey!” And a minute later my daughter asked, “How does she know you?” And I was like, “Girl, your mama was a big deal in the ’90s! I was on TV!” So it’s big for them when random people are saying hi to me — they look at that and think it’s funny.
The same goes for their dad. The littlest ones weren’t around to see him in the NFL, so they like to watch the old tapes of him playing, and pretend it’s happening now. They fight over whether it’s happening real-time, or if it’s actually recorded! But regardless of what Rodney and I have done, they’re regular, well-balanced kids, and I’m so proud of that.
As it turns out, Mark Curry (Holly’s Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper costar) has kids now, and they go to the same school as some of mine, so we see each other every morning!
How has your family coped with Rodney Jr.’s autism diagnosis?
I’ve evolved over the years. There was the diagnosis, which was really hard. I was so angry, wondering, “Why me?” Then there was denial. My husband and I went through a lot to cope. But now, it’s been over a decade, and he’s made great strides. His nutrition is really important, and that’s why I do public service announcements like this. It’s important that these kids eat well, which is why I’m thrilled that they even like avocados because of the nutrients.
It’s hard to get kids to eat healthy, particularly kids with autism. All kids have to watch their health, but for kids with special needs, healthy diets can be even more helpful. With our son, he was a super-picky eater when he was younger, and now he’s eating better, more diverse foods. We really feel that he loves certain things, and those help him function.
(Though CBB didn’t talk to Holly in-depth about Rodney Jr.’s autism, she recently told PEOPLE “there’s a lot of fear out there” over vaccines and called for “respectful conversations between pediatricians and parents.”)
 Fayes Vision/WENN |
How do you maintain your figure with 4 kids and a jam-packed schedule?
Seriously, I eat avocados! I cut them in half and dig them right out of the skin. I just go right to the source. I find that a serving of three slices is just 50 calories. People don’t know that — they think avocados are high in fact — but there are such thing as “good fats.” We need to encourage people to start eating them more.
I try to choose the best foods for my family, maintain a healthy lifestyle and keep healthy snacks around the house so there’s not much temptation. If it ain’t there, they won’t eat it! If you keep healthy items around, it encourages them. When Rodney and I eat well, they do too — they do as we do, not as we say. We’re trying to lead by example and make smart food choices.
What’s next for you, career-wise?
We had so much fun on Oprah radio! We did it for a year, and it was a great experience. I got to talk to my husband for an hour a day — most couples don’t talk that long, ever! We had a great time, and it was wonderful of Oprah to give us that opportunity.
I’m going to be on the Celebrity Apprentice next month, and I’m really excited for that. I did it because I’m in love with my charity, the HollyRod Foundation — it’s like my fifth child. It took me loving my charity that much to up and leave my husband to film the show. It was hard, but my husband was a trooper, and I’m so glad I did it. I got to spend what I hope is a lot of time on TV, advocating for families affected by autism.
How was working on a book with your daughter?
It was amazing. It’s all about her advocating for her brother. I’m really excited for it to hit shelves, and help children understand more about autism. She’s a beautiful young lady, and I’m so proud of her. The book is called My Brother Charlie, it’s on Scholastic, and it’s out in March.
Tell us about the campaign you’re working on.
Well I happen to be an avocado-aholic, so it was a no-brainer! I inhale these things on a regular basis, and so does my family. It was a perfect fit. We’re helping spread the word about childhood obesity, which the First Lady recently addressed, and we’re letting people know about avocados and their benefits. They have nearly 20 vitamins and minerals!
Children watch and follow everything we do. We can influence their eating and exercise habits. Visit the theamazingavocado.com to learn more.
