Nicole Sullivan Anticipates Frightening Future with Sons

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She’s been a mom of boys for almost three years, but nothing scares Nicole Sullivan more than what her future still holds.

“I’m terrified of them jumping off roofs,” she tells Babble of raising sons Dashel Pierce, 2½, and Beckett Edward, 7 months.

“[Then after that,] I have to deal with them bringing little tattooed 18-year-olds home, in those shorts you see at Abercrombie & Fitch. Like who fits into that? They look like baby clothes!”

And while she believes it’s “really important to raise independent children,” the former Rita Rocks star, 40, already has a tight rope on her brood, starting with keeping her two sons far away from television!

“It turns them into monsters!” she explains. “Even the cute shows. [Dashel] watches a half hour, and all of a sudden, he’s picked up three things I don’t want him saying!”

Instead Sullivan relies heavily on preschool computer programs — her favorite being Starfall — that allow Dashel the entertainment without foregoing the educational value.

Maintaining her stance on limited television — or anything else for that matter! — is not a part of parenting that comes easily for Sullivan, who admits Dashel is a top-notch negotiator. “He should work for the CIA or something,” she says regarding his reasoning skills.

“He says, ‘That’s a good idea, right, Mama?’ and I’m like, ‘I guess. I guess it’s a good idea. Okay.’ And next thing I know, he’s eating Smarties and watching Oswald. I’m like, ‘How did this happen?’”

With Sullivan and her husband Jason Packham raising their family in Los Angeles, the comedienne admits she felt pressure to get back in shape after she delivered Beckett last August. She eventually bounced back to her bikini body — with the help of Jenny Craig — and can count breastfeeding among her secrets.

That said, it wasn’t easy –  ”Breastfeeding blows! I was like, ‘Wow! That hurts!’” she laughs — and neither has been switching to her sons’ sleep schedules.

“I can’t believe how early I have to get up every day of my life. Sometimes, the baby’s up at 5:45 a.m., and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, this is inhuman.’”

– Anya Leon

Comments

Ha ha! She is so funny. I can commiserate with her, because I have 3 boys, the youngest 2 are the same age as her boys. I too am fearful for when they start bringing girls home (and the roof jumping, although it scares me less than the girls). She looks great too!

- Marla on April 25th, 2010

I loved her on Rita Rocks. I miss that show. It was funny how she was pregnant at the same time as her castmate Tisha Campbell Martin. Sullivan’s pregnancy was written into the show and Martin’s was hid with big clothes and objects!

- Anonymous on April 25th, 2010

Haha, I had to laugh about the starfall.com inclusion. My cousin’s daughter is 8 and really into teaching. She takes it very seriously, and I am enrolled in a distance education course with her alter ego Teacher Mullane. I’m 31 and live in a different state, and she has me reading the books listed under “I’m Reading,” on that website. I have to email her the main idea of each story and what I learned from reading it every Thursday. I thought the “school” would last a week, and it’s been six weeks now! If I don’t “get my homework done,” she calls my mom and has a parent-teacher conference, haha!

- Babymam on April 25th, 2010

I wish all I had to worry about would have been a tattooed little thing when my oldest turned 18. Instead at 15 he already has a record that he just served 6mos in a boys ranch for and is still waiting to go to court for possession charges. Thank god his younger brother is learning from the mistakes, without having to make them himself. Now if I can convince him that taking dares is a bad idea. He broke his leg with the last one!!!

- Anonymous on April 26th, 2010

It never ceases to amaze me when these “stars” are totally against THEIR children watching tv but it’s tv, movies and the media that makes THEM famous, that pays their way. It leaves us ‘normal’ working parents feeling a tad bit guilty for allowing OUR children to even glimpse a tv show or two. Of course, waking up 3, 4 and yes 5 in the morning is what humans do when their babies wake in the middle of the night so it’s good to see that she didn’t hire nanny 1, 2 and 3 for that.

- Michelle on April 27th, 2010

Michelle- I think she just meant that it having to get up at those times came as somewhat of a shock to her!

- CelebBabyLover on April 27th, 2010

Don’t allow yourself to feel too bad, Michelle. My kids probably watch way more than yours do (we’re big fans of Nick Jr. and Sprout). There are a lot more educational shows for kids now than there were when I was growing up (I’m 34). My two-year-old daughter watches more TV than recommended and can speak sentences in five languages. I also work with her, but still. Not too shabby for a TV-loving mom.

- Angela on April 27th, 2010