Interview: Tamera Mowry-Housley Talks About Babies, Marriage & Her New Show "The Real"

by Claudine

I am sure most of you are already acquainted with Tamera Mowry-Housley.  She first caught our attention in 1994 when she appeared in the show Sister, Sister with her twin sister, Tia Mowry.  Tamera went on to star in a number of movies and now has her own reality show on the Style Network, Tia and Tamera.

In addition to a new baby and a reality show, Tamera has recently taken on one of her biggest projects to date!  She has just become a host on the hot new show, The Real.  The show features five amazing women (Tamera, Tamar Braxton, Loni Love, Jeannie Mai and Adrienne Bailon) that share their thoughts, views and opinions on life, love, sex, marriage, kids and a whole lot more!  The show has a fresher vibe than the standard female roundtable discussions that currently dominate the TV airwaves.  There is a youthful, diverse energy that The Real shares with viewers.

Even with an insane schedule, Tamera always makes time for her fans.  I recently had an opportunity to catch up with Tamera and discuss motherhood, marriage, and her awesome new talk show, The Real! 

Congrats on your new show. What drew you to the project?

The fact that I have always wanted to do a talk show. I love doing talk shows and being a guest on shows.  I thought it would be interesting and fun to be a host.

Do you feel a greater responsibility with respect to your dialogue and opinions on sex, marriage, and relationships?

Yes, I do especially since I am representing traditional girls out there. I want to make sure that one, I’m holding it down for them, and two, breaking the stereotype of traditional girls. We’re not boring! We’re not stiff and just because we have these certain morals, or certain aspirations for marriage doesn't mean we’re weird. I don’t want women to feel like they need to change to fit in. We can be just as fun and endearing.

How are you managing the endless expectations of motherhood, marriage, and a new show? 

Honestly, I take it a day at a time and I know that some days are going to be more challenging than others. Some days are going to be more stressful. When I do have the days where I feel like I got it figured out I know it won’t last.  I just rejoice in that moment.

How do you handle some of the criticism that you have received on social media?  What are your thoughts on the semi-anonymous snipes and attacks that celebrities have to endure on social media?

I guess what I can say is, I think social media is positive in so many ways, and I choose to focus on that. Unfortunately, because people can hide behind their computers, they feel the need that they can say whatever they want.  I have figured out, since I receive so much more positive, that I just choose not to focus on the negative anymore.

How is life changed since becoming a parent?  What was the biggest surprise about motherhood? 

I know they always say this but the biggest surprise about motherhood is that you never truly know how much you could love someone, but it’s true. I never knew that you could love so much that it hurts. Having a baby is such a beautiful miracle.  It is exciting to see him grow and become more aware.  He is starting to know I’m mommy. It makes my life. I am the happiest I’ve ever been. It's just beautiful. I absolutely love it and people always say the best is yet to come.  I can’t even imagine life getting even better.  I feel like I’m living the best now and that makes me even more excited for the future.

How do you deal with stress and how do you decompress?

I think it’s very important for moms to have “me” time. It was very hard for me in the beginning to realize that because I wanted to be my son’s everything. I was seriously the doting mother, but you’re a better mom when you allow yourself at least an hour a day. You're a better wife when you allow yourself some time.

Try to have a friend come over and watch the baby or have your spouse watch him for an hour.  You need to carve out your own time. It can be anything, like having a bubble bath, reading your favorite book before bed or exercising.  I’ve realized that exercise is my “me” time.  So therefore you are hitting two things at once.  It’s very, very, very important that you make some time for you!

Will there be a sibling in Aden’s future?

Of course, of course!  I love being a mom and I definitely want to have another child.

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So many thanks to Tamera!  You can tune in to see The Real every weekday on Fox 5 at 11am.  For more information visit, http://therealtalkshow.com/

Photo Credit: Michael Rozman/Warner Bros.