QUICK Q’S My current obsession… Building and deepening my relationship with God Favorite way to unwind after a long day… A glass of wine and conversation with my husband My signature dish… Seafood- stuffed peppers, pasta, yams; We love soul food Someone that inspires me… My mom Something I’m excited about right now… Life; to see what God has in store for me and my family. of attention. For example, my oldest [son has more] main character vibes. He wants all eyes on him at all times. And I know he needs more emotional support. My second son shuts down. Even with kids, you have to know their love language. Love language applies to different things. One way that I may give my oldest attention, it may not be the same way that my second-born may accept the attention. I may be giving the same attention, but it does not look like attention to [my second born], because that’s not the way he looks for it. That’s bigger than anything, honestly, because you never want a kid to feel unseen, unheard, or like they’re the black sheep.
enjoy each other’s company. We may get a snowball, we may go to the park, [we may] get some seafood here and there. We go where the wind blows us. We try to stay in good energy in our family, because that also helps them as kids just to do different things [and] do different experiences. We try to keep them busy, try to keep them engaged in interactive activities, [and are] just constantly challenging their minds to deeper things.
themselves through action. So if they’re feeling misunderstood or not heard, it could cause them to act out. We stay level because they have boundaries. They know boundaries, but we also let them voice their opinions. I feel like another big hack is being able to apologize as a parent, because that goes a long way; we’re not perfect. WHAT’S ONE THING YOU HOPE YOUR CHILDREN LEARN FROM YOU? BRITTNIONE: Resilience. And I say that because me and my husband have encountered so much together within the years of being together. But we never give up. Sometimes when we get down, we have to reposition, but we keep going. It takes a lot of resilience to do that. WHAT’S A TYPICAL WEEKEND LIKE FOR YOUR FAMILY? BRITTNIONE: We really bond as much as possible. So a typical weekend may be just getting in the car and joyriding, going to have a picnic, going to spend time at my mom’s house, [or spending time at] my husband’s mom’s house. We are really family oriented, so we really
HOW DO YOU JUGGLE YOUR CAREERS AND FAMILY LIFE?
BRITTNIONE: I’m still trying to find the balance. I’m learning to schedule out my days, and when I say that, [I mean be] better organized and give everything a time slot. That means not focusing on one thing for too long. Everything deserves its own separate attention, and I’m learning to find that balance. It’s a work in progress.
WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF PARENTING ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
BRITTNIONE: Every child is different in their own way. No kid is the same, and everyone requires their own type
NOLAFAMILY.COM | JUNE 2025 15
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