KARYN PARSONS: KIDS DO WHAT YOU DO, NOT WHAT YOU SAY
You may all remember her for her role as the self-centered and dimwitted Hillary Banks on the hit series the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but these days, actress Karyn Parson’s role is that of a career mom.
On how her career shifted after kids Lana,6, and Nico,3:
After I had my daughter, I allowed myself some time to really think about whether I was doing what I wanted to do or not. It’s important for all of us to be true, but I think with kids it’s even more important because THEY ARE WATCHING. They are soaking up every little bit of what you do and who you are and it’s going into their little computer. And they will do what you DO, not what you say. So, if we want them to be true to themselves, we have to start with doing it ourselves.
On whether or not she believes mothers can have it all:
Absolutely. I do think, though, that once we become mothers, we need to re-evaluate what that means to us.
On her idea of a perfect day:
A day spent on the beach with my husband and kids, not a care in the world, lots of laughing, and we don’t go home till we’ve watched the sun set.
On whether or not her daughter would like to follow in her footsteps:
She’s six. I was certain I wanted to act at 6. Crazy, but true.
She has expressed an interest in acting, but, right now, we’re not going to steer her in that direction. Not shoot it down, just not encourage it so much. We’d rather support her and continue to show her all of the options out there…. And secretly pray that she changes her mind and wants to become an architect or something.
It’s such a crazy and fickle business. When you put yourself out there for the public to scrutinize, it can really mess with your head and disturb your confidence in yourself. It doesn’t for everyone, but it does for so many. I certainly don’t want that for her. And I don’t EVER want her to measure her value by other people’s standards.
On her project Sweet Blackberry:
By teaching kids about the contributions of African Americans in this country, and its culture, we show them their value in the community and that of their neighbor’s. At Sweet Blackberry, we’re committed to reaching beyond the handful of stories we are frequently taught and bringing to light little-known, incredible stories of African American achievement that risk being lost forever. And in these stories, there are great lessons about working together, understanding one another and overcoming tremendous obstacles.
Click here for pictures of Karyn and her family
Interview Source:MyWorkButterfy
6 Comments to “KARYN PARSONS: KIDS DO WHAT YOU DO, NOT WHAT YOU SAY”
Leave a comment!
sounds like some is dying for attention lately…this and that whole society evolves crap
Flag this
“I don’t EVER want her to measure her value by other people’s standards” I like that!
Flag this
Good for her. It sounds like her kids have wonderful parents. I also like the fact that she is dedicated to teaching AA history. So many children need to know their history. It would be nice if all children knew AA history because we learn about every one elses.
Flag this
You are so right. If we depend on the schools to teach it they will never learn it. We, as parents should make certain that they know our history. It tickles me that, thought my children are adults now; every time I made gingerbread, the would go “Yes mommie we know that Frederick Douglas’ mom used to walk all night to get to him and bring him a piece of gingerbread. My son was teased in High School because he was a good soccer player. The other boys teased him about it being a “white boy’s game” and he was able to teach them that this is the game played in Africa. The sad thing is that so many of the younger parents don’t know our history themselves. they only know about slavery because that’s what the schools want to tell them about. Teachers would take classes to visit Virginia to Williamsberg but neglected to tell them that Douglas Wilder who was a descendent of slaves, his grandparents, was the first Black Governor in this State and in America. The tour always ended at Williamsberg were they again learned about slavery. Our history is such a rich history and it’s so sad that it’s not told on a daily basis in one way or another to our children. To tell them about slavery and continued to rise from that horrible fate and evolve into the kind of people we became is inspiring to me today as a senior citizen. There is no history that can rival ours and the children should know that. This is the reason I am adamant about being a Black American. We have a history in this country that is unique to anyone who immigrates to this country. I could go on for days about my pride as a Black American and so can my children. If we don’t continue to tell our story, no one else will.
Flag this
I really feel you KHRISH. It’s up to parents to teach their kids an in depth lesson on black history, & appreciation for how far black people have come. It’s sad though, except for Rosa Parks & Martin Luther King, they dont really teach it in schools. On that note, I must applaud Michael Jackson on taking the time to teach his kids about black history. I wish more parents of mixed race kids would take the time to expose their kids to that side of their heritage, and not avoid the “race” topic altogether. My own family members do this.
Too many mixed kids, and adults(like Tiger Woods for example), think that they’re superior to, or somehow more special than black people. If they’d study black history, they would know that black people are mixed already, therefore, there is no difference between black and bi-racial. There is no difference between black & white people either, but,thats a different subject.
What I’m really addressing, is how some mixed people dont wanna be called black. That offends me to the core. A mixed child once said to me,”white people are like the cookies God took out of the oven too soon, black people, he took out too late, and bi-racial people are just right.” Needless to say, I was shocked at that.
Flag this
[...] and she’s “good people.” She recently took some time out to chat with Black Celeb Kids and talked about motherhood and how she feels about getting her children in the acting business, [...]
Flag this