I always like to play with my kids. I always have the time to do that. That's my priority, always has been, so just interacting with my kids, and being with them is great.
I went to a public high school and most of the comedy was coming from the black kids and the Asian kids and the Hispanic kids. And, the coolest kids to me where always the black kids. They were always fashion forward and they always dressed the coolest. They were always the best dancers, and just the coolest people.
I always like to spend time with the kids, especially with kids who need help. For them and for the parents, to see their smile is always nice.
My priority as a father should always remain first. My kids look to me as their example. Every decision I make and everything that I do always has to come back to the question, "Does this make me a better father?" "Will my kids benefit from this?" It's no longer just about me…but about my kids. My perspective in life has changed.
I never stopped being a mother, and I never stopped being an artist. Which is probably why my kids are so creative. When I'm with my kids I'm creating but I'm still a mom. I don't wear two different hats. My kids have always been on the set with me. I was breastfeeding on set. None of my kids would take a bottle so they could not leave my side for a very long time.
I create a world where kids rule. If you think about it, kids are always being told what to do, what to say, when to do it - they're very controlled... I give them an escape, where the kids are in charge.
You have to really respect what your kids are doing with their kids and how they're raising them. You can't push your way into areas where you shouldn't be saying anything. You have to always remember they're not your own kids. Play with them, love them, spoil them to death - then hand them back.
In Shaquille's mind, I think I'm always going to be his wife even though that's not the case. The love is always there and he's one of my best friends. We have a great time together and our kids love us just being a family.
Get out of the house. A lot of kids play video games and aren't active, and that's one thing I like to do - keep them active and having fun, interacting with other kids.
I'm lucky to have a job where I can bring my kids to work. I love the days they come visit me on set. My goal is and has always been to do work that my kids can be proud of - to set a good example for them. As long as I can still spend quality time with my kids, I'll continue to do what I'm doing and hopefully make them proud.
I try to turn off the TV and play with my kids as much as I can, and I always hope they're having as good a time as Mormon kids.
As far as my street cred goes, I'll always have that, because I always hang with the kids. I'll jump right off the stage and buy them a beer. I'll be a star on stage, but I'll always hang with the kids.
I've always been concerned about kids - not just my own three, but all kids - what kind of an image I'm providing for them, what kind of inspiration. I don't know now. Maybe I'm leading them down the path to self-destruction.
I was in the closet up until I moved to the U.S. But I was always one of those kids who couldn't really hide being gay. Some queer kids are just more straight-passing than others. I was not one of those kids.
I grew up with this crazy upbringing of living many places and always being the new kid in town, not like a service brat where you're always going to school with other new kids in town. I was constantly arriving in small towns and going to school with kids who'd been together since they were in kindergarten.
I try to craft books that are fun, that are sort of subversively educational so kids learn but they don't really feel like they're being lectured to, and I want kids to always finish one of my books and think, "That was great, where's the next one?"
Cooking with your kids is a remarkable exercise to let them in on the purchasing part of the process - kids love to shop, and its great to take them to these ethnic places where people don't always speak the language.