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Mario Lopez just might be one of the busiest people in Hollywood, but he’ll always make time for his kids.
In an interview with Yahoo Life for So Many Ways, their parenting series on the joys and challenges of child rearing, the former Saved By The Bell star talked all about his parenting style and putting his children first.
“I’m always working but I manage to always have breakfast with the kids and be home for dinner,” he told the publication. “Oftentimes I also make their practices — Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling for my sons — and on the weekends I’m usually attending my daughter’s gymnastics meets.”
Lopez and his wife Courtney share three kids: Gia, 11, Dominic, 8, and Santino, 2. The 48-year-old actor admits that without the help of his wife and both of their parents, his life as a dad would be a lot more difficult.
“I have a very understanding and supportive wife, so it all seems to work out,” he says. “I know we’re blessed that we’ve got my parents and my wife’s parents close because it really does take a village. It’s a team effort.”
Of course, it’s not just the help his parents provide now that influence his role as a dad, but it’s what they did as he was growing up.
“They were very strict and tough disciplinarians,” Lopez says of his mom and dad. “I love them to death: They instilled a strong work ethic and my kids are growing up in a much different environment than I did, but I still want to instill that strong work ethic mentality in them and teach them to never forget where they came from and to always try to be better.”
Now, with his own children, Lopez says he’s definitely the disciplinarian.
“I would say I always try to come from a place of love but sometimes that’s tough love,” he says. “But I think if you do that, you can’t go wrong. There’s no democracy in my house. I run a dictatorship and I’m Castro.”
