Gabrielle Union Dislikes The Term ‘Stepmom,’
#GabrielleUnion explains why "stepmother" is "not a word that I use" https://t.co/eYq77Nk0YE
- ET Canada (@ETCanada) November 20, 2021
Gabrielle Union is the mother of Kaavia James, 2, whom she shares with husband Dwyane Wade.
Wadd has three children from his previous relationships, Zaire, 19, Zaya, 14, and Xavier, 7.
Technically she is stepmother to Wade’s three oldest children, that’s a term she refuses to use.
“The stepparent label was put on me by the kids’ school because you have to describe yourself: Who are you if you’re not their mother? It’s very annoying. It’s not a word that I use.”
Union's parents divorced when she was in college, after being married for 30 years. Referring to her father’s second wife, she said, “To this day, I refer to her as my dad’s wife and her name. I don’t use the phrase stepmom.”
It was that experience, that influenced the relationship she developed with Wade’s children.
“I knew that when I married him, I was married to them. What I realized very quickly is you will never, ever, I don’t care if the other parent is dead, you will never be able to replace the other parent/ Don’t try to replace the other parent. That is not your job. Your job is to be consistent. If you’re a disciplinarian in your own life, continue to be that. Just be consistent so they know who you are… and kids adapt.”
source