Lori Loughlin Stays Local For Daughters’ Sake

David Longendyke/Globe

Signing on to 90210 was an easy decision for Lori Loughlin, starting with the zip code itself! “I really won’t work outside of the state of California,” she tells WorkingMother.com. “I certainly wouldn’t do it for a TV series, because I would not be away from my children. I couldn’t do that.”

Those children — Isabella Rose, 11, and Olivia Jade, 10 — have seen their lives go on largely uninterrupted in the wake of mom’s new gig, Lori shares. “Usually there’s enough down time for me to be with my girls,” the 45-year-old actress says.

“Having young children, that is a plus for me because I can be involved in their school activities and I can volunteer my time up at school. I can be there to take them to soccer practice, and I’m home at night to make dinner and help them with their homework. That’s all very important to me and this job allows me to be able to do that.”

There will always be exceptions, of course, and Lori says that “like all working moms” she battles feelings of guilt. “I have the days where, it’s my child’s birthday but I’m called into work that day and I can’t get snack up to school,” she explains, “or there’s a conflict between something that my child is doing and work schedule.”

Husband Mossimo Giannulli often can be counted on to “pick up the slack” when those situations arise, however. Lori reveals,

“My daughter was on the school basketball team last year and there were a couple of games that I just couldn’t make it to because I had to work. But I’m very lucky in the sense that if I can’t be there, my husband always can. So if both of us can’t be there, one of us will be there.”

Click below to read about what Lori and Mossimo “will not tolerate.”

To that end, Lori says that the couple divvy up their parenting duties equally “depending on what’s going on in our work schedules.” For example both girls play soccer, and their games often overlap. “We divide and conquer,” Lori explains. “I go to one game, he goes to another game. We work it out.”

The family of four enjoy spending time together at the beach, playing games and whipping up home-cooked meals in the kitchen. Of the latter, Lori notes “it’s a great way to spend time with them and teach them about measurements, which also helps them in school.”

As the girls have gotten older life has “definitely gotten easier,” Lori notes, and when she scores some free time she can often be found at yoga or on a hike. “It always helps just to take an hour out of the day…and get back on your sensor.”

“I find working out helps balance out things for me. I like that kind of personal time for myself. It just puts me in a better frame of mind. And I think when you’re in a better frame of mind, a better mood, you’re better at everything you do.”

It’s something that undoubtedly serves Lori well when the girls are being a challenge. Calling herself and Mossimo “pretty strict disciplinarians,” Lori says that the couple “are not fans of disrespectful children” and that poor behavior is something “neither one of us will tolerate.” She adds,

“Therefore, we’re on our girls to be polite, kind and thoughtful young women.”

Citing the one year age difference between Isabella and Olivia, Lori admits that the relationship runs hot and cold. “There are days when they play and play by the hour and they get along really well, and then there are days when they fight over every little thing that they can bicker over,” she explains. “But I think that’s just normal.”

“If you spend that much time with another person, I’m sure you’re going to have your good days and you’re going to have your bad days.”

As for her advice for other working moms, Lori suggests “you have to take one day at a time, and do the best job that you can,” adding:

“Love your children, and at the end of the day, don’t beat yourself up. As my mother said, in spite of it all, ‘they will grow up, they will go on, and they will survive.’ I still call her for parenting advice.”

Source: WorkingMother.com

– Missy