Actress Kelly Rutherford is a woman who certainly practices what she preaches! Not only does the soon-to-be mom of two — she expects her daughter in June — take pride in using Seventh Generation cleaning supplies, she tells OK! that she is an “eco-breastfeeding mom” to her 2-year-old son Hermés Gustaf Daniel.
Of her decision to continue nursing her toddler, Kelly has no regrets, but understands that each mother and child pair approach the situation differently. “It’s not good for everyone, but it’s been great for me,” she says. While the initial benefits hold nutritional value, Kelly explains that extended breastfeeding eventually becomes “a bond or a nurturing thing.” Not to worry, laughs the 40-year-old, there is an end date in sight!
“Obviously, before he goes to college, I’ll probably have to quit breastfeeding. You know when it’s right and you feel that.”
Joking aside, the Gossip Girl actress believes her baby boy will wean himself; Until then, Kelly basks in the continued bonding, extremely grateful for the special time with Hermés. “[Some mothers] have to go to work and they can’t always be there,” she notes. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be a mom who has been able to be around and be home.”
Adopting a similar philosophy to deal with the infamous terrible twos, Kelly seeks advice from The Natural Child, a book that discusses fostering a child’s independence. In a plan to “circumvent the terrible twos and the teenage years,” Kelly reveals that the key to it all seems to be a strong parental presence. “If you take the time now to be there and present with them and listen, hopefully you won’t have such a tough time because they’re both natural phases of independence,” she explains.
“I’m doing my best to put a lot of time in now and listen and be present and support [Hermés] having his own mind, opinions, feelings and emotions, and doing the best I can to be present for those things — instead of ignoring them and hoping it all turns out.”
