Mark Consuelos andKelly Ripa admitted that they parent their daughter Lola differently than their two sons, Michael and Joaquin, during an interview with People on Wednesday.- "I think I had definitive ideas about raising girls versus raising boys, even though I don't really believe in gender stereotyping," Ripa said.
- Over the years, the talk show host said she realized that her sons are "just as sensitive" as Lola, and her daughter is "as strong" as the boys.
Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa said they raised their daughter
In People magazine's family issue, the parents admitted that they initially had different ideas about parenting a daughter versus a son.
"I think I had definitive ideas about raising girls versus raising boys, even though I don't really believe in gender stereotyping," Ripa said.
Now that Michael is 23, Lola is 19, and Joaquin is 17, Ripa said she's realized that her and Mark's sons are "just as sensitive" as their daughter. She added that Lola is "as strong" as her brothers.
"As you get older and you learn more, that youngest kid hopefully benefits from a little bit more wisdom and hopefully fewer nerves," the talk show host told People.
Joaquin agreed that his parents, who celebrated their 24th anniversary this year, have "softened up a lot" since he entered high school.
In response, Michael joked that "younger siblings get to do whatever they want right out of the gate."
Mark noted that he was very "overprotective" of Lola when she was born but has since become more laid-back.
"As overprotective as I thought I would be when she was born and I was holding her in my arms, I've mellowed a bit," he said, adding, "I'm really aware of what a good head on her shoulders she has."
Ripa and Mark did hold onto some rules for their daughter, like not allowing her to have a public Instagram account while she was still a minor.
"She had really wanted a public account, but we made her wait until she was an adult," Ripa said. "Apparently she turned 18 and immediately went public."
Now that their children are grown, Ripa and Mark said they frequently learn lessons from them.
"You'll have conversations with Joaquin where you realize you've just learned something new about the way he thinks," Mark said.
Ripa added that she's learned "so much about being a modern-day woman" from spending time around Lola.
"It really gives me hope — her generation really supports each other, the way she and her friends have each other's backs," she said, adding, "For all the talk about women helping other women, I see it in her generation in a way I never have before."