Shania Twain talks about son Eja and and her family life (original) (raw)

Country singer Shania Twain, 42, discusses her family life in the December 2007 issue of Redbook magazine. She is married to music producer Robert ‘Mutt’ Lange, 59, and they have son Eja D’Angelo, 6. Here are some excerpts from the interview:

Do women face certain prejudices in the entertainment industry?

Yes. "Women have babies, women get fat, women are emotional" – all those things. They’re all true but you can’t just take our goods and throw the rest of us away! That’s what I like to sing about. I still feel the need to stand up, even in my own personal life.

Click below for Shania’s talk about her personal life, funny moments with Eja, childhood experiences and celebrating holidays.

What’s an example in your personal life of how you’ve stood up for yourself?

In our household, just domestic things with my son. My husband and I are both good parents. He is great with our son. But it’s up to me to give my husband responsibilities to take on. If I don’t, they’re automatically mine. In a way, we women take on more than we need to sometimes. We don’t need to control everything. So choose what you want to control, and usually what you want to control the most are the things that you enjoy. I try to prioritize that way. For instance, I love doing laundry.

Now that Eja’s getting older, will you give him certain household responsibilities?

Absolutely. He already likes cooking. He doesn’t love cleaning up his toys, but he’ll do it. A couple of months ago I started saying, "Eja, I’m your mummy, not your slave. I am not going to be picking that up for you." Now I’ll ask, "Eja, will you please grab my water?" and he’ll say, "Mom, I’m not your slave!"

What do you hope for Eja’s childhood?

I would like him to be well-rounded, humble and honest, without having to be deprived to develop that character. When you don’t come from struggle, gaining appreciation is a quality that’s difficult to come by. So we go out of our way to try to keep him appreciative. We don’t keep him in a bubble.

What lessons did your childhood teach you that have come into play with Eja?

I didn’t have a choice growing up but to be more insecure because others had more. But I’m grateful for it because it also taught me humility. Now that I have and I’m not a have-not, I’ve learned how important it is to maintain humility.

What are the holidays like for you and your family? Your siblings are still in Canada. Do you see them at Christmas?

Last year we had a big Christmas all together, and that was really great. Usually, though, Mutt, Eja, and I do a very low-key Christmas. It’s too commercial for us, personally. We get involved in the community.

Source: Redbook magazine, December 2007 issue

Thanks to CBB reader Angie.