Monika Radulovic has revealed whether she plans to have more children as she opened up about her motherhood journey.
The former Miss Universe Australia star, 33, shares sons Luka, three, and Mateo, nine months, with her husband Alesandro Ljubicic.
The happy couple, who tied the knot in 2018, welcomed their second son Mateo in July, and Monika has spoken candidly about adjusting to life with two children.
Speaking to Ny Breaking Australia, Monika said she and her artist husband Alesandro are ‘fulfilled’ with their sons and currently have no plans to expand their family further.
‘One child is a lot, two children is a handful! It’s so amazing, but right now we’re completely satisfied and satisfied with two,” she said while promoting Philips Sonicare’s Mother’s Day campaign.
Former Miss Universe Australia star Monika Radulovic has revealed whether she plans to have more children as she opened up about her motherhood journey
‘One child for each parent to care for, and for now we are very happy with our two healthy boys.’
Monika said having a second child was the ‘most challenging’ part of motherhood for her, as she discussed the difficulties of caring for two young children.
“That has definitely been the biggest challenge in motherhood for me so far,” she said candidly.
‘You have a child who is aware of everything that is happening and who still really needs you, and then you have another child who gets involved!
“An analogy I’ve heard that makes perfect sense is that it’s like if you have a partner, and the partner says they want to bring another partner into your relationship, and you’re going to love the new partner and that will also be like that. be great – and I think sometimes this is how the first child feels about his brother or sister. I couldn’t have said it better myself!’
Monika and her husband Alesandro Ljubicic share two sons – sons Luka, three, and Mateo, nine months – and Monika has spoken candidly about adjusting to life with two children
The Survivor star also admitted that she has struggled with finding a new “identity” as a mother, having previously been someone who valued herself based on her work performance.
‘What I can say has been a challenge for me as a mother: a new self-identity, because I always prided myself on being this go-getter and really being an A-personality, and the way I valued success was my achievements in my career and studies ,” she said.
‘When I became a mother, it was a big step back and I prioritized my motherhood. But sometimes that means the most successful thing you’ve done all day is keeping a child alive and fit – the house is a mess and you haven’t washed your hair and you’re exhausted.
“So for me it was learning not to get completely carried away with that, but to integrate these little bits of self-care.”
Monika said she’s also learning how to not be so hard on herself as a mother, having been a “perfectionist” most of her life.
Speaking to Ny Breaking Australia, Monika said she and her artist husband Alesandro are ‘fulfilled’ with their sons and currently have no plans to expand their family further.
“I overanalyze everything, I’m a perfectionist, so that tends to parent what I could have done better today as a mother, and things like that,” she said.
‘While some parents may be more relaxed and easy-going and think ‘that was enough, I did my best and that was good enough’. I should take a look at those people’s books, because I think we should all be like that: not too hard on ourselves and not striving for perfection.’
“Part of self-care is being kind and gentle to yourself,” she continued.
“Whenever mommy guilt kicks in, I try to remind myself that I don’t have to be perfect, and that I need to take it easy, because pushing yourself and putting yourself down as a mother doesn’t help anything. It does not serve the current situation.’
Monika, who is celebrating her first Mother’s Day with two children this Sunday, described motherhood as a ‘blessing’ as she gushed sweetly over her beloved sons.
‘I have two healthy children and they are so sweet. Motherhood was 100 percent a juggle, but it was also a blessing,” she admitted.
Monika told how the ‘most challenging’ part of motherhood for her was having a second child, as she discussed the difficulties of caring for two young children
“They say it’s the best of times and the worst of times, and I couldn’t have said it better myself.
‘Although there are very difficult times where I feel like everything I do is like having my hands tied behind my back because I can’t get anything done like I used to, but at the same time I see these two beautiful children! If they’re happy, that means I’ve done enough.”
Monika said she shares her experiences as a mother – good or bad – on social media, hoping she can help other mothers in a similar situation feel “validated.”
By taking time for herself amid her busy family life, Monika said she builds self-care into small moments, like brushing her teeth or using her lumea hair remover.
She explained: ‘For me, self-care has always been a very important part of my life, no matter how much it affects my mental health.
Monika, who will celebrate her first Mother’s Day with two children this Sunday, described motherhood as a ‘blessing’ as she gushed sweetly over her beloved sons.
“But becoming a mother, that’s turned upside down, because the time I used to have for myself and do these extensive self-care things, I just don’t have anymore.
‘So it’s really important now, instead of putting that self-care aside, to turn it around and use the time I have every day for little things.
‘What I do is brush my teeth – you have to brush your teeth every day – and instead of this being an autopilot thing, I now use it as a mindfulness exercise.
‘So I have the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean toothbrush, which is great because after two minutes of use it turns off.
“So for those two minutes, I stop and really think about what I’m doing and focus on the sensations I’m hearing. It may sound funny, but after taking those two minutes, it makes such a difference to my mood.”
Monika’s comments came as she promoted Philips Sonicare’s Mother’s Day survey, which found that 51 percent of Australian parents are not prioritizing self-care.
Monika and Alesandro, who tied the knot in 2018, welcomed their second son Mateo in July and shared sweet snaps on Instagram at the time (photo)
The survey, conducted in April by PureProfile among a sample of 1,000 parents, also found that 69 percent of mothers admitted to feeling like they bear most of the parental responsibilities.
Commenting on the research, Monika said: ‘It tries to put more emphasis on us as parents and looking after ourselves, and also how that impacts the whole family.
‘If the mother takes care of herself, the rest of the family benefits. Being that I’m a mom and completely dealing with not having enough time for myself anymore, I thought this just spoke to me. I enjoy spreading the message.”
Ahead of Mother’s Day, Philips is offering up to $100 cashback to consumers who purchase the Lumea IPL 9000 Series or Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000. The Mother’s Day Cash Back promotion is available until May 12, 2024. All claim forms must be received by May 17, 2024. June 2024.