Victoria’s Secret model Lais Ribeiro on homeschooling her son: ‘Sometimes I have to cheat and go on Google'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.
Victoria’s Secret model Lais Ribeiro has been isolating in Los Angeles with fiancé Joakim Noah, mother, son, as well as her sister -- and she’s eager to spread her wings indoors.
“I admit that I’m a girl who wasn’t domesticated before,” the 29-year-old told People magazine on Monday. “I guess I didn’t have time to do things at home because I travel so much for work. It’s nice now to have more time to be with my family and to learn how to cook and to be closer to my son.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“We talk so much more now because I have time,” she continued. “I have a great support system around me but trust me, I put everyone to work. My sister cooks really well. I don’t really know how to cook, but I’m learning now with my mom and my sister.
"I clean the house all the time -- the house cleaning never ends. We also started homeschooling my son, who is 11 years old and in sixth grade. His school is one-on-one, which makes my life so much easier -- he does a full school day of Zoom calls with his teacher every day," Ribeiro added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ribeiro also shared she now has a greater appreciation for teachers as she attempts to help her son with his education.
“I do homework with him and let me tell you, it’s really hard,” the Brazilian star explained. “My mom, my grandma and my two other aunties are all teachers and I already knew their struggle, but now I feel like I’m in that position. My son is special needs and doesn’t learn the way the other kids learn, so it’s a different type of teaching. I’m also learning with him because I’m not American, so I’m interested in all American history and stuff. I’m not great at math so my fiancé helps him out with that.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“I help him with science and history, but sometimes I have to cheat and go on Google and see if I understand and can try to teach him somehow, or I send emails to his teachers,” she shared. “They help me a lot. I’m so grateful for them. The first few weeks, he was struggling a little bit, but now he’s got a routine. He sits in the same spot every day -- it’s kind of like his office or his classroom.
‘BATMAN’ STAR BURT WARD SAYS WAKING UP ‘EVERY SINGLE DAY IN THE MOST WONDERFUL COUNTRY’ IS 'A GIFT’
BEACH BOYS’ MIKE LOVE SAYS HE WANTED TO ‘GIVE A LITTLE GLIMMER OF HOPE’ WITH ‘THIS TOO SHALL PASS’
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit pinup said spending time with her family has been essential in uplifting her mood during the coronavirus pandemic. And while she tries to maintain a routine while in quarantine, her main focus these days is on her loved ones.
“I’m really using this time to focus on my family because this is such a unique experience,” Ribeiro told the outlet. “I’ve never had this time to really eat healthily and take care of my body -- I did before, but not as much as I’m doing right now because that’s all I have is time. I’m just really spending time taking care of myself.
Ribeiro said she is taking each as it comes, but more importantly, focusing on the positives in her life to help her cope with unprecedented times.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“Once I got out to the West Coast, one of my best days was when we took the car and drove to my friend’s house in Joshua Tree in the middle of the desert,” she recalled to People. “There was no one around. We just got to enjoy nature, we made fires every day and watched the sky… it was just so beautiful. I had never seen stars like that before.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“It was so nice to be in the mountains and see the sunset and be with my family -- my son loved being outside and climbing the rocks,” she continued. “He was crying, like, ‘Mom, I really needed this.’ But not only him, but it was also something we all needed.”