Lais Ribeiro Talks Screen Time, Snacking & The Simple Joys of Motherhood

For SheKnows’ Sustainability Issue, Brazilian supermodel Lais Ribeiro gave fans a coveted peek into what it looks like when she steps off the runway and is, instead, parenting her 15-year-old son Alexandre and stepkids Leia, 7 and Emaan, 5. In a “Parents Tell All” video, the incredibly down-to-earth co-founder of Br_dge — a non-profit that raises awareness and brings attention to “meaningful causes” across four pillars: agroforestry, brain health, financial education, and ocean preservation — got real about motherhood.

For someone who spends much of her time getting glammed up, it actually all comes down to the surprisingly unglamorous. “My favorite moment with Alexandre is always going back to my hometown, swimming in the river,” she says nostalgically. “… I think just going back to those memories, and I can show him how I grew up … it’s the simple stuff for me.”

It’s about being out in nature, fishing, or spending time with horses — not spending time on phones. (Don’t even get her started on screen time.)

As for what the family snacks on, Lais doesn’t follow the “almond mom” image you might be picturing when you think of a supermodel. She admits she doesn’t have a sweet tooth, but she’s all about the salty stuff! AKA bring on the pizzas. Bring on the French fries. Alexandre is the same way, gravitating toward salty goodness.

“He’s not a snack kind of person,” she says. “And because of his Autism, he has some things with texture so it was always hard for us to find something that he really liked.”

Once all the kids are fed, if the devices do come out, just please, please, please, don’t let it be to watch a certain kids’ movie. We asked Ribeiro what kids show that she can’t stand (everyone has one!), and she had an immediate answer. Find out what it is — plus much more from the model mama — in the video.