Mario Lopez on Balancing His Career While Raising 3 Active Kids
For Mario Lopez, it’s all about teamwork when it comes to raising his three — very active — children with wife Courtney Lopez.
“It’s really a team effort, I mean, I have an awesome wife who’s very understanding of my unpredictable schedule, and she’s really busy herself too,” Mario, 50, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting his partnership with Mott’s Active. “But we’ve got my mom, her mom, a lot of family that helps. When they say it takes a village, it really does. So we got our little team that helps out with all the kids.”
It isn’t just Mario who has a full plate. The couple — who share daughter Gia, 13, and sons Dominic, 10, and Santino, 4 — are both jammed pack when it comes to their careers. They cohost their podcast, “ON With Mario Lopez,” for iHeartRadio and recently wrapped filming their upcoming holiday movie, Once Upon a Christmas Wish, for Great American Family.
“It’s about this old Christmas list to Santa that started to come true as an adult from when [my character] was a kid,” Lopez teased of the film, which is set to premiere on the network Thanksgiving weekend. “And we’re singing and dancing in it. My wife’s awesome in it. She’s singing and dancing a lot. It’s fun and, and it’s [got lots of] funny in moments and I’m really proud of the way it turned out. It’s got a lot of heart.”
The film is truly a family affair, as the pair’s eldest son, Dominic, makes an appearance, as well. “He does a great job too,” Mario gushed. “So sometimes they’re [all] included in the act.”
Despite his and Courtney’s hectic schedules, Mario told Us that the duo are both “pretty much there” for all their kids’ big activities. Gia, Dominic and Santino also have their own passions — they aren’t just following in the footsteps of mom and dad. From “dancing and wrestling to jujitsu and cheerleading” to “piano, drums and guitar,” the list goes “on and on and on.”
“We try to keep our [kids] as busy as possible, and they are very hyper,” Mario said, adding that even in the summer months, their little ones keep it moving. “My son’s going to a few big wrestling camps, my daughter a cheerleading one, and then there’s, like, the Spartan camp that all of them are going to with a bunch of different activities. And that’s just around the neighborhood.”
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Mario also noted that it’s important his kids “burn off energy” and “stay active” — especially when school is out — which is why he prefers them out in nature and not inside and in front of the TV. “I don’t want them sitting home just in front of the screen and turning them into iPad-raised kids,” he quipped. “So that’s a priority for us.”
While keeping the kids active and motivated is important, so is making sure they stay nourished. That’s why Mario and Courtney both turn to Mott’s Active, a new sports drink alternative made specifically for kids with naturally sourced electrolytes, to keep their little ones hydrated.
“I also love that it’s got no sugar, no artificial flavors. It’s made with coconut water, which I’m a big fan of the kids,” he said, pointing to Blastin’ Berry and Watermelon Burst as his two favorite flavors. “[They’re also] really easy. Once [the kids become] big fans, and it’s a healthier alternative, then we were all on board.”
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