“Dem Babies” are almost “Dem Teenagers!”
Next year, Mariah Carey's twins — son Moroccan and daughter Monroe, who she shares with ex-husband Nick Cannon — will officially become teenagers when they celebrate their 13th birthdays on April 30.
While chatting exclusively with People about her new holiday campaign with The Children's Place, the singer, 54, reacts to her two kids growing up.
“Don't rush all of our lives,” the proud mom says with a laugh. “They're still 12.”
According to Carey, getting to watch Moroccan and Monroe grow into young adults is “actually really beautiful.”
“They're good, nice kids,” she continues. “They're kind-hearted people, and I really enjoy being around them and watching them grow up into the people that they're ultimately going to become.”
And while the “Always Be My Baby” crooner admits she doesn't “want to be that overbearing person that talks about all the stuff that they do,” Carey says she loves that her kids each have activities they enjoy taking part in.
“They're into activities like physical sports and stuff like that, which I was hoping they would be, because when they were little, I had them doing that,” she explains. “Then, when it was COVID, they really couldn't go anywhere and do anything. So now they're both really enjoying activities and sports and all of that.”
Looking ahead, Carey is excited to spend the holiday season with her son and daughter but remains mum on what exactly their plans are. “I keep that part as secret as possible until we get everything set,” she tells People. “It's just one of those things I do every year, where I make everybody wait to play Christmas music until I'm ready to take it in and feel like, ‘Okay, now it's time for the holidays’.”
Carey also says that she, Moroccan and Monroe “do the holiday season a little bit differently than most people,” but notes, “We have a great time.”
“We have our traditions, like rolling in the snow, jumping in the hot tubs — stuff that most people don't do, but it's just that we're all kind of daredevils,” the Grammy Award winner continues.
Carey adds: “We also sit and play games, like Heads Up! or Taboo. For the past four years, I've been trying to make my traditional Christmas meals, like my dad's recipe for linguini and clam sauce. I like to make sure Monroe and Rocky come in and cook with me.”
When her kids are older, and should they choose to have families of their own, Carey says she hopes her tweens will share the same love of the holiday season that she has always had.
As for what traditions she hopes Moroccan and Monroe will pass down, the star says, “Just spending time with their families, hopefully.”
“All of us spending time together is more than enough as a gift for what I want for Christmas, and what I want for my kids for Christmas is to just enjoy themselves, be happy, enjoy being with family, and feel loved,” Carey adds.