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Phaedra Parks is one busy lady.
The “Real Housewives of Atlanta” alum, 47, maintains multiple careers as an attorney, mortician, producer and actress, but her most demanding job is being a mom of two boys.
“The single mom life is crazy, but I wouldn’t change it for anything,” Parks, 47, told Page Six in an exclusive interview, gushing over sons Ayden, 11, and Dylan, 8, whom she shares with ex-husband Apollo Nida. “They’re my world.”
Fans last saw Parks’ kids on TV in 2017, the year she made an exit from “RHOA” after seven seasons. Ayden, also known as “Prince,” and Dylan, affectionately called “Mr. President,” oftentimes stole the show with precocious statements and snazzy ensembles.
According to Parks, though, “They have grown up so much.”
“Dylan is a third grader and Ayden just entered middle school. They’re definitely polar opposites,” she said. “Ayden is very similar to me in that he’s super charismatic and wants to be a lawyer. And then Dylan is super creative and loves the arts, which is the other side of me.”
Though their Atlanta home is “full of joy,” Parks noted that the past year-plus of parenting has been a challenge, as she’s had to find ways to discuss the reignited Black Lives Matter movement with her young ones.
“It was very tough because Ayden and Dylan go to a very elite private school where they are the minority,” she said. “A lot of people did not share our political views and it was very difficult to explain to them why it was important to fight back against things like police brutality. There have been very interesting conversations that I thought I would never have with my children because it sounds so much like the ‘60s.”
The star, who has taken her children to rallies for racial justice, elaborated, “I take them so they’ll not only be very in touch with black culture, but also aware that there is a struggle for people and not everyone lives like we do. They’re very privileged.”
To instill the importance of giving back to those less fortunate, Parks has her boys “pack meals for elderly people and people who have food insecurity” during the holidays. “I never want their socioeconomic status to disconnect them from reality. And they really do love doing it with me.”
Ayden and Dylan will be by mom’s side this Sunday as she participates in Coresight Research’s Second Annual 10.10 Livestream Shopping Festival, benefiting such organizations as the American Heart Association and the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
“Being a woman, being a single parent, a divorcée, I know how important it is for women to be aware of what’s going on with their bodies,” she said of giving back to female-focused charities. “Sometimes we spend so much time helping everyone, mothering and doing everything else except take care of ourselves. Self-care, whether it’s medical, cosmetic or emotional, is so important.”
These days, Parks’ self-care routine includes making time to date.
“I’m dating and having a wonderful time,” said the TV personality, who split from actor Medina Islam earlier this year. (She finalized her divorce from Nida, 42, in 2017).
“People often ask me if I want to be remarried. I’m looking for love but I’m not sure that I want to be married again because I like dating,” she continued. “I like having fun, I like laughing, I like lavish gifts!”
If any suitors are listening, Parks said her “dream man” is “very confident in himself, can support me and really be able to handle his own under any circumstance.”
“Youthfulness” and a penchant for “dangerous sports” are pluses, Parks emphasized, while having “enough maturity to go make some money and know when to shut up” is paramount, too.
“And I’m an equal opportunity employer,” she added coyly. “I don’t discriminate.”
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