The return of Mrs Mops on Mzansi’s small screens, joining four other ladies on Showmax’s newest reality TV ‘The Mommy Club’, is a calling she can;t escape. The Real Housewives of Johannesburg breakout star, real name Mpumi Mophatlane, joins the show as step up from just showing the fabulous side to running the ship as a mommy and wife.   

 

‘The Mommy Club’ is centered around motherhood and follows five of Joburg’s wealthiest mommies who create bonds over…well motherhood.

 

Her life as a mommy is a life she is one she excited to showcase, coupled with how she juggles being career woman, a wifey and reality star. The reality TV, who hails from Tsakane, takes time off her busy schedule to share what motherhood means to her. 

 

How has motherhood changed your life and do you remember life before being a mother? 

 

Yes, I definitely remember life before being a mom LOL. I was a free agent, I had no commitments, no responsibilities. But I must tell you that motherhood has changed me in such a positive way. Before that, it was all about Mpumi, nobody else existed in my world except for me. When I had my little babies, it changed me for the better. I became selfless, I had to understand the kids and everybody else. It made me a more patient person, and aware of everybody else’s feelings a bit more. 

 

What reservations did you have about bringing your kids on screen with you? 

 

The first thing you think about when exposing your kids to the nation is their safety, which was at the top of our worry life. But when I spoke to them and they expressed that they indeed wanted to be a part of this journey, that gave me a little bit of relief. I had to explain what the show entails, the ups and downs of being on TV that there might be people that troll them. My kids are at that age where they can read, so that gives me a little bit of anxiety, but I did my best to prepare them without taking away the fun of such an opportunity. 

 

Have you always wanted to be a mom? 

 

Yes. From as early as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a mom. 

 

How do you balance having a life of your own as Mpumi and being a mommy? 

 

Balance is definitely key because what happens is that you focus on the one side and you find that the other side suffers. You have to find that sweet spot. 

 

With myself personally, I have a team behind me. A supportive husband, nannies, my workplace understands that I’m a mom first, and also my kids understand the life that I lead because I communicate with them. So I’ve got people around me who understand my life, mission and goals and therefore support me adequately. With my friends and my social circle, thank God they are mothers as well, wives and businesswomen – so they are in  my shoes and understand. 

 

 

 

 

What makes this journey of motherhood worth it for you? 

 

Is that these three little human beings that I brought into this earth never asked to be born and I made the choice to have them. They are my responsibility and I need to equip them with as much skill as I can so that when they are ready to go out there – I can sleep better knowing I have done my part in ensuring that they are ready. 

 

What hopes and dreams do you have for your three children? 

 

My hopes and dreams are that they are happy, more than anything. I always tell them that they can be anything that they want to be, all I want is that they have good mental health, to be successful in whatever they decide to do and are happy in all spheres of their lives. 

 

Take us through a typical day in your household. 

 

A day in the life of Mpumi Mops as a mom would start with me waking up at 6am in the morning. I am preparing to go to my 9-5, which is a cybersecurity business. That time, the kids are already awake because my helper wakes them up earlier at around 5am. If I can, I do drop off and if I can’t my driver will do the drops off, pickups and the extracurricular activities. Weekends are more chilled and I am more hands. Depending on what each child needs to do for that day, we will schedule everything around that. So it’s a rugby match or a tennis match, we’d go for breakfast, either go to granny’s house in Tsakane or go to Ga-Rankuwa where my mother-in-law stays. On a Sunday, my husband would braai and we all come together as a family and we all chill. 

 

Why is it important to be a hand-on mother? 

 

I don’t want to outsource my responsibilities as a mom to the nannies. It’s not their job to solely manage the kids, they are just there to help and that is what I love about myself with this journey. It is a privilege to have them help you so you can sleep in an extra hour on Sunday but don’t leave the mothering to them. I don’t want my nannies instilling their values in my children. I don’t allow the nannies to do bonding activities with my children like prayer time, tucking them in, reading stories, bath times etc. Those things for me are so sacred.  

 

 

 

 

How do you navigate a bad day? 

 

I always communicate my feelings to my children so they are aware because they can tell anyway. I always aim to be honest with them, although I do always strive to be as happy and upbeat as I can for them. I always want them to feed off that positive energy always, but even with that, I am not a supermom and that means I will have down days. 

 

Are you strict? 

 

Very LOL. I’m a no nonsense mother and I still smack. The show will definitely show that side of me. There’s one of the kids who is extremely challenging and then I have to discipline them. The only reason I am like this is that I grew up in a household with a mother and father who were extremely strict on  me. I was never allowed to go outside to play or the kids had to come play at my house. My parents raised me with so many morals, values and standards. My childhood and my children’s childhood are two worlds apart but I would hate for them to feel entitled about anything. We work really hard for them to have what they have, and do I want to instill in them the values that I grew up with. I don’t want spoiled brats, that would be my biggest nightmare. 

What advice do you have for other mothers about motherhood, pursuing their dreams and putting themselves first?

I would say to mothers out there, is that there is no manual to this mothering thing. Listen to your instinct and follow it. What works for you is not necessarily what would work for me or the next person. It’s okay to be selfish, pour into your cup before pouring into others. Also, when you watch the Mommy’s Club – don’t feel depressed thinking that we have it all figured out. We are also not okay in the head (LOL). We are also trying our best, in our high-heels and lipsticks. We have our own imperfections and you will see them week after week.