And Just Like That’s Nicole Ari Parker Opens Up About Her Daughter Heading Off To College

In HBO’s Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That, Lisa Todd Wexley — in-demand documentary filmmaker, mother of two, and supportive wife of Herbert, who is running for office as city comptroller. She’s active in the PTA at her kids’ private school, always heading to a lunch or dinner date, and just generally always has somewhere she needs to be (relatable). Actress Nicole Ari Parker’s life isn’t a far cry from LTW’s, at least in terms of her packed schedule.

She is, of course, a lead actress in one of HBO’s longest-lasting franchises and owner of activewear company Gymwrap. She’s a mom of two kids, one in high school and one heading off to college this semester. She’s married to fellow actor Boris Kodjoe, and together the two have run the Kodjoe Family Foundation since 2008. And now, Parker is partnered up with Post-it on its “Think Loud” Sweepstakes. Now through Sept. 15, parents can post a picture on Instagram of their to-do lists or goals on a Post-it Note with #ThinkLoudSweepstakes for a chance to win a $5,000 back-to-school shopping spree for their children and an additional $5,000 to treat themselves (seriously, you can spend it on whatever you want).

Romper caught up with Parker as she prepares to send her daughter off to college for the first time, and chatted about how she keeps up with everything (you know, without falling asleep on her face at her desk like her character).

You have two kids, one in high school and one moving to college soon. You and your husband both have packed calendars I’m sure. How do you keep up with it all?

There’s always something, from basketball practice to the vet. We have a lot to manage. I love using Post-it notes. I have them in all sizes. I’ve always used them, on my calendar, on my fridge, on the front door, in my car, on my cell phone. Sometimes I put one on the front of my cell phone or on my steering wheel, so as soon as I get in the car, I see it. Because on the way to the grocery store, I will forget what I want. Moms have hacks.

Does your daughter use the same organizational tricks?

Well, what I like is that our list making and our task organizing, we are doing it together now. Sophie’s being a little mini-me right now. It’s nice to just bond in this way. She’s like, “Mom, I don’t think that you ordered the mattress cover in the right size. It has to be twin XL.” She’s really on it. That’s really wonderful. Her little brother is 6’6”. It’s like I have a giant in the house who’s an athlete, but he’s still a kid. So I still use the Post-it notes for motivating him with his tasks, his self-care. You know boys. Sometimes you have to write a note saying, “Shower.”

“Please brush your teeth. Love, Mom.”

“Love, Mom.” Smiley face. Prayer hands.

Is there anything about your kids getting older that makes you nervous? How are you feeling about them transitioning into adulthood?

It makes me hope, did I give them everything that they need in the world? Like self-care, time management, problem-solving, self-esteem, making good decisions in the face of bad decisions, and not being afraid to tell the truth. Every kid says, “No, I didn’t eat the cookie,” at some point in their life. I nipped that in the bud very quickly. I was like, “Yeah, sometimes you are going to get in trouble, but sometimes you’re not. I need to know that you have everything you need when you leave this house.”

So here I am. Sophie’s a good person. She’s an organized person. She does like to sleep, so I’m a little worried about the sleeping in college, but she knows how to make that list and get things done. Just like any teenager, she struggled with time management as she got into the last few years of high school because it was term papers, every class was 40 pages of reading, science had a project that was due, history is a lot of research. She got through it, but she had to sit down and make a schedule and check off the boxes. I was scared about that, but now I feel confident as she gets ready to leave the house.

Is there anything about back-to-school season that you miss from when they were younger? I still miss going school supply shopping and picking out a brand new lunchbox.

I love the lunchboxes! Sophie was really into arts and crafts, so the paper and the markers and the paint and paintbrushes, that was also her self-care time. I always thought that was a really important part of also ordering the books and the paper and the pencils and the stapler and all those things. Right now, it’s about making sure she has a printer. And chargers.

One last question from a biker shorts and t-shirt mom: your Instagram is full of so many fun fashion moments and beautiful gowns. What do you like to wear on the day-to-day?

Well, I created a sweatband called the Gymwrap, so I usually wear my Gymwrap every day, run my errands in it. Then I’m a legging and t-shirt girl. But I also love a blazer. I have blazers for every season. I’ll wear a little mini-dress with a blazer on it. I’ll wear leggings and a t-shirt with a blazer. I love blazers. I think that’s just from going to a private school my whole life, that uniform feeling.