Shakira Relies On This Parenting Hack When She's Away On Tour

Sometimes I wonder what things would be like if I had a staff. You know, a nanny to help with the kids, a maid to help with the house, and a butler for... whatever butlers do, I'll take it. Without assistance, the daily mom juggle is intense, which is why it's refreshing to hear this seriously talented woman (an entertainer so well-known she doesn't need a last name) feels the same way. Yes, Shakira does have kids, and she experiences the same parenting struggles everyone else does.

The Colombian-born pop star responsible for such worldwide hits as "Hips Don't Lie," "Whenever, Wherever," and the song your kids probably know her from, "Waka Waka [This Time for Africa]," is pretty private about her family life. But she recently opened up about juggling parenthood with her career in a recent conversation with Viva magazine, noting that she relies on FaceTime to communicate with Milan, 6, and Sasha, 4, while she's away.

“Sometimes it´s very hard when you can not see your sons for a month or even more," she explained to Viva, according to Hola! "It is so hard. But we call each other via FaceTime, so we are in constant communication, that helps.”

It's no wonder the singer has a lot on her plate these days: After completing a 54-date world tour last year in support of her El Dorado album, a film is coming out this November in 60 countries about the experience, according to Rolling Stone.

Luckily, Shakira has her husband, Gerard Piqué, to co-parent with despite the fact they've "never been a traditional couple."

“We don’t have a written deal to share the tasks or anything like that, but we both are very involved in parenting and try to sort it out the best we can, we support each other and we also find a huge help in our families," she said, according to Hola! "We don’t know a different way to do it!”

Speaking of doing things a different way, back in 2015, the singer spoke to Parents magazine about raising her family in both the U.S. and Spain, a balancing act that requires a lot of juggling. Shakira's hack for making it all work? It all boils down to prioritization. "Becoming a mom forced me to re-prioritize and make room for the things that are most important, while recognizing that there are things I can let go of and the world won't crumble around me," she explained, according to HuffPost.

Although going back-and-forth might seem like a daunting task, nothing compares to the responsibility of parenting, as Shakira told a parenting panel in New York in 2015. "It’s one of the most difficult things I’ve done in my life,” she told the crowd, according to People. "I’ve been on the most challenging stages performing...and I’ve been meeting with world leaders who sometimes make you a little bit apprehensive, but nothing has made me so self-conscious as being a mom.”

Thank you, Shakira, for sharing. I know it has been said before, but it's incredibly powerful when famous parents confirm balancing work with motherhood can be difficult, even with help. And it's nice to know other parents rely on FaceTime once in a while, too.