Serena Williams Shares One Thing Daughter Olympia Does That Is ‘Triggering’ to Her
Kids are uniquely positioned to hurt their parents. They are brutally honest, see us at our worst, and more than anything, can unintentionally do things that reminds us of past childhood trauma. Being a parent is not always a walk in the park, folks! Serena Williams opened up about how her daughter Olympia, 7, does one thing that is “triggering” to her, and honestly, I can see where she’s coming from.
The 23-time Grand Slam Champion was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People, where she opened up about her life, her parenting, and her career. In the interview, she shared that now that she is mom to two daughters (she shares Olympia and 1-year-old Adira with husband Alexis Ohanian), she feels pain sometimes seeing how Olympia acts as a big sister.
“When Olympia tells Adira no, I’m just like, ‘Excuse me, you have to share’ because it’s triggering,” she told the outlet. Since Williams is a little sister herself to Venus Williams, she feels extra defensive of being the younger sister. Honestly, as a younger sister myself, I feel the same way with my kids, often checking myself when I automatically want to jump in and defend my younger kid from their older sibling before hearing them out.
Not only that, but because of Adira’s adorable young age, Williams also has to make sure she isn’t spending too much attention on her. “I try to be less on baby, but she’s just so cute,” Williams said. “How do you not give her all the attention in the world? Oh my God. It’s so hard.” It is hard! And if you get it wrong (or even if people think you got it wrong like Paris Hilton), it can eat you up inside.
Still, Williams is doing her best. After all, it’s the reason she retired from tennis in the first place: so she could focus on motherhood. “I just can’t peel myself away from these children,” Williams said when asked if she would go back to tennis. “Another reason I had to transition was because I wanted to have more kids. And I look at Adira and I’m like, ‘Was it worth it?’ I literally thought about it the other day. I was like, ‘Yeah, it was definitely worth it.’”
One reason it was worth it is because Williams is exceeding at motherhood just like she did at tennis and is doing in her work with Serena Ventures. “I’m a wonderful mom,” Williams said. “I think we, as women, don’t give ourselves credit, but I’m a great mom. I really am. I do everything. I’m freaking the room mom at Olympia’s school this year.”
Yes, girl! We love a self-confident queen. Even though she struggles sometimes (like every mom!), Williams still knows she’s a strong, confident mom, and we love that energy.
In an interview with Byrdie last year, the Wyn Beauty founder shared that deciding to retire in Sept. 2022 while still healthy and active was “definitely not easy.” “I love sports and being active,” Williams said. “Leaving something I was still good at to be a mom was such a difficult decision. But I wanted another kid, so I had to do that. Now it’s about finding balance and doing other things I’ve always loved.”
“I can’t say that a Wimbledon trophy holds a candle to volunteering at my kid’s school,” she added.
Before you go, check out these fun facts about Serena Williams’ daughter Olympia.