Keke Palmer Reveals One Unexpected Way Baby Leo Helped Her Find ‘More of a Balance’ in Life

Sydni Ellis
·3 min read

Many women struggle to find a work-life balance once they become moms, but it was the opposite for Keke Palmer. She revealed how she unexpectedly found “more of a balance” in her life since welcoming baby Leodis “Leo,” now 17 months old, and the story is incredibly sweet.

In a new interview with E! News, the Nope star revealed that motherhood has changed her life “in ways I didn’t expect.” “The funny thing about it, the child is the most responsible you can be,” she said. “Having a child is going to bring a certain level of responsibility that nothing else will.”

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Keke Palmer at the Second Annual Academy Museum Gala held at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on October 15, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
Keke Palmer at the Second Annual Academy Museum Gala held at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on October 15, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

But part of that responsibility was actually to herself. Palmer explained, “I need to be the best for him and to be the best for him, I gotta be the best me. I’m not gonna be able to be the best me for him if I’m not focusing on the things that make me the best I can be.”

Yes, girl! We can’t be the best moms if we are struggling with our own issues. Who among us hasn’t snapped at our kids because of something completely unrelated we were stressed about? Making time to prioritize our health and wellbeing is only going to help our kids in the long run — and it’s amazing that having a baby helped Palmer figure that out.

In the interview, the Bosses star shared that she is putting her health first and taking time to “have that night out with my girls.” She said now she has “more of a balance in my life, because if I can’t show up for him, then none of this s–t matters to me.”

The “S.O.B.” singer, who shares Leo with ex Darius Jackson, has shared in the past that she’s been working on her self-love as well. “Because I love my son so much, I gotta love me so much,” she told Teen Vogue in Feb. 2024. This involved focusing on “me time,” doing Pilates, and enrolling in cooking classes. We love this focus on nurturing our own bodies (and filling our cups!) first in order to help our kids.

Talking to PEOPLE in March, Palmer shared how being a mom (and turning 30) helped her feel more introspective. “I do feel like being 30, it’s put me in a different head space that’s allowed me to kind of feel more observational about my life,” she said. “I’m not so in the weeds of everything. I’m really trusting and having faith that everything will work out as it should. I think so much of that peace has come from my son.”

She is so empowering and inspirational, we can’t help but take notes! Keep doing what you’re doing, Keke — you’re crushing it!

These celebrity parents have admitted to struggling with work-life balance.

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