Gabrielle Union-Wade said listening more than she spoke helped her become a better parent

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  • Gabrielle Union-Wade spoke to Insider about how remote learning affected her relationship with her kids.

  • She said she got to know her kids more than ever before during the pandemic.

  • "[The pandemic meant] actually getting to know our kids in a way that their friends and teachers know them," Union-Wade said.

  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Gabrielle Union-Wade told Insider the pandemic brought her and her family closer together.

While promoting the "Don't Skip" campaign with Vaccinate Your Family, Union-Wade said she and her husband Dwyane Wade had to adjust to having the kids at home all the time during lockdown because of remote learning. The actress said that time at home with two of their children, Zaya, 14, and Kaavia, 2, made her get to know each of them on a deeper level.

Union-Wade said they learned the kinds of books their kids read, the subjects they enjoy in school, and what types of media they like to consume.

"Just being home with them and actually getting to know our kids in a way that their friends and teachers know them, we just learned a lot more about them," Union-Wade said.

Her stepdaughter, Zaya, just entered high school, so Union-Wade spent time catching up on her interests and asking her in-depth questions about her life:

"'What about this author really speaks to you?' 'why did it take you so long to get through that?' or just asking questions like their friends would ask because we became also their friends, their social life," Union-Wade said.

The actress said practicing her listening skills during the pandemic "humbled" her and taught her a valuable lesson in parenting.

"I listened a lot more than I spoke, that helped me become a better parent," Union-Wade told Insider.

Read the original article on Insider