Lauren Wood is enjoying seasons of growth and change.
The Ridiculousness co-host and model mother, 31, is booked and busy. Not only is she preparing for the next step in her career, but she’s also focused on co-parenting her two-and-a-half-year-old son Zaydon with ex Odell on both coasts. beckham junior
“Odell lives in Miami and I live in Arizona and work in California. My parents are also in California and Zaydon’s grandparents are in Texas. So in a way, we’re done. I put it away,” Wood tells PEOPLE.
“It’s exciting. It’s fun. It’s challenging. It’s rewarding. If you want to test yourself and your partner’s character, boundaries, and values of compassion and forgiveness, I don’t think there’s anything quite like co-parenting a toddler.” …because they reveal” everything! ”
Many people base their co-parenting plans on long-term planning, but for Wood and Beckham, it’s best to take it “day by day.” Things are going well for now, but Wood admits he doesn’t know if it will always work.
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“Odell’s life is pretty chaotic, and mine is as well. We’re just trying our best. We’re testing our ability to adapt from time to time, but to be honest, we’re not doing very well. “Sometimes I don’t know if I’m doing it,” she admits.
“I think every parent goes through that feeling of, ‘Am I doing the right thing?’ But I know that we’re smart and can adapt. Regardless, it’s all part of the journey.”
When finding breakthroughs in the midst of chaos, Wood has learned how to be kind to himself as he navigates the ups and downs.
“I’m in a season of grace right now, so I’m learning to maintain grace in everything. We all do that. And it’s about practicing grace. I’ve learned a lot of patience through this journey of motherhood and co-parenting.”
It’s been a driving force in her personal growth, and Wood says, “Having kids forces you to step up.”
“I think, ‘Okay, I have to rise to the occasion, be patient and learn grace,'” she explains.
“I can’t imagine life without my son. As mothers of young children, we experience fear. Things happen, as the saying goes, and we worry a lot about ‘terrible two people.’ But all your worries are just that: when he smiles and says, “I love you,” it all washes away. Now when he says it back, he’s like, ‘Oh my god, from the bottom of my heart.’
It’s important to Wood and Beckham to see Zaydon love and enjoy time with his family, and they make sure the toddler gets plenty of time with his grandparents.
“His grandparents are important on both sides! My mother and father, O’s mother and father, are so caring, helpful and essential as a necessary support system for both of us as first-time parents. ” Wood shares.
“Just seeing the joy on Zaidon’s face when he’s with his family is enough for me to say, ‘Okay, we have to make this happen,'” she says.
“We’ve never been a nanny,” Wood continues. We kept it all in the family and I prefer it that way. It’s great to have that cushion, but I think just knowing exactly who’s around your child and having that trust can keep us all more grounded. ”
Wood says that for her and Beckham, “it’s important that family is at the center of everything, no matter what.”
“For us, it’s always been important to spend holidays together and carve out that time. Making time for what we want to do, but putting family first has always been both of our priorities.” We find a way. We spend every holiday together,” she says.
“We’ve never had a nanny job. We kept it all in the family, but I prefer it that way. It’s nice to have a cushion, but… Just knowing exactly who’s around the kids and having that trust, I think that keeps us more grounded. ”
