Why I Have Kept My Kids  Away From The Public

• Star Actress. CAROLINE HUTCHINGS

Caroline Hutchings is one of Naija’s most celebrated and respected actresses. She is also regarded as one of the most gorgeous looking divas strutting the showbiz landscape today. She is no doubt a head turner any day, any time. With her creamy and glowing ‘oyinbo’ complexion with a hot, curvy figure to go with it, Caroline is one lady that will stand out in a crowd like a neon light with her enchanting beauty. Though she has been around for a while now, much longer than many of the butt flaunting actresses making headlines today, Caroline has remained beautiful and young looking, not looking anything like a mother of three that she is. At the recently held Rotary club of Ikoyi’s 40th anniversary gala nite which she attended in her capacity as the club’s Ambassador for Polio eradication, Caroline awed the guests with her graceful beauty. And she had such an enthralling warmth about her that simply endeared her to many of the guests present.

When she stepped inside the venue, looking extremely enchanting in her simple Indian-outfit type of gown, everyone stopped to look in her direction. Her glowing skin, magnetic eyes and adorable smile on her face appeared to have totally transformed the mood in the entire hall. That was the sort of effect her appearance had on the gathering. And of course, she had by her side, her cute little Angel, Elizabeth, who happens to be her third child.  Many often forget that Caroline is a mother of three grown up kids, her eldest child, a boy, based in England, is already seventeen. He is a bright young man with the immense prospects of being one of England’s most promising rugby players in the not so distant future.  She has done an absolutely marvellous job, raising her kids well and transforming them into some of the most brilliant and well behaved kids any celebrity parent can possibly boast of.

Yet, despite the challenges of motherhood and the stress that comes with being on top of her game as an entertainer, Caroline has remained a stunner. She spoke with City People’s Senior Editor, WALE LAWAL 908037209290) about her lovely children, something she rarely does, and also explains why she has deliberately kept her kids away from public glare. Enjoy excerpts.

A lot of people seem to have forgotten that Caroline is a mother, and this is primarily because of your young and stunning look…

(Smiles) Yes, my first son is seventeen plus, he will be 18 next year and he’s 6 foot plus. He’s a rugby captain and a Prefect. My second son is 16, he will be 16 this January and this is my daughter, she’s ten years old. So, yes, I’m a very focused and determined mother and I always instill kindness and empathy in my children. If you meet my boys, even my daughter, especially in her school, she’s always winning the award for kindness. She’s always so compassionate. Same thing with my other two boys as well. So, these are the things I have instilled in them.

Wow! That’s really impressive work you have put in there..

Yes, thank you very much. Like I said earlier, my first son is a rugby captain and that’s the senior level and he’s also a prefect in school. My second son is used to be Library Prefect, now he’s doing his GCSE, but any time they have a new student in school, they would always give him the responsibility to take him round and everything. Very well behaved as well. My daughter has been a prefect twice and the class captain as well, and she’s always winning award every time. The way I raise my children, I raise them to be content in as much as they come from a very affluent home, I raise them to understand that there are people out there who do not have like you do, and you should be content and be grateful for what you have and show compassion to other people, and that’s what they always do. They’re very conscious of things around them, how to spend money and all that. They respect their surroundings and people around them. So, when I come to places like this and I see older people, its also inspirational and it motivates me as a mother to train my children better because one day, I will not be here when my children will be 85 years old and the great character and behaviour that I have instilled in them and how God has also helped me that would leave a legacy that my children will follow such that even when I am no more, my children will be able to leave a great impact on other people’s lives and know that this is how their father and mother raised them. It takes a village to raise a child, so this village, Rotary Club, Ikoyi, is raising me and I’m raising and I’m raising my children and other people.

Take us through how it’s been for you navigating your roles as a mum and celebrated actress…how has that been for you?

I will first of all talk about my role as an entertainer. You know, I understand that there are stake holders involved, there are viewers involved, so whatever happens, I must always deliver on my character. I must always deliver and ensure that the viewers enjoy what they’re watching and the investors are able to get back their investment capital, invested and ROI as long as the stakeholders are happy to reinvest in whatever I am a part of, that is one. So, I always give my best.

And as for being a mum, you just have to find a way to balance it, knowing fully well that when your children are grown, you can never get back that age again. You must always give your time to them. Listen to them. You must always reach out to them and ensure you never miss out on any milestone that’s worth celebrating in their lives.

And then, myself, if I am not healthy mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually, I can’t give my energy to all these things that I have mentioned. So, I dedicate so much time ensuring that I am healthy in every aspect of my life so that I can give my energy and time to everybody and everything that needs my attention.

So, I thank God for everything, I have been able to balance quite a lot. When I feel I need to take a break, I take a break and rest. I know how to listen to my body. I don’t push myself beyond limits. So, I try my best to do what I love to do most. Everything I said is what I love to do really. It makes me happy.

So, was it deliberate that you have kept your children away from public glare?

Oh, yes, it is. My children don’t want to be in the limelight, my boys want to be kept away from all that noise as much as possible. Right now, my little daughter doesn’t mind, but if at any point in time she says she doesn’t want to be a part of it, I have to respect her decision. I have to respect her feelings. My children have a right to their own opinion. My roe as a mother is to guide them, and if they say they don’t want to be on television, they don’t want to be on camera, I respect their feelings. At the right time, if they want to be on teevee or on camera, that is fine. I am the one in the media, let me remain there. The world is such a crazy place and whatever you can, you just always try your best to protect the ones you love. There are so many unhappy, violent, vicious people out there right now. Things are changing and they are changing really fast, so any way I know I can protect my children, I will protect them and give them that time to come around when they want to and make decisions themselves that are healthy and balanced.

Finally, let me ask you this, when are you going to teach other mothers how to look great as a mum?

(Smiles) Well, the greatest designer you have is your body, your skin, which is one of your organs. That is the most expensive designer wear you would ever wear. Even if you spent N3million on a Dolce and Gabbana outfit, your body is the most expensive, you don’t have two of them. That’s why, earlier on, I said I pay attention to my mental health, my spiritual health, my physical being, my emotional being, everything that has to do with my body, I pay attention to it. As I get older and I know I can’t eat a certain kind of food anymore, I exercise, I sleep well. My phone goes off by ten. So I ensure that I eat and sleep well.