Jennifer Hudson has won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony, but if she wants to earn a parenting award from her 15-year-old son, she knows her approach to motherhood has to continually evolve.
"It goes from that phase when we’re holding them, we’re in the forefront and taking care of everything," Hudson says. "Now my son is carrying me! That transition comes way quicker than we could ever imagine."
Hudson gave birth to her only child, David Daniel Otunga Jr., on Aug. 10, 2009. His father is her ex-fiancé, former WWE Star David Otunga. After a messy court battle, Ortunga and Hudson reached a shared custody agreement in 2019.
As her son has grown — he's now taller than Hudson! — he needs different things from her, Hudson says. "Holding you is not the way to mother you now. So how do you need me? And what way do you need me?" she asks herself.
"It’s like a different form of love: meeting them, and meeting them where they are," she adds.
She has also been allowing Otunga to take control of his appearances in her social media feed.
"It’s all up to him now. When they’re little you can put what you want to put, you can say what you want to say," she says. "Now he’ll say, ‘Tag me in this,’ or ‘Don’t post this.’ It’s all him."
Otunga has also developed some serious skills in the kitchen. Hudson says that he is now doing the cooking — he loves adding his personal flair to TikTok recipes — while she washes the dishes and sets the table.
"That is the assignment that he is now giving me," she jokes.
Hudson spoke to TODAY.com as part of her partnership with Dawn dish soap. For a limited time, Dawn is donating $1 to International Bird Rescue (up to $100,000) for everyone who downloads a coupon from their site.
Hudson and Ortunga have two cats, two dogs and a pond with ducks. Deer frequently walk up their road and they even feed the raccoons who wander near their house. "That’s just who we are and what we do. And I love that impact that it’s had on my child," she says.
"Having pets and being around animals helps shape them, helps shape their character, show them compassion and love and all of those things that help build their character," she continues. "Especially when you only have one child, it shows them responsibility too."
In addition to spending time with animals, Hudson makes sure that Ortunga spends a lot of time with family.
She occasionally hosts him and seven of his male cousins for what she calls "Camp David."
"I’m all about family and just togetherness and just creating great memories, especially throughout their childhood," she says. "We have a good time, and we do a lot of fun, adventurous things together, but they know they got to be good boys. They got to be responsible. And as I tell them, 'Make me proud now!'"
