Kids really do always know, don’t they? That certainly seemed to be the case for supermodel Elsa Hosk. Just three weeks after an OB appointment confirmed she was pregnant, Elsa was caught off guard when her daughter, Tuuli, casually asked if there was a baby in her belly—or “bell-bell,” as Tuuli calls it.

Elsa hadn’t told anyone yet, and she definitely hadn’t planned on telling Tuuli so soon. After experiencing a miscarriage in the past, she was understandably cautious about sharing the news too early—especially with her daughter. She didn’t want to get Tuuli excited before she felt confident everything was progressing smoothly. Still, kids have a way of cutting straight through adult caution with a certain je ne sais quoi (i.e., humor and bluntness).

We flew to a shoot in Los Angeles and spoke with Elsa about how her perspective on parenting has shifted the second time around (she’ll likely be a bit stricter this time), childhood in Sweden versus the U.S., and what being a working mom means to her. And, with much love and respect to Elsa, we have to admit our favorite part of this interview—Tuuli herself joining the conversation.

Photos by Paris Mumpower. Words by AnaMaria Glavan.

“I think kids sense things earlier” 

Tuuli is really excited about the baby. She kisses my belly and says, “This is for baby sister.” And she tells me she’s going to help clean the pee-pee diapers but absolutely not the poo-poo diapers. You know, it was kind of weird. We took her to one of my midwife appointments, but she wasn’t in the main room because it was really early and I had a miscarriage about a year ago, so we didn’t want her to get too excited. She was in the other room with Tom.

Then about three weeks later she said, “Mommy, is there really a baby in your tummy?” My heart skipped a beat. I was like, how did she know that? She hadn’t heard anything and the doors were closed. I think kids sense things earlier. I really think they know somehow. It wasn’t like I looked different; she just picked it up. They’re so smart.

I’ve asked Tuuli what she wants to be when she grows up, but I think she’s still a little too small to grasp that concept. The other day I asked and she said, “Buy toys.” Which made me laugh because I’m like, “You’re supposed to be an Aquarius!” All her signs are in Aquarius.

We even did one of those star sign readings, and the astrologer was like, “No, she’s going to reject materialistic things.” Which is funny because those are all the things my husband and I worked really hard for since we grew up with nothing. Apparently she’s not going to want any of it. I haven’t seen signs of that yet though, so I’m waiting.

“But it’s also really hard, as any working mom will tell you” 

In some ways, becoming a mom has actually made work more important to me because I realized how much I love working. I also love being a mom, but the balance has been important. Being able to leave the house and have a purpose outside of it, and then come back and see my child really does feel like a dream. But it’s also really hard, as any working mom will tell you.

My perfect day with my daughter starts with us waking up next to each other because she sleeps in my bed. At this point she won’t sleep anywhere else. And honestly, I keep thinking about how long that phase will last, so I really try to cherish it. We snuggle and cuddle, and she’s always really sweet in the morning. She wakes up in such a good mood every day, which is funny because I’m so moody in the morning. But she completely changes my mood.

When I see her smiling and talking, it’s just so innocent that I’m like, how can I not be in a good mood? Then I make Swedish pancakes for her, and maybe we go to the local park and come back home. It’s all very chill. She’s such a homebody and doesn’t really love big adventures, so we usually stay around the neighborhood. Maybe some friends she likes come over, we jump in the pool, and then have friends over for dinner. It’s easy and simple.

[Meltdowns] are the moments where I feel like I don’t know what to do. You try everything, and nothing works. Sometimes the meltdowns are so big and they just escalate, and I think every parent can relate to that feeling where there’s literally no answer.

You just try to be there as a mom. You try to give them love and stability and not get dragged into it or get upset yourself. But it always feels really messy in my head because my heart just breaks for her. She’s so upset, and it’s hard to watch.

It happens all the time. She’s five, so she’s really learning how to deal with her emotions. I always try to ask her, “What are you feeling?” I’ll say, “Are you angry? Are you upset? Are you frustrated with me? Are you mad at me?” Sometimes it’s something really small, like she doesn’t want to go to school the next day.

Also, she has very strong opinions about clothes. She loves colorful things and always wants me to wear color. She gets really happy if I wear purple or red and will say, “Mommy, I love your outfit.” 

The other day we had her fifth birthday party, and I was wearing all black because I figured I’d just stay in the background. She came into my room and said, “Why are you wearing all black?” I said, “You’re right.” And she goes, “Let me fix this.” She went into my closet and picked out the best outfit that matched her princess purple dress. It was really cute.

From Sweden to LA (Swedish pancakes included) 

There are parts of the way I grew up in Sweden that I want to pass down to Tuuli. Something about Swedish culture is that we were outside so much. We weren’t sitting inside on our iPads. If we were bored, our parents would say, “Go outside and play.” It didn’t matter what the weather was—if it was snowing, if it was raining—we would just go outside. Nature was really important.

I also love that Sweden is a very equal society. There’s not really an emphasis on girls wearing pink and boys wearing blue. There isn’t that kind of distinction. Kids just get to be who they are, which I think is really wonderful.

But there are also so many great things about American culture, too. I love the boldness of the US, the confidence and the big dreams that kids have here. We don’t really have that in Sweden. We don’t teach kids that in the same way. So there’s a really nice mix there.

Sticky Bits with Elsa Hosk (guest starring Tuuli)

What’s a secret you want to reveal about motherhood?

No books can truly prepare you for it. It’s something you learn over time, and it’s never going to be perfect. It’s messy. You’re never going to be the perfect parent, and that’s okay. We’re all just learning.

What have you learned about yourself since becoming a mom?

One thing that’s really interesting to me is how much kids mirror you. I learn so much from her behavior when she mimics me. I’ve learned so much. For one, how bossy I am. I also notice the way I treat Tom, because Tuuli treats him the same way. I’m her biggest role model, so whatever I say to my husband, she’ll repeat.

Sometimes I’ll catch her saying something to her dad and think, “Why are you saying that to him?” And then I realize, oh, because I say that to him. So there are a lot of moments where you’re kind of checking yourself through your child.

Even little things—like kindness or the gestures we make toward each other—she’ll pick up and do with her friends. It really makes you reflect on yourself. I see both of us in her, but I especially see myself.

Motherhood is: 

Unconditional love.

Who’s in your dream group mom text? Can be dead, alive, fictional.

Any single mom, honestly. And maybe Billie Eilish’s mom. Those kids turned out really great. I’d love to text her.

What’s a song about motherhood that describes your journey?

The only one that comes to mind is Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mama, I’m Coming Home” because I love that song.

What part of your childhood felt magical?

Every summer we would go out to the islands in Sweden. There was no toilet, no electricity, and we were just out in nature. And honestly it felt like the greatest luxury of my whole life.

Second time around, what are you doing differently?

Stricter. I tried gentle parenting a lot with Tuuli, but I also think it depends on the kid. So yeah, I’ll probably be a little stricter.

If you had to choose one superpower to help with mothering, what would it be?

Endless time. Or honestly, being able to be in two places at once—like cloning myself. I could be at work and at home at the same time, and I’d never feel guilty.

One thing getting you through this pregnancy?

Honestly, Tuli. She makes it go so fast.

Who’s in your dream mom group text chat?

Elsa: Any single mom. They must know everything, right?

Tuuli: Hey…

Elsa: You want me to say you? Well, you’re always in my dream group chat.

Tuuli: Hooray.

Three emojis that describe motherhood.

Tuuli: Mister Nothing Head and Mister Poopy Head.

Elsa: Okay, Tulli, can I answer this one?

Tuuli: No.

Elsa: Fine. The face with all the hearts around it. That one on repeat. And red hearts. And also the crying-laughing one because of all the funny things Tuuli does. 

Tuuli: Don’t even say that.

Elsa: Well, you do a lot of funny things.

What’s your biggest mommy blooper moment of all time?

Tuuli: You didn’t pick me…

Elsa: I’ll pick you this time. Meltdowns. Those can get messy.

Tuuli: Not like paint messy.

Elsa: Not like paint messy, but messy in the head.

Tuuli: Like a log…

Elsa: Okay, I think that’s a wrap!