Jeannie Mai Shares the Unexpected Way a Trip to the Zoo Helped Potty Train 2-Year-Old Daughter Monaco

Another milestone Jeannie sees Monaco going through is a stronger formation of memories and ability to attach meaning to them. So while “kids usually live moment to moment,” she added, she’s trying to teach her toddler how to be grateful for past and future ones too.

“I love at the end of the day I’m going through my phone, and I’m looking at all the pictures of everything we did from the moment she ate breakfast, to the dessert we made after it, or the park that we stopped at, or the way she finally learned to get both legs up on her skateboard,” Jeannie shared. “We take pictures of everything. And when I reflect over my phone to show her my pictures afterwards, we get into these little story times of how she felt at that moment—how she was maybe nervous or scared or how maybe she showed it off to my mom.”

And as they practice gratitude, the TV star is adding these cherished mother-daughter moments to her list.

“That is so cool to me to see her mind and her brain spin as she remembers such meaningful moments throughout the day rather than ‘Mommy, what are we doing next? What do we get to do now?'” she said. “She used to be so into now, and I’m like, ‘Well wait, let’s not forget about everything that happened, how cool that was.’ Or the next day, reflecting forward—that’s a big one for her and for me because I want her to just be so thankful of what to look forward to and also what has just happened.”