Exclusive: Jennifer Hudson says her son is the cook in their home

Although we expect of Dawn primarily as a dishwashing soap, in case you didn’t know, it is also an on a regular basis soap help save wildlife. If you’ve got watched any ad where they clean ducklings, you will note that this product is used to remove fat and look after aquatic animals by working with a company, International Bird Rescue Operation.

Someone who admires these efforts is EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson. The star, our latest cover star, partnered with the brand because she is an animal lover and loves what they do to avoid wasting wildlife. He also desires to encourage others to get lively and help them get monetary savings (including a $1 discount coupon). In addition to participating in an cute campaign to make this occur, Hudson told us about her love of dishwashing liquid, her memories of growing up, her love of wildlife, and the way she and her son use the product in their home. Here’s what she needed to say.

ESSENCE: How did your collaboration with Dawn come about?

Jennifer Hudson: Well, I mean, I feel like Dawn and I actually have all the time worked together because Dawn has all the time been a component of my home and my upbringing. But seeing what Dawn did for the ducklings at International Bird Rescue and knowing that it was a totally trusted soap that would help the little, delicate feathers of birds and ducklings touched my heart. I’m enthusiastic about animals. I actually have two cats at home. Knowing that there are things that may help wildlife is something I need to advocate for and be a component of. Not to say I now have a 15-year-old son. He is the cook at home and I wash the dishes. So Dawn is there. It just is sensible for my life and his life. I prefer to do real things which are near me and this is one in every of them.

What are your memories of using Dawn dish soap growing up?

Oh my God. I used to be a dishwasher. We all had our responsibilities, and washing the dishes and setting the table for the holidays was my job. It was my department. So I took the dishes and set the table beautifully for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner, and New Year’s Eve dinner. I loved doing it. This is my fondest memory of using Dawn soap. And I’m a vacation fanatic, so this is on my mind.

What meal do you like to organize but find cleanup a bit difficult? And what dish would Dawn really use while cooking?

Let’s see. Well, my son and I are making pizza together. Vegetable lasagna is one other dish where the cheese all the time sticks to the pan, so you wish something to interrupt it up. And he’s a cook now. So again I just clean up. So whatever he’s cooking, I just bring out my superpower: Where’s my Dawn? [Laughs]. It’s a part of cooking. My mother used to say, “You know, part of cooking is cleaning up after the meal.” And it’s true.

Why are you a fan of washing dishes by hand?

I like traditional things. I feel it’s relaxing, especially when you’ve got a soothing soap like Dawn. It’s almost like a hand massage at the same time after which I concentrate on myself. It’s like you actually handle your home by washing the dishes. And it’s something that makes me feel like I’m contributing to my home once I can wash dishes as an alternative of putting them in the dishwasher. And that is perhaps a part of it too. But it’s more of a connection. Another thing I really like to do is wash the floor. I do not know what I like more, washing dishes or mopping the floor. I’m so serious.

You mentioned that your son cooks. Does your son, who has just turned 15, also work as a dishwasher?

Yes, but boys don’t love washing dishes that much. It’s interesting because not only do I actually have a son, but I often have him and his cousins ​​who’re all boys and all have responsibilities. They need to contribute to the house. And I said, OK, “So who washes the dishes?” And I’m telling you, it is so quiet. And it’s like, what’s the cope with the dishes? You didn’t make them? It won’t wash itself. Someone has to clean it. Some people prefer to take out the trash, fix the beds and sweep the floor, but the dishes… But I need to do it when it’s just me and my baby. Like I said, I wash the dishes and he cooks. This is teamwork.

You and David are very close. How do you prefer to spend time with him indoors and outdoors?

Love it. First, I’m interested in all the pieces my child is interested in. As my mother used to say, “As long as it makes you happy, it doesn’t hurt anyone, and it makes you happy, I’m all for it.” So whatever he’s into, I’m into it too. Basketball is one in every of those things. And I’m a basketball mom. So we get in the automobile, they put me in the backseat, after which the boys go to the gym and play football. For me, this is one method to connect.

I watch a number of the sports that they watch, which is basketball. We had just met and my summer dream was to go to a baseball game, so I talked them into going to 2 games with me and so they loved it. So now we would like to play baseball. So we get entangled in things that interest them, and he’s crazy into music now, so we’ve a number of bond through music. One day he said, “Mom, I want to play you something,” and the best method to take heed to music is to get in the automobile. And we love our sounds. So we drove around for hours, just listening to music together. This is how we connect. And then with the animals and us he loves animals, and this teaches him character, in addition to compassion and responsibility, things in life that also apply to animals. How to be gentle and compassionate.

How do you balance a successful talk show, filmmaking and all the pieces else you’ve got in your plate with parenting?

Oh, baby. Teamwork. Teamwork, teamwork. Finding that balance. I like to satisfy where I’m and find the best way there. Lots happens in at some point. I rise up in the morning, I take my kid to highschool, then I am going to work, after which I could have a faculty meeting, or I actually have to go to a basketball game, or I could show up. So all the pieces must be interchangeable so I can adapt to anything. Sometimes I fly in from work and need to go straight to the game and my parents are like, “Oh wow, I love the way you’re wearing your practice shoes, you look smart.” But that is because I actually have to go to a gathering right after that, so I would like to have the ability to alter it and move on to the next thing. Finding these interchangeable things helps me with my lifestyle and helps me get through it.

Is there anything you want to to inform ESSENCE readers about your collaboration with Dawn?

I’m really looking forward to working with Dawn. I feel what they’re doing is amazing and I just need to proceed to make people aware that they may help Dawn save the geese. And I need them to assist Dawn save the geese. I’m sure in the event that they turn around, they’ll see Dawn sitting on the kitchen counter and so they’ll realize how much of a component of their lives their homes are and the way traditional it is, and so they’ll know that I’m doing amazing things and may contribute to it. And that is the point. So we may help Dawn save the geese. I wish they’d proceed to do it and I need to be a component of it.

More details about her campaign with Dove could be found at dawnducks.com.