Irina Shayk spoke about motherhood and her method of raising little Leah

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36-year-old Irina Shayk appeared on the cover of V Magazine and, in a conversation about the profession of a model, turned out to be unexpectedly frank in personal insiders. In particular, Irina admitted that she was an ugly duckling as a child and, of course, did not dream of any modeling.

I didn’t choose to be a model. As a child, I was bullied at school because I was very thin, I had big lips and darker skin, and I also liked high heels. I remember one summer I was painting a local hospital and for 31 days of work I received 6 dollars as a salary. I spent them on a pair of shoes…

The profession of a model, Irina explains, gave her the opportunity to be at her best not only in heels

I saw this as an opportunity to help my family. After the death of my father, I was then 14 years old, only women remained in our house – my mother, who worked three jobs, two grandmothers and a sister. I felt that I had to become a man for them. Modeling was an opportunity to get some money – that’s how I started my career.

Now Irina is a successful model, and her own daughter may not need anything. However, Shake is in no hurry to surround Leia with a staff of servants. In an interview, Ira said that she and Bradley Cooper do not have a nanny, and they are raising their daughter on their own.

You know, we don’t have a nanny, so sometimes when friends suggest going to dinner or a concert, they always say: “We know what Irina will say: we don’t have a nanny.” They say it’s my lifeline. But we decided not to hire a nanny. Being a mom is one of the most wonderful things in the world. I never thought that I would like it so much. I feel that there is no stronger love for anyone in this world than love for your child. It’s just something very special… I remember this Halloween, when I was dressed as Bettie Page, Leia looked at me and said: “No, take it off.” And I feel like she keeps me grounded because she says what she thinks – I love it. Just being a mom, I learned to prioritize my time. I learned to remember that family is the most important thing.

But still, Shake admits, sometimes she has to leave to shoot despite Leia’s tears.

I remember once my daughter came back from kindergarten and asked me: “Are you going to work? I want you to stay.” She started crying and I said, “You see the lights are on in our house and there is food on the table? This is because mom and dad go to work.” I want to raise a woman and raise her the way my grandmother and mother raised me, showing that you need to work hard in life. Our daughter is growing up in a different environment, but we still need to set boundaries… After which I said: “Listen, mom is going to buy you a present, but if she doesn’t work, we won’t have money for it.” And she immediately: “Okay, mom, go to work,” Shayk shared.