Mario Lopez on Having 2 Kids Under 5: "There Are No Time-Outs" For Parents

Between hosting Extra, acting, writing a bestselling memoir, working out to get that crazy body, and being a dad to Gia and Dominic, Mario Lopez is one busy Latino. In the Summer issue of Parents Latina, he is opening up about his hectic family life, saying: "My wife [actress Courtney Mazza] and I call our son Wreck-It Ralph, because he destroys everything. He's got a lot of fire in him. My daughter is very dramatic. She's been sick recently, and this morning she said, 'Oh, my god, I'm not going to feel better. My cough is never going to go away!' I told her, 'Don't worry, you'll be okay.'" Keep reading for more must-see quotes from Mario, and pick up an issue of the magazine, on newsstands now, to read the full interview.

  • On the family's upcoming Summer vacation plans:"We're going to Puerto Vallarta with my sister and her kids. Altogether, it will be seven kids. We've been taking my children (Gia, 4, and Dominic, 21 months) to Mexico every year since they were born. Knowing where their culture and language are from is important, and we still have family there. The kids have these funny passports; we had to hold their heads up for the pictures because they couldn't do it yet."
  • On how his kids are handling Spanish: "A lot better than mine when I was that age, because my parents and our nanny talk to them in Spanish. So they get a lot of it. My daughter understands and speaks it. She actually takes a Spanish class."
  • On how spirituality plays a major role in his family life: "We try to go to church as a family every week, sometimes without the baby, because babies will act up. If not, my daughter and I will go every week. They're definitely going to go to Catholic school. It's really important to me that they get a faith-based education."
  • On which big life lesson he will pass down to his kids: "First and foremost, it's going to be treat others with respect. Be polite: Manners go a long way. Try to come from a good place. And aside from that, stay focused and do the right thing."
  • On the biggest lesson that he's learned about fatherhood since becoming a dad himself: "There are no time-outs, really. Weekends, you think you can catch up on rest, and it's the opposite. It gets even busier. It's a different kind of busy!"
  • On how important it is for him to keep his own kids humble: "I don't want them to be spoiled. I make sure to communicate, especially with my little girl, how blessed she is – by going to church, Boys & Girls Clubs, to certain events where kids don't have it so good, where she'll be able to witness need and recognize it and later be able to help."