Tia Mowry's Approach to Sibling Relationships is the Foundation for Her Varied Parenting Style

Tia Mowry is one half of one of the most famous sibling duos there is. Besides twin sister Tamera Mowry-Housley, the actress also has two brothers, Tavior and Tahj, who round out the Mowry crew. Though parenting and work keep her busy, Mowry prioritizes keeping in touch with her sister and brothers through it all.

"Every relationship is important, whether it be your significant other, your mother, your father, your best friend, and I really feel like your sibling relationship is also equally important," Mowry tells Parents.com. "I really work on my relationship with my siblings."

Part of that work has been learning that each of her siblings is a different person with different needs and desires, and that guides how she shows up as a sister for each. "My relationship with my brother is different from my relationship with my sister, and my relationship with my sister is different from my relationship with my other brother, Tavior," she says. "So I've had to learn how to respect everyone's differences and apply myself differently."

Tavior, 28, for example is "off in the country" in Tennessee, Mowry says, playfully adding that she has to track him down and remind him he's got a sister. Because Tia and Tamera were already out of the house when Tavior was growing up, he has a closer relationship with their brother, Tahj. Her brother Tahj, 35, usually comes over to her house every weekend unless their work schedules get in the way.

"I hadn't seen him in three months because both of us are working," Mowry says. "We were going crazy, but that's our dynamic—and that dynamic is not better than the dynamic that I have with my other brother."

The bottom line for Mowry is that it's all about respecting the different personalities, lives, and needs of the people you love.

"It's really about applying yourself differently," she says. "I've also applied this same learning with my children."

Cairo, 3, and Cree, 10, are two very different personalities. Mowry intentionally helps them establish and nurture their own sibling relationship, and her motivation is leaving a legacy that will exist long after she's gone.

"If it's all according to God's plan, which we all hope that as parents we end up going before our children, and what's left are the children," she says. "I've seen it way too many times that when parents go on or pass on, it's created a rift. It's created a hole within that family unit, and I do not want that to happen with my family."

Like her mother did for her and her siblings, Mowry also makes sure she nurtures her kids' interests. "The thing that I loved about my mother is that she had us try everything, from ballet, to tap, to hip hop, to jazz, to acting to singing to sports. I was able to find what I absolutely love to do so once I became an adult, I was already prepared and ready and nurtured," she says. "At such a young age, I was able to find my niche."

And in her niche she is. Her family sitcom Family Reunion on Netflix was renewed for its third and final season, with Mowry playing a very pregnant Cocoa. Quick Fix Kitchen, her "quick fix guide to help people not feel so overwhelmed in the kitchen" was recently released. She graces our TV screens in Miracle In Motor City, a Lifetime holiday movie out in November. She's also partnered with diaper brand Coterie on Becoming Parents, their campaign that's "all about dismantling the outdated norms of one's path" when it comes to parenting and the journey to get there.

"It creates space for many people to share their stories on how they became parents—whether that's through IVF, surrogacy—and the ups and downs, triumphs or challenges in between," she says. Mowry, who has been open about her infertility issues and her endometriosis story, hopes the campaign—especially the depictions in the short film The Modern Guide to Parenting and book Not Another Parenthood Guide—help other people on the journey feel less alone.

Mowry wants all moms to feel seen. Though her Instagram is a glorious depiction of an effortlessly stylish Black couple with fun family moments and mommy-daughter looks served on the regular, life is not all "cake and candy" for Mowry as a parent.

"For me, it's the worrying—and it never stops," she says. "Just wanting to be the best parent that I could be, I'm worrying about my decisions. And of course people on the outside, they're like, 'Oh, my gosh, you're doing an amazing job,'" she says. "This is why I also feel that it's important to encourage other women and other moms. If you're at the park or if you're at the grocery store, just stop and just tell them, 'You're doing a good job.'"