Kelly Ripa had always wanted to name her future son Joaquin, so when she had a baby boy, she and her husband, actor Mark Consuelos, were prepared. Unfortunately, before his birth on June 2, 1997, both of Consuelos’ grandfathers tragically passed away. “We lost them before they got a chance to meet Michael, so we named Michael after both of his grandparents,” Ripa explained on her talk show.
Four years later, in June 2001, Ripa and her husband were excitedly expecting another baby. When she went into labor, they immediately hopped in a New York taxi and headed for the hospital without a name for their baby in mind. Luckily, the ride there provided them with some much needed insight. “Lola was named, because I was in labor and ‘Copacabana’ by Barry Manilow was playing in the cab,” Ripa said. “And ‘Her name was Lola! She was a showgirl!'” From there, the name stuck.
On February 24, 2003, Ripa gave birth to her third child, a son who she and her husband were finally able to name Joaquin Consuelos (via PopSugar).
A psychic predicted Kelly Ripa was pregnant with Lola
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Kelly Ripa, who’s had a stunning transformation over the years, is known for divulging hilarious stories about her children on her talk show, but during one of her first appearances on the show, more information about her family was shared than she anticipated. In fact, she didn’t even work full-time on the show yet!
In 2000, Kelly Ripa was invited to try out as a co-host. That day, psychic Char Margolis was a guest on the show. When the psychic medium began communicating with Ripa’s grandmother in the spirit world, Ripa burst into tears. Margolis explained to the young star how her grandmother would always be watching over her family. “She’s also showing me another baby,” the psychic added. “She’s saying that she’s going to watch over you when this new baby comes. It’s soon. It’s not far away. You’re not pregnant, are you?”
Ripa was stunned and seemed to quickly shut down on stage. She began laughing as she answered with, “I haven’t told my boss yet!” Luckily, it made her so memorable that she was immediately hired as the new co-host, as noted by The Washington Post. That’s one way to make a pregnancy announcement!
The kids had a strict cell phone policy growing up
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For a woman who’s spent her life working in media, Kelly Ripa surprisingly had a pretty strict Internet and cell phone policy for her kids growing up. She even knew the passcodes to their cell phones, as Ripa shared on “The Wendy Williams Show.” “Parents should never allow kids to surf the Net without supervision,” Ripa told WebMD. “Guide them and set limits. They won’t like it. But you wouldn’t allow a young child to walk down the street alone.”
As a kid growing up in the ’70s and ’80s, Ripa believes that times were much simpler for her parents than they are for parents raising kids today. “There was so much less stimulation then, more freedom. And we were content with less. Kids today are much savvier,” she said. So savvy that even when Ripa did have to ground one of her kids and take away their cell phone — which wasn’t allowed to be in the room during homework time — the fight wouldn’t end there. “You still have to toss the room, because they have hidden devices,” Ripa explained on her show. “I don’t know where they come from!”
Their mom doesn’t care if they like her
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When Kelly Ripa’s daughter, Lola Consuelos, became a teenager, she wasn’t happy with the strict rules her mom had in place. “I don’t think she likes me,” Ripa admitted on “The Wendy Williams Show.” “But I don’t care. I’m not your friend. I’m your mom.”
All parents want their children to like them, and sometimes it seems like the easiest thing to do when a child is throwing a tantrum is to give in. However, Ripa advises parents to take a step back and really think about the future first. “Basically, it’s my philosophy that doing the easy thing in the short term makes it harder for parents in the long run,” she told WebMD. “Giving in when you want to say ‘no’ may quiet things down momentarily, but you’ll just have more of the same — and then some — down the road.”
Though Ripa always comes across as having a fun-loving personality on television, it’s obvious to see that she’s not afraid to set down rules for her children at home. “My kids understand that we love them no matter what,” she said. “And they also know that ‘no’ means no.”
