While Jenna Dewan has celebrated eight Mother's Days as a mom, one of them was a step up above the rest.
The Come Dance With Me judge recalled celebrating the holiday one year with her and ex Channing Tatum's daughter Everly, 8, and her own mom, Nancy Smith, during a trip to New York. She shared the story with E! News at Baby2Baby's recent Mother's Day distribution event in Los Angeles, presented by Paul Mitchell and ByHeart.
"I was there working but they came with me and we all stayed in one hotel room," Jenna said. "We were all just together and jumping on the bed and ordering room service and having a really fun girl's day."
Not surprisingly, Jenna named her own mom as a major part of her support system. "I'm lucky to have my mom at the ready," she said. "She's always there and I can call her and she's a good listening ear and you know she has at the end of the day really great, simple, solid advice that really helps me a lot."
Jenna has paid tribute to her mom on Instagram over the years, calling her "the one who taught me love" and saying, "No one puts her family first like my mom, and no one loves and supports me as unconditionally as her."
Jenna is also a mother to son Calum, 2, who she shares with fiancé Steve Kazee. During her interview with E! News, the actress recalled the most important piece of parenting advice she ever received.
"Kids download you," she said. "They watch you more than they learn from you and what you tell them, they download. What they see you do and your actions and how you speak about yourself, how you speak about other people, is all informing their own view of themselves in the world. And that was pretty life-changing to me and I changed my perspective in that way."
At the Baby2Baby Mother's Day distribution event, Dewan—an ambassador for the group—and other volunteers helped distribute formula, diapers, hygiene items, clothing, groceries and other essentials for low-income families. They also handed out Mother's Day gifts to moms who have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Being part of Baby2Baby and being an angel for Baby2Baby is truly one of the most fulfilling feelings in my life because it is so directly giving back," Jenna told E! News. "You are right there. You are with the families. You see how much this means to them and how life-changing this can be and how special they feel on this day."
Jenna said her family sponsors two families every year for Christmas and fulfills their wish list for Baby2Baby. Evie helps as well. "We actually go shopping to pick out the jacket, the sweater or the toothbrush, whatever it is that they need on their list," the actress said. "And that's really good for her because it's something she's directly doing to help someone else."