Starting young! Shay Mitchell is teaching her and Matte Babel’s 8-month-old daughter, Atlas, life lessons early.
“We’ve incorporated [hygiene] into her bedtime routine,” the Pretty Little Liars alum, 33, recently told Us Weekly exclusively while promoting her Safeguard partnership. “After reading her books, we wash her hands and I do the “Happy Birthday” song. I sing it twice over just to make sure we get 20 seconds in. She definitely thinks I’m her own personal jester, but it’s just fun.”
The actress hopes her little one will look back at quarantining amid the coronavirus pandemic with “fond memories,” she told Us, adding, “[We] want to start healthy habits as soon as possible.”
The Canadian star feels the same way about “educating [Atlas] about” racism and current events.
“Included in her nighttime routine, we always read a book to her, and one that we’ve been reading a lot is A Is For Activists,” Mitchell explained to Us. “One of the things that I always get any new parent are books for their children because I think it’s so incredibly important to start them off at such a young age to learn the importance of the messaging that no matter what you look like, everybody deserves to love and be loved without judgment period. Especially with Atlas coming from a diverse family herself. I want her to know that.”
The You alum and Babel, 39, welcomed their baby girl in October 2019. The couple are excited to take Atlas to her grandparents in Vancouver after quarantine ends.
“FaceTime is an amazing piece of technology, but nothing beats in real life,” the Béis Travel creator told Us. “I’m definitely excited for when it’s safe and [we’re] allowed and OK to take her over.”
While still hanging at home, the Dollface alum has launched a social good unitive with Safeguard, which will donate $10 million to promote hand-washing habits among kids. The donation will also provide more underserved communities with free hand hygiene products. The initiative also includes a TikTok challenge called #SafeguardSplashto get more people to wash their hands regularly and properly to Safeguard the ones they love.
“It’s obviously incredibly important and timely right now,” Mitchell gushed to Us. “It was crucial for me to jump on board and be able to speak about it.”
With reporting by Carly Sloane
