Brandi Glanville sometimes struggles with single mom life, but makes it work!
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star spoke candidly about her home life with her two sons, Mason Edward, 20, and Jake Austin, 16, and how it's hard at times knowing they've grown up living two different lifestyles.
"Sometimes I cry when they go to their dad's," Glanville, 50, tells PEOPLE of missing her sons. Their father, Glanville's ex, Eddie Cibrian, also 50, is remarried to Grammy-winning singer LeAnn Rimes, 40.
"They have a staff. They have this giant mansion. They have kind of everything they want," she says. "And with me, we have a small house and we move every other year. And it's hard, you know, they see the struggle is real."
Though Glanville says times are smooth with co-parenting these days and they all get together for holidays and the kids' birthdays, Glanville admits she hopes to be able to bring someone special over one day.
"I think they're worrying about me being alone," says the former model of her sons, who are urging her to date. 'And I'm like, 'You guys, I'm all right.' They're like, 'Mom, we're grown.' "
Ultimately, Glanville is "thrilled" with how Mason and Jake turned out.
"They say please and thank you. They're so so sweet," she shares. "And every time they go to someone's house, the parents call me and like, 'Oh, Jake is the sweetest.' Or Mason — 'Your kids are so polite.' I'm like, really?"
Glanville does prefer that they get normal jobs as young adults and learn that "money doesn't grow on trees."
"They get that bit of entitlement, which I don't love, but then they come back to me and they're like helping me with the groceries, opening the door for me," Glanville shares of how inherently good they are. "They told me they love me a million times a day. It's just really great, they get to see how like, richer people live and how moms struggle sometimes."
"And they're giant men now," Glanville adds with a laugh. "Respectful gentlemen. And, you know, they're sassy just like me. They got it from their mama!"
And she will "go to bat for them" if any disagreements do arise. "I pick my battles, but they know I'm gonna win with their dad," she says.
Sensitive feelings aside, Glanville does think the two different ways of living have been positive for them. And she is staying focused on what she has been able to provide.
"We are always joking in the house. We're always trying to joke with each other. Poke at each other, and it's just a really fun house," the New York Times bestselling author says. "I mean, but there is a voice, my 'mom voice' that I use when they know they've taken things a little too far and then they dial it back."
Between herself and her ex, Glanville has always handled the harder topics of conversation.
"Anything that came up with the kids, like any issues with school or anything, he would call me and he would be like, 'You got this, right?' Because he really just can't handle confrontation."
"And as we all know, I'm very good at it," the Unfiltered podcast host cracks of her known misbehavior on camera.
But there is a softer side of Glanville at home. "People don't see me at home as a mom, cooking," she says of one of her family's favorite activities.
Now that the boys are older, she kindly reminds them to check in with her when they're planning to go out after she's defrosted a steak. "We do a lot of like filet and then they both love this pasta I make."
As for the boys' interests, Mason, who just made his modeling debut in June, "is really into fashion design and they're both good drawers. Jake does MMA and wrestling and is going into 11th grade."
Glanville made it a point to say that her sons do not watch her TV shows, as they know it's a job and there may be a lot of "drinking and yelling." But one of them recently told the TV star: "My girlfriend's mom asked if you were just as crazy as you are on tv. I told her. 'Yeah. But just in a really good way.' "
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