Gisele Bundchen hates being called a stepmother.
Gisele Bundchen
The 39-year-old model - who has kids Vivian, seven, and Benjamin, ten, with Tom Brady - has admitted she feels blessed that she's also been able to play an instrumental role in the life of her husband's 12-year-old son John, who he had with actress Bridget Moynahan.
In a Q&A on her Instagram Stories, Gisele shared: "I don't like the word 'stepmom'.
"I like the word 'bonus mom' because I feel like it's a blessing in my life. I feel so lucky that I got to have an extra wonderful little angel in my life."
Gisele has been married to the sports icon since 2009, but has insisted there's no "secret recipe" to managing her family life.
She said: "I think we just try our best to be present with the kids when we are with the kids.
"I think it's not so much [about] the amount of time. I think it's the quality of time."
The model also stressed the importance of creating a "loving and safe" environment for her children.
She said: "I think what's really important as well is the energy that is around the children.
"I think they really see how much we love each other and how much we support each other."
What's more, Gisele thinks it's crucial that she and her husband exhibit good communication skills in front of their children.
She explained: "We never raise our voices. We never have arguments. We just talk things over if we have any issues."
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