OITNB's Dascha Polanco Opens Up About Feeling 'Shame' After Getting Pregnant at 17




Polanco has learned a lot of lessons about motherhood in her 18 years since welcoming Dasany — and has no problems telling her daughter's friends now, " 'You need to appreciate your mom, because she is the only one who will always be there for you.' They've all had a 'Dascha Cry Session,' but they keep coming back."

And there are no gender roles when it comes to chores in her world. "In my house, everything is 50-50," Polanco says. "You sweep, you mop. It's all about equality."

Still, the In the Heights actress says "there are certain things I wish I could've done differently" — for example, activities that weren't available to her financially, such as putting Dasany in sports or a camp: "I constantly have to remind myself to let that go."

And now, "I allow myself to be vulnerable. I'm able to apologize. I'm able to say, 'We don't do that in this house' or 'I'm your mother, not your friend,' " Polanco adds. "It's okay to make mistakes. Every mother is just raising her kids to the best of her ability, and the more time passes, the more you learn that."

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