“The hate’ on me is much, no one sees my struggle but at the end of the day, my kids are watching me, and I want them to know that I’m working hard and i am not what people see me as” Brittany mahomes opens up

Brittany Mahomes is no stranger to staying cool under pressure, having been a former professional soccer player, fitness entrepreneur and a co-founder and co-owner of the Kansas City Current women’s soccer team.

That ability to stay centered, even in the face of intense moments, has certainly come in handy as she’s navigated another role: mom to daughter Sterling, almost 3, and son Patrick “Bronze,” 14 months, both of whom she shares with her husband, Super Bowl-bound Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Both kids suffer from food allergies, and Mahomes’s first brushes with their allergic reactions were anything but easy.

“Patrick and I, neither one of us have allergies,” the newly minted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model tells Yahoo Life. “When this hit our family, it was a little bit crazy, like, where did this come from? When it first hit us with Sterling, it was definitely terrifying. Her [allergy] was to milk, and she began to vomit and was sneezing and had really itchy eyes. And then it kind of calmed down. We went to her pediatrician to follow up, and they then sent us to an allergist, where we learned she’s allergic to milk, eggs and nuts.”

Given this experience, Mahomes, who recently partnered with Kaléo’s Auvi-Q, a prescription epinephrine auto-injector she says has been a lifesaver when managing her children’s food allergies, was “a little bit more careful” when introducing new foods to Bronze. “[We were] more aware of the situation and what could come potentially,” she shares. “We were doing early introduction [of allergens] with him, and he had done well for the milk and the eggs, which was exciting and nice, because a lot of [foods] have that in there,” says Mahomes.

But then they got to Bronze’s first brush with peanuts. “It was a little powder that you mix into his bottle, and within 20 minutes or so, he started to get fussy,” recalls Mahomes. “But it was close to bedtime. I’m like, ‘OK, something’s wrong. Maybe he’s just tired. Let’s go start bedtime earlier.’ So we start our bath and I took his clothes and his diaper off. And notice that he is completely broken out into hives.”

Within minutes, the situation began to escalate, and hives and welts covered her son’s stomach, up to his arm, and even his face. “We went on to the emergency room,” she says. “Ultimately, they told us he’s gonna be OK, but he’s definitely allergic to peanuts.” Now Mahomes is proud to have learned how to manage her kids’ allergies and makes sure everyone around them is also aware and knows how to use the Auvi-Q.

She also feels it’s “definitely key” to remain calm in the face of a scary food allergy experience. “In that moment, I had Sterling looking at me,” remembers Mahomes. “So, in the back of my mind, it was like, I have to stay calm, and I have to be confident and [know] what to do in this situation.”

Mahomes is now passionate about advocating for her children and encouraging other parents of kids who have food allergies to do the same. “At the beginning, I was kind of nervous to speak up, but as a mom, my main message is, don’t be nervous,” she says. “Don’t be scared to speak up and advocate for your kid, because this is their life and their safety and their health that’s in your hands. And it’s your job as a parent to protect them.” She urges parents to be confident, speak up and let everyone know that your child has allergies, and that “it is a severe, serious thing.”

By doing this, Mahomes believes she — and other parents in the same boat — are offering kids a valuable lesson. “Advocating for them now will hopefully lead to them being able to advocate very confidently for themselves in the future,” says the certified personal trainer.

Allergies aside, Mahomes is always striving to be “pretty chill and relaxed” as a parent. “I let my kids explore,” she says. “I let them figure stuff out. I definitely don’t think I’ve ever raised my voice or anything. I think having kids has taught me a lot about patience. I’ve definitely gained calmness through them for sure.”

Mahomes is also loving her kids’ current ages, because their unique perspectives are beginning to truly shine. “With Sterling, she’s finally getting her own personality and being able to vocalize her emotions and how she’s feeling,” notes the proud mom. “Just seeing her blossom into basically her own human is kind of like the best thing ever. Her being able to speak for herself and communicate fully with us is pretty awesome.

And then, with Bronze, we’re trying to get this little dude up on his feet and running. He would rather crawl. He is a speed crawler and could win the Olympics in crawling. But we’re trying to get him up on his feet and moving so that he can play with his sister. Sterling cannot wait for him to be able to run around and play with her.”

The kids are “obsessed with each other,” Mahomes jokes. “Sterling is like the best big sister ever, and she hears me speak to Bronze, so she’s starting to repeat things that I say to him and act like me in a sense to him, and it is so adorable,” she says. “Bronze doesn’t like to be touched or hugged or [to] wrestle or anything, but he will follow his sister and watch her play for hours in the day. They get along really well.”

When it comes to Mahomes’s career, she’s working on juggling her professional hustle and motherhood. “That’s something I’ve had a hard time figuring out and balancing,” she admits. “But, at the end of the day, my kids are watching me, and I want them to know that I’m working hard. I’m out here doing things as well, because they noticed their dad’s gone all the time. And he’s working hard and doing stuff that he loves. So, I want them to see both of us going out and conquering the world.” To that end, Mahomes feels excited for what the future holds for her NLF star husband, their little ones and herself. “I can’t wait to see where our family goes from here,” she says.