Camilla Alves McConaughey & Husband Longed to Be Parents from a Young Age — Their Kids Have Hearts 'Full of Kindness'

Brazilian healthy eating advocate and "Just Try One Bite" author Camila Alves McConaughey shared details of her life as a mother and their three "adaptable" children during this exclusive interview with AmoMama.

Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves McConaughey have proven that long and healthy relationships in Hollywood are possible. They have been married for a decade and currently share three kids.

In an exclusive interview with AmoMama, Alves revealed that she and her husband developed the same wish about parenting around the same age, decades before meeting each other.

"WHAT IS THAT?"

Although Alves and McConaughey prefer to keep most details of their family life away from the spotlight, they have shared some details of their first meeting. The actor described it as love at first sight, but Alves disagreed.

Their love story began at a Los Angeles nightclub in 2006. McConaughey was so interested in the woman he saw at the Sunset Boulevard club that he didn't say, "Who is that." He instead asked in awe, "What is that."

"That" was Alves, who moved from Brazil to the States at 15 and launched her modeling career in New York City at 19. McConaughey admitted he and Alves connected instantly.

He joked that he spoke better Spanish and Portuguese that night than his entire life. However, Alves needed more time to fall for him, mainly because he hid his identity that night.

The children's book author explained she initially didn't know who McConaughey was because he had a long beard and a big Rasta hat. He eventually charmed her, and Alves went to his home but slept in his guest bedroom.

Three days after their first meeting, the "Dallas Buyers Club" star invited Alves to his home in Malibu and surprised her by cooking her dinner. After that, they became inseparable. McConaughey said:

"The next time after that, I wanted to go on another date. And I've been wanting to go on a date with her for the last nine years."

MEETING THEIR THREE "ADAPTABLE" CHILDREN

Alves and McConaughey began having children even before tying the knot, probably because they both realized kids would fill their lives at a young age.

In the actor's case, he was only eight when he wanted to be a father, and his dad, Jim, is to blame. Jim raised McConaughey to use "sir" and "ma'am" every time he talked to an older person.

[Levi] inherited [McConaughey's] perfectionist personality.

After meeting some of Jim's friends and calling each of them "sir," McConaughey's eight-year-old mind found the common denominator: they were all fathers.

McConaughey then concluded that they were "sirs" because they had children. Since then, the actor has considered being a father and having kids the "paramount example" of what being a "sir" meant and the greatest success a man could achieve.

As per Alves, she exclusively told AmoMama she realized she wanted to have kids in her early teens. So, in July 2008, they welcomed their first son, Levi.

McConaughey explained he was by Alves' side during the labor, adding that he was eager to jump into the "greatest" adventure of raising Levi with Alves.

Nowadays, Levi is 13 years old and looks like the spitting image of his famous father. McConaughey once described his son as the most considerate person he'd ever met, adding that the boy inherited his perfectionist personality.

Alves and McConaughey's middle child is Vida, born in January 2010. Although Vida is only 12, she already made headlines for telling her dad what lessons he kept learning from her and her siblings over and over. She explained:

"Trusting. […] A lot of times, you'll correct us, and then you'll come back, and you explain why you corrected us. But usually, we're just like… 'We got it the first time.'"

Livingston is Alves and McConaughey's youngest son, born in January 2012. The mom of three admitted Livingston was the most challenging kid to raise because he was too attached to her.

He would cry and throw fits so frequently that Alves admitted it was a "horrible" situation. Luckily, the boy moved past that stage shortly after turning four.

It is about listening and understanding where your child is coming from.

GUSHING ABOUT THE KIDS

Now, Alves is proud and amazed about her three children's adaptability. She told us they have lived in too many different places due to work, but her kids keep adapting and learning from new experiences in each new location.

Their children, described by Alves as empathic, courageous, and with "hearts full of kindness," are also very passionate about photography.

During the coronavirus' lockdown, Levi, Vida, and Livingston made their parents proud for taking McConaughey's photos for his magazine covers.

The actor confessed that they were "starting to get good at it." Alves also said her children made their beds and folded their clothes because they felt proud of being accomplished.

McConaughey would love to have "eight more kids," but three are enough for Alves. Still, she shared with AmoMama one of the most important things about raising children: understanding their many stages. Alves said:

"It is about listening and understanding where your child is coming from, listening to your children's opinion to help guide them even when it might be different than yours."

The Brazilian author added that keeping into account each kid's personality was also paramount because everyone is different. Once parents understand that, they will not stress much about minor issues.

Alves pointed out that it was actually one of the parenting tips that inspired her newly released children's book, "Just Try One Bite." Published this March 22, it tells the story of three kids trying to convince their junk-food-eating parents to have healthy foods.

McConaughey's wife joined forces with "Go the **** to Sleep" author Adam Mansbach and illustrator Mike Bolt to start the conversation about understanding the relationship between your body and what you eat.

Alves' main goal is to let her readers know that the more empowered kids feel about their choices, the more likely they will create healthy, long-lasting habits. You can read Alves' exclusive interview with AmoMama about her book here.