How to Watch:
What: “The Fosters,” a family drama with Sherri Saum in the role of Lena Adams
When: 9 p.m. Mondays. Season 2 will begin on June 16.
Where: ABC Family Network
A Mother’s Day chat with Sherri Saum
Q. How do you view the mother you are portraying on television and what have you learned from her about mothering?
A. I think Lena has a lot of patience and compassion. Even though she doesn't always get it right, she has those basic crucial components for raising kids.
Playing Lena really has sharpened my perspective on what matters when it comes to raising a family. How there’s no such thing as perfect, how important a sense of humor can be.
Q. What has been one of your favorite episodes on the show and why?
A. I can't really pinpoint a favorite episode, but I love the moments between Stef and Lena when they encounter a parenting crisis and even though they are confounded, they manage to cobble together a solution. It gives me hope in real life that as long as there is love and communication- things will work out
Q. Can you share some anecdotes about your own growing up and your own mom? What kind of mother was she? What were her strengths as a mom?
A. I still think back to my childhood and wonder how my single working mom who also went to school full-time managed to make us feel like we were what mattered most. My mom would read to me every night — I loved that so much. I think that's why reading is one of my favorite things.
No, we didn’t always have 6 o’clock dinner on the table with organic vegetables — and she had to juggle to get the bills paid — but she was tireless and strong and independent, she gave me my work ethic and the support I needed to make my dreams come true. What else does a kid need?
Q. What kind of mother do you hope to be?
A. I hope to be the kind of mom that my kids respect and admire. But more than anything, I'm excited to see what my boys will teach me. How they will slow my roll and show me how fascinating the little things are — show me all the things I've been missing in my 100-mile-an-hour life.
Q. What do you see as the greatest challenges of motherhood?
A. I think my biggest challenge in the beginning will be schedules. Trying to keep their feeding and sleeping schedules straight. It feels a lot like math to me: "If two trains leave the station at 2:36 p.m. …"
But I know math was never my mom’s strong suit either, and she managed to get three of us out in the world, happy healthy and strong.
I think everything’s going to work out fine.
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