Tia Mowry refuses to hide her emotions from her daughter Cairo.
The 46-year-old star split from actor Cory Hardrict - whom she has son Cree, 13, and Cairo, six, with - after 15 years of marriage last year and she prefers to be "authentic" about the situation around her youngest as the pair share some touching moments in the new TV series 'Tia Mowry: My Next Act'.
Tia told PEOPLE: "The thing is as a mother, you kind of try to figure out if you should allow them to see your emotions, your ups and your downs.
"And I've made the choice to move on from an authentic place. And allow (Cairo) to see that there are days when Mommy is sad. And that's okay."
Tia expanded on a thought expressed in the series that Cairo is able to "feel (her) energy".
The 'Sister, Sister' actress said: "I think what's so beautiful about children is just because they're young, it doesn't necessarily mean that they don't have a voice.
"It doesn't necessarily mean that they don't know what's going on or they don't how to feel."
Tia stressed that she is now putting herself first as she adjusts to life after divorce.
She said: "My next act is all about growth. All about just continuing to inspire. All about being in alignment with my thoughts and my behaviours. All about me. Moving forward, no longer looking behind. Just full of love and compassion toward myself."
Tia explained earlier this year that she felt as if she had been on a "whirlwind journey" after her marriage came to an end.
She said: "Recovering from a divorce feels like a whirlwind journey. I found out through the process that divorce isn't a place where we arrive, it's entering a new chapter in life with many nuances, and no one-size-fits-all handbook. It's a side of divorce that isn't often discussed, especially when there are kids involved."
