Lori Loughlin

By Donna Smith

Each month, iParenting.com spotlights a mother who inspires and moves us, who embodies the qualities that we all admire in a person, a woman and a mother. Above all, the Mom of the Month is dedicated to her children. Rich or poor, famous or not, she shines as an example of what mothering is all about.

Who doesn't remember Rebecca Donaldson (a.k.a. Aunt Becky) from the sitcom Full House? Actress Lori Loughlin (pronounced LOCK-lin) played that role to perfection, with wit, humor and a big dose of compassion that made the show a huge hit with families from coast to coast.

Not to be confined to the small screen, Loughlin was cast in the feature film Secret Admirer, a romantic comedy co-starring C. Thomas Howell and Kelly Preston, in 1985, and also starred opposite Treat Williams in Critical Mass, appeared in the beach movie spoof Back to the Beach and in Amityville 3-D. Her latest project, Old Dogs, is a Disney comedy coming out next year with John Travolta, Robin Williams, Rita Wilson, Kelly Preston, Matt Dillon and Dax Shepard.

"It's about two old friends ('old dogs') who are about to launch a new business and ad agency together while trying to raise children," Loughlin says. "I play John Travolta's potential love interest. It was tremendous working with them; they are talented, funny, nice and so much fun to be around. It was incredible to work together – I had to pinch myself every day."

Loughlin, now the mother of a 16-year-old son and 8- and 9-year-old daughters and wife to fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, also has another project in the works – she's joined the makers of Claritin® to raise awareness about the importance of reading allergy medicine labels to see if there are any warnings about drowsiness before getting behind the wheel.

Loughlin, who now lives in Los Angeles, enjoys an active lifestyle with her family. "Living in California we lead a very outdoor lifestyle so my kids are active in sports and are outside a lot," she says. One of their favorite activities to do as a family is play tennis. "Also, my husband is a big golfer and he likes to take the kids out golfing. Living in California, we go to the beach a lot and really love those days at the beach together."

As an allergy sufferer, Loughlin was surprised to learn that some over-the-counter medicines may cause drowsiness. "The 'Clear to Drive' campaign aims to raise awareness of drowsy driving and offers tips for prevention, such as making sure people know how important it is to check medicine labels for warnings about drowsiness before they get behind the wheel," she says. "The campaign is also working to educate allergy sufferers that there are effective, non-drowsy allergy medicines that are safe to take when driving. I spend a lot of time driving my kids around town, so I need to be completely alert."

Driving drowsy due to allergy medications is something that Loughlin unknowingly used to do herself. "There was a time in my life when I was taking an allergy medicine that made me drowsy and I didn't even realize it," she says. "I really thought something was wrong with me! Every day for a week I felt like I had to leave work and take a nap. I was driving around L.A., exhausted – and that could have been dangerous. A friend helped me realize that drowsiness was a side effect of the allergy medicine I was taking."

Many drivers don't realize that some common over-the-counter medicines could cause drowsiness. According to a recent survey conducted by Strategy One, an independent research firm, on behalf of Claritin, four in 10 Americans (38 percent) report that there have been times when they were driving and realized that the medicine they had taken was making them drowsy.

"To treat my allergies I only use Claritin because it works hard to relieve my worst allergy symptoms for the entire day, and I know it won't make me drowsy," Loughlin says.

Loughlin urges parents to know what they are taking before getting behind the wheel of a car. "Parents should be sure to read medicine labels carefully, use as directed and consult a physician if they have questions about how medications may affect them, especially before getting behind the wheel with your most precious cargo," she says.

Want to see more?

• Eva LaRue: Galloping Past Allergies and into Motherhood
• Expecting to Sneeze: Allergies During Pregnancy
• Coping with Food Allergies: Helpful Hints from Specialists at Texas Children's Hospital
• Talk about it!