Actor Boston Rob reveals 'No. 1 rule' on ‘Survivor’ that changed his parenting game
Parenting has its hurdles and tasks just as any other challenge or responsibility in life. It requires preparation and you have to put in the work. Robert Mariano, popularly known for his character “Boston Rob” in the series “Survivor,” agrees with this idea, per TODAY. Being a dad and a reality TV icon, he has seen quite a bit of life’s struggles and all that it takes to battle and overcome them. The actor recalled his role in the series and the many lessons it taught him. He noted that they helped him up his parenting game and spilled the beans on what he learned.
Mariano is a parent to Lucia, Carina, Isabetta and Adelina with his wife, Amber Mariano, PEOPLE revealed. The dad’s connection to the series goes way back to the early 2000s, where he met Amber and even proposed to her. Being together, falling in love, while battling for the prize on the show, they knew they had found something worthwhile in each other, another report revealed. “When you’re on 'Survivor, ' you can’t even brush your teeth, you can’t even brush your hair, you don’t even change your clothes. So we didn’t have this fake way to impress each other. It was the most real as it gets," Amber noted, per Entertainment Tonight.
Having celebrated 20 years of togetherness and parenting, Mariano has been holding on to much from “Survivor.” He explained that the reality TV show was very similar to the real world. As a dad to four wonderful daughters, Mariano has also taken back a few notes to help with parenting. While the series focuses on battling challenges and obstacles on an island to win the title of a “Survivor,” there is a little in common with being a parent, too. However, the dad decided to focus on a single rule — the “No. 1 rule” of the show. "Adapting to your situation, that's probably the No. 1 rule of the show. You have to figure out different ways to adapt to your situation,” he remarked.
The actor added that life is no different. We constantly face challenges and the most important thing is to be able to take them as they come. He pointed out, “It's not so much what the challenges are but how you face them that makes a difference. I've found that people who are the most resilient are the ones who just don't quit.” This lesson was etched in his heart and mind by his role in the series one after another. The dad noted that he didn’t win until his fourth time on the show. “But I never quit,” he added.
This very fact is what helped him through the seasons and is what he wants to relay back to his kids. As a parent and a husband, he shares a lot of his experiences on set with his family so they can learn from them too. One of the most important lessons he imparts is to hang in there. “And I think a lot of those lessons I do pass on to parenting, to my kids, teaching them about being strong and being tough and just keep trying,” he explained.
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