Jeannie Mai is kicking off 2026 by revealing a touching moment with her daughter, Monaco, whom she co-parents with Jeezy.

“The most significant step I took to begin this year wasn’t about setting resolutions; it was about acknowledgment,” Mai wrote on Instagram.

In a recent YouTube video, Mai disclosed that although her daughter has been a part of her life for nearly four years, she had never formally introduced herself to Monaco beyond her role as “Mommy.”

“I’ve been in Monaco’s life for almost four years, yet I’ve never properly introduced myself to her,” Mai shares in the video.

She further explained that while Monaco recognizes her as a mother, there are aspects of her life that her daughter has yet to discover.

“Obviously, she knows me as mommy, but she doesn’t know me. She doesn’t know Genie.”

That realization led Mai to reflect on her own childhood. Growing up, she said she only knew her mother as “mom,” not as a woman with her own history.

It was not until adulthood that Mai learned about her mother’s early life, her journey from Vietnam, becoming a parent at 19, learning a new language, and building an identity in a new country.

“I think part of our tension when I was younger was her defining who she was when I only saw her as mom,” Mai shared, adding that understanding those layers later in life gave her more empathy.

Recognizing she had not offered her own daughter that same understanding, Mai decided to change that.

“I’ve never introduced myself to you,” she told Monaco. “So I want to take a moment to introduce the girl that I was before you and the woman that I’m becoming because of you.”

She then turned to her daughter and said, “Hi, I’m Genie.”

Mai continued by sharing stories from her childhood in San Jose, and the habits she carried with her growing up. She also spoke openly about struggles she faced as an adult, including people-pleasing and placing others’ needs ahead of her own.

“I used to really care about what people thought about me,” Jeannie said.

Jeannie Mai ended the video by sharing what she called her “greatest prayer” for her daughter.

“[That] you become you and you’ll meet me becoming me,” she said. “That’s what we get to do in this life together. I love you, Coco. And I’m so so honored that I get to grow alongside you.”