Brooke Burke Charvet: Blended Families Are ‘Challenging’

Despite her best efforts, there is no method toBrooke Burke Charvet‘s madness.

“I wish I were always calm in the chaos. I have children with very strong personalities, and as elating as that is, it can also be deflating,” theDancing With the Stars co-host, 40, says inFitness‘s January issue.

“There’s a lot of action in my household and sometimes I’m a referee all day long.”

Mom to Neriah Shae, 11, and Sierra Sky, 9½, with ex-husband Garth Fisher, and Heaven Rain, 4½, and Shaya Braven, 3½, with husband David Charvet, Burke Charvet has made it no secret that bringing her family together has been anything but easy.

“Having a blended family is a challenge. Two of my children are with their father part of the week, so when they come home they want me all to themselves,” she shares.

“Then my other two children, who have had me all to themselves, suddenly have to share me and that can make them very needy.”

Often found walking around the Dancing set greeting the crew, Burke Charvet’s friendliness stems from the demands of raising her four children.

“As a mother, I hardly ever get a thank you. Nobody ever says, ‘Thanks for getting up early and making me that lunch, Mom. I enjoyed what was in my lunchbox today,’” she explains. “So when I do hear that from my kids, it feels really good. Maybe that’s why I treat the people I work with well.”

Over the years, the former model has learned to “roll” with her hectic lifestyle — which also includes work on her blog, Modern Mom — and schedule slots for sleep whenever possible!

“My two younger kids always end up in our bed in the middle of the night,” Burke Charvet admits, adding that she aims for six to eight hours of sleep a night.

“I think that sleep deprivation is a really bad thing for a woman, not only for her skin and eyes, but also for her mood, memory, metabolism, energy, and sex drive. David and I have done ‘sleepcations,’ where we check into a hotel room simply to be alone and sleep.”

But despite her ability to juggle it all, and still dazzle in front of the cameras in the ballroom, Burke Charvet reveals she isn’t a stranger to insecurities of her own.

“My biggest frustration is that I developed bad melasma when I was pregnant with my son. It’s like having a mask on your face. I did peels; I did lasers; I tried every product and saw every doctor,” she recalls.

“Nothing worked. I never used to wear makeup when I wasn’t working. Now I can’t leave the house without thick cover-up, which stinks. I do my best not to focus on it.”

– Anya Leon