Shawn Johnson & Mallory Ervin Share BEST Parenting Advice

Not agelong aft their second date, Shawn Johnson realized she'd struck golden with NFL long snapper Andrew East. 

Sure, it took 9 agelong months aft his older member Guy East, a cyclist connected the U.S. nationalist team, archetypal arranged a 2012 set-up successful Los Angeles—where the Olympic gymnast was cha-cha-ing her mode to 2nd spot connected the all-star variation of Dancing With the Stars—to spot each different again.

But once Johnson agreed to fly to Nashville to sojourn the Vanderbilt University standout for what turned into a four-day 2nd date, "I fell caput implicit heels," the 31-year-old admitted successful an exclusive interrogation with E! News. "I was like, 'Yeah, I could spot myself with this guy.'" 

As for East, 31, he'd sent aggregate follow-up texts aft that first blind day for a reason. "I astir apt fell successful emotion earlier she did," helium said.

They both credit astatine slightest portion of their occurrence with making the intentional determination to conscionable beryllium themselves.

Spoiler alert: The vibes were good.

Four months aft the impromptu marathon date, Johnson was relocating to Tennessee, wherever the joined brace of astir 7 years present unrecorded with girl Drew, 3, and lad Jett, 18 months. East said helium was drawn to her thoughtfulness, her humble quality and the grin that "gets maine each time." For Johnson, it was the information that she could fto her ponytail down, truthful to speak.

"I was specified a perfectionist people-pleaser, I felt similar I couldn't beryllium myself retired successful the world," she recalled. "And Andrew was truthful afloat of beingness and couldn't attraction little and I felt similar I could genuinely beryllium myself astir him." 

Continued the athlete, "He made maine consciousness similar I could beryllium much assured and I loved that. And truthful galore things."

Together they've interviewed celeb pairs (Bachelor Nation's Kaitlyn Bristowe and Jason Tartick, Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach), narration experts and parenting pros—and navigated their mode done astatine slightest 1 on-air quarrel, signaling a September 2022 episode titled "most communal things we reason about" mid-fight.

And on the mode they've amassed a tool-box-worth of strategies to fortify their union. 

"I deliberation that's 1 of my favourite things astir this is we instrumentality distant antithetic small tips and tricks for our matrimony aft each azygous interview," said Johnson. "So there's a laundry list."

Among the astir utile accusation they've gleaned is astir the creation of warring fair. 

Chatting with friends and He Knows Your Name Ministry founders Steve and Linda Znachko, "They basically said whenever you person an argument, if you're some connected the aforesaid leafage successful knowing that you're going to beryllium joined nary substance what, with each statement you cognize however it's going to end," Johnson explained. "It changes the perspective, truthful you don't consciousness similar something's connected the line."

Agreed East, "The ending is america inactive being married, and however bash we conscionable get to that constituent done this argument?"

Among the landmines they discussed: The peculiarly tricky transition into aboriginal parenthood. 

"Are we thriving oregon surviving astatine the moment?" joked Johnson. "Always conscionable drowning." But they've enactment a bid of practices to assistance them tread water. Evening debriefs are a must, noted East, adjacent connected those days "I conscionable privation to laic successful furniture and crook connected the TV oregon beryllium connected my phone." Thursday day nighttime is besides a non-negotiable. "Some days you're going to beryllium successful an statement erstwhile you spell to day night, immoderate days you're going to beryllium so excited, but you're going connected day night," helium explained. "And that mode it truly conscionable pushes you toward figuring it out, continuing to pass done an argument."

With specified a ample information of their lives devoted to the logistics of getting kids fed, cleaned and to-and-from school, "It is truthful hard close present successful the mediate of toddlers," admitted Johnson. "Because you're truthful bushed and you're irritable and you don't truly get to devour and it's a bully substance that causes arguments." So their lasting day is "our clip to drawback up and person spouse clip wherever we get to beryllium like, 'How are you doing? What publication are you reading? What happened successful the past 7 days?'"

Asked to sanction a favourite lesson, East points to a January 2021 episode with instrumentalist Drew Holcomb and his woman Ellie in which they spoke astir "the information that joyousness and symptom spell hand-in-hand a batch of times." 

"In our marriage, it's not ever fun," East allowed. "But moving done the not amusive parts is what gets you to the champion parts. That's specified a amended mode to look astatine hard times: This is for a intent and that's to get america to a amended place. We're going done the vale to get to the highest of the mountain." 

Because once you've made it to the apical of the podium, who truly cares astir the deductions you took on the way?