Madonna is crazy for her six kids! The pop icon welcomed her first child, Lourdes, in 1996 and grew her brood with the additions of Rocco, David, Mercy and twins Stella and Estere.
In 2017, Madonna appeared on the cover of PEOPLE and opened up about her life at home with her children and her emotional adoption journey.
"Sometimes I would just close my eyes and just think, 'Why isn't my kitchen filled with dancing children?'
There's so many children that need a home," she said. "I thought, 'What am I waiting for? Just do it.' "
Madonna described the instant connection she felt to her kids upon meeting them. "It's inexplicable," she said. "It's like saying, 'Why do you fall in love with the people you fall in love with?'
You look into the eyes of somebody, you feel their soul, you feel touched by them — that's it."
The "Like a Virgin" singer honored all six of her children by getting her first tattoo in December 2020 — each of their initials on her wrist. In August 2022,
Madonna celebrated her 64th birthday surrounded by her kids during a trip to Italy. "Tanti auguri (happy birthday)," she captioned a photo of her and her children posing during the festivities.
She honored her children again in November 2022 when she shared cute photos on Instagram featuring all her kids gathered for Thanksgiving.
In one photo, the pop star stands in the center of her six children. In the caption, she wrote, "What I'm thankful for…………. ."
However, Madonna admits that being a mother of six isn't always easy.
The singer told Vanity Fair in January 2023 that motherhood "has been the most difficult, the hardest battle," adding, "Today I am still struggling to understand how to be a mother and do my job."
"Because, whoever you are, having children and raising them is a work of art," she continued. "And no one gives you a manual.
You have to learn from mistakes. It is a profession that requires a lot of time. And it is exhausting because there is never rest."
In March 2023, the "Material Girl" singer shared the five "house rules" she and her children follow.
"1. Smile, 2. Be Happy, 3. Listen to others, 4. Speak Kindness, 5. Be Happy with what you have," the home decor sign said.
Madonna was hospitalized for a "serious bacterial infection" in June 2023. According to her talent manager and producer, Guy Oseary, she's expected to make a full recovery.
"I have felt your love. I'm on the road to recovery and incredibly grateful for all the blessings in my life," Madonna wrote on Instagram in July.
"My first thought when I woke up in the hospital was my children. My second thought was that I did not want to disappoint anyone who bought tickets for my tour."
Later that month, Madonna thanked her kids for their support during her health scare.
“As a mother, you can really get caught up in the needs of your children and the seemingly endless giving,” she captioned an Instagram post.
“But when the chips were down, my children really showed up for me. I saw a side to them I had never seen before. It made all the difference.”
Keep scrolling to get to know all of Madonna's beloved kids. Lourdes, 26 Rocco, 23 David, 17 Mercy, 17 Stella and Estere, 10