Phaedra Parks' 2 Kids: All About Her Sons Ayden and Dylan

The reality star shares two kids with her ex-husband Apollo Nida

Phaedra Parks has many titles, but one of her favorite is being a mother to her children.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta star shares two sons, Ayden, 14, and Dylan, 11 (aka the Prince and Mr. President, respectively), with her ex-husband Apollo Nida. The couple welcomed their first child in May 2010 with Ayden’s birth later showcased on season 3 of the Atlanta-based Real Housewives franchise. Three years later, Phaedra gave birth to Dylan in May 2013.

Roughly one year after their second son was born, Phaedra and Apollo split in 2014. The end of their marriage occurred the same year Apollo pled guilty to bank fraud and identity theft, which resulted in him serving an eight-year prison sentence. Even though their marriage didn’t work out, Phaedra exclusively told PEOPLE in April 2017 she opted not to discuss the details of her divorce on RHOA for the sake of her kids.

“At the end of the day, Apollo is the children’s father,” the mortician said. “And so I want them to be able to make their own opinions about who he is as a father.”

As the boys grew up on the show, Phaedra told The Daily Dish in November 2016 that their personalities were shining through, describing Dylan as “all brawn” and Ayden as “all brain.” Despite their young ages of 3 and 6 at the time, the reality star admitted her sons have a close relationship.

“They are the best of friends,” Phaedra said. “They love a good, playful banter. Sometimes it gets a little aggressive.”

From Ayden and Dylan’s early childhood on RHOA to the unique gifts Phaedra has gotten them for their birthdays, here’s everything to know about Phaedra Parks’ two sons, Ayden and Dylan.

Ayden, 14

Phaedra was pregnant with her son, Ayden, during her first season of RHOA in 2010 and gave birth to him on May 26, 2010, which aired during the eighth episode of season 3. As a new housewife, she gave the audience a look into her life as a first-time mom from the birthing process to balancing becoming a reality star.

“Being a new mother is a total change,” said the lawyer during a confessional interview in season 3 of RHOA. “I mean, that's a new life. Caring for someone outside of yourself is a whole different ball game.”

Despite the sudden lifestyle change, Phaedra thrived in front of the cameras. The Married to Medicine alum revealed on the show that she and Apollo chose to name their first son Ayden Adonis Nida because “Ayden means 'fiery one,' Adonis means 'beautiful male,' and it was just perfect,” adding, “A little fiery man from two fiery parents.”

As Ayden grew up, the early years of his life were spent around the camera crew. The Dancing with the Stars contestant told PEOPLE in November 2016 that the industry piqued Ayden and Dylan’s interest, with her elder child being “very interested in the running of the cameras.” While Dylan enjoyed being filmed, Phaedra joked that Ayden “thinks he can produce the show!”

Phaedra compared her boys to “night and day,” but hasn’t been shy in professing her love for them both over the years. She has long-running nicknames for each of them, with Ayden often referred to as the Prince, while Dylan is Mr. President.

Phaedra left the show following season 9 in 2017, but made her return in 2022 with The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Ex-Wives Club. Producer Andy Cohen shared a heartfelt reunion with both of her boys during a June appearance of the same year on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Ayden and Dylan met with the executive producer and host, with the elder son admitting he remembered Cohen, stating, “I remember you giving me the big Snoopy... I still have it in my room.”

Cohen shared with Ayden that one of his “favorite moments ever" on the show was when Phaedra “[drove] you to your first day of kindergarten. It’s the sweetest — I could cry thinking about it.”

In May 2023, Phaedra celebrated Ayden’s 13th birthday with a lavish carnival-themed party, which was showcased on season 10 of Married to Medicine. To commemorate her first child becoming a teenager, Phaedra told PEOPLE a month later that she gifted him $150,000 to invest in property, even though he wanted a dirt bike originally.

"So he said for his birthday he either wanted a dirt bike or a way to make money. And so I said, 'Well definitely not gonna give you a dirt bike to kill yourself. I will give you $150,000 for you to buy a piece of property,' " she said. "And so now he's basically trying to figure out if he wants to do a little multi-unit duplex, you know, [start] his own little rental properties."

She further celebrated his birthday with a heartfelt video on Instagram of Ayden dedicating a speech to his mother on the special occasion. “Many of you watched his birth, celebrated his birthdays with us, and watched his first day of school,” Phaedra wrote. “Over the past 13 years I’ve been encouraged and sustained by your prayers, kind words, gentle smiles and warm hugs.”

Dylan, 11

Like they did with his elder brother, Phaedra and Apollo filmed Dylan's birth on May 8, 2013. The moment aired during the beginning of RHOA season 6. Soon after he was born, the former couple announced they were getting divorced in 2014. Phaedra told PEOPLE in April 2017 that she “respect[s] my children so much” that she never wanted the topic of her split from their father to be exacerbated for Real Housewives cameras.

“I don’t want [Ayden and Dylan] to look back on television, tabloids, or something I said that will make them feel like their father was not a great father,” she said. “It was important to me to maintain some privacy around it.”

After being on RHOA during his early adolescence, Phaedra told PEOPLE in November 2016 that Dylan took a liking toward filming. Season 9 was his first time being mic'ed for the show, with his mother admitting he was “wary” of the cameras at first but “really evolved” over the years.

“At the end of last year, you saw him beginning to speak,” Phaedra recalled. “Now, he speaks all the time — he won’t stop talking.”

Phaedra and Mr. President have a lot in common — including their wit and fashion sense. She told PEOPLE that “it’s never a boring day with the two of them” as they got up to various shenanigans.

“Yesterday we were at home, and I asked Dylan, ‘What are you chewing on?’ and — this is gross – he said ‘My toenails.’ I was like, ‘Why are you chewing on your toenails?’ and he was like, ‘I’m a carnivore — they’re meat,’ ” she said. “I’m like OH MY GOD — I thought that was so funny. I was like — ‘I’m glad you know what carnivore means, but toenails are not meat!’ ”

When it comes to dress, Phaedra told BravoTV.com in August 2022 that Dylan “loves designer” and was a “sneaker head.” While Ayden was expected to wear uniforms each school day, she revealed Dylan didn’t follow the same guidelines.

“They’re uniform optional, so now he loves to go non-uniform,” she said. “My youngest son is very much the fashionista … He’s a — what do they call it? — sneaker head. So he’s telling everybody about the latest sneakers, and he collects them ... He goes online and he orders all his stuff.”

While Phaedra told PEOPLE in July 2023 that her kids “can be a bit bougie,” she’s “very proud to call them mine” and has three rules for Ayden and Dylan as they grow into young men.

“Be respectful of adults, yes and no ma’am all the time. My second rule is clean up behind yourself. And the last thing is be grateful,” she explained. “I definitely will take their phone away and follow through with that because I worked too hard for them not to appreciate.”