Maryse Mizanin misses WWE, but being a mother exceeds her career goals (Exclusive)

Maryse Mizanin talks candidly about how becoming a mother has changed her approach to her career.

While I spoke exclusively to PEOPLE at WWE’s Monday evening Raw In Los Angeles on Monday, January 6, the retired professional wrestler and mother of two – who is married to WWE star Mike ‘The Miz’ Mizanin – explains that while she misses wrestling in the WWE, parenthood “changes everything.”

“As much as we love it, the kids are priority and number one right now,” Maryse, 41, tells PEOPLE. “So we have to prioritize them in every aspect. … It is especially difficult as a woman with two children. I can’t travel the road [I used to] … And then I don’t want to.”

“I want to be there for my children. And that makes me happy,” she adds. “I want to go to bed at night and know I’m in the same house as my kids, so as much as I love the company – I miss it – I choose my kids.”

Mike, who was also at the event, said becoming a father to daughters Monroe Sky, 6, and Madison Jade, 5, changed his perspective.

“I love my children to death. And I try to find that healthy balance between fulfilling our dreams — but also because we want to show our children that if you have a dream, you have to chase it and do what you have to do,” says the television personality, 44. “But you also have to be that parent and that father.”

“To them I’m not The Miz, I’m Dad,” he continues. “And Dad gets nothing. It’s kind of funny: When people come up to me and ask for a picture, they’re like, ‘Is that because you’re The Miz?’ They’re five and six and they’re already roasting me.

Maryse has previously opened up to PEOPLE about parenting, noting that she and Mike are perfectly suited to entertaining children because of all their experience in public work.

“We’re actually clowns. That’s our job,” she joked to PEOPLE in 2020. “We’re just completely committed to them.”

During a separate conversation that same year, she revealed to PEOPLE that “mom guilt” is a very real phenomenon — although she didn’t realize how much she would feel it until she had children.

“I’m with them all day, every day, but sometimes I feel like it’s never enough,” she said. “Mother guilt is really something that not many mothers talk about. You leave your house for an hour and you feel guilty about it.”

“That was something I wasn’t aware of before I got pregnant,” she explained. “I didn’t know women felt this way, and it’s crazy because a lot of my friends say to me, ‘I feel the same way.’ I basically take care of my kids as best I can, love them as much as I can, give them everything I can [still] feel this way. To be honest, it is quite a challenge.”

In addition to their wrestling careers, the couple gave fans an even greater insight into their lives through the fan-favorite reality show Miz and Madam, which premiered on the USA Network in 2018 and ran for three seasons.

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While I recently spoke to PEOPLE Raw During the event, Mike teased a potential new reality show featuring the couple.

“Well, I guess we can’t really… We can tease it,” he says. “So maybe. You might hear some things. Keep your eyes peeled for a new show with the Miz and Maryse.”

Raw airs live on Netflix every Monday at 8pm ET.