Teresa Giudice typically handles things like makeup and cheerleading practice with her daughters, but while she's been behind bars, hubby Joe Giudice has really stepped up his game.
"I've always been a father," he tells E! News during our exclusive sit-down interview. "I've always done everything but Teresa did all the driving around, running around, paying for everything and doing all this and doing all that. I never knew how many expenses there are just in the activities."
And although the extra-curricular activities are a bit pricey, he enjoys watching his kids participate. "Damn, cheer's expensive. Damn, soccer's expensive. Everything's expensive, but I enjoy it. It's fun watching them and they did really good."
He's even become a staple at cheer practice. "I'm like the mom—I'm like the cheer mom and whatever," he jokingly told us.
But Joe, who has been taking care of daughters Gia, Gabriella, Milania, and Audriana by himself as Teresa serves out the rest of her prison sentence, isn't exactly complaining. "There's a lot of dads at the cheer, too," he said.
"It's exciting watching the cheer because they're doing a lot of flips and all this other stuff."
Joe even had to step in after Milania tried out a new beauty trick and had less than desirable results—which she unsuccessfully tried to cover with makeup. "Gia's yelling at her cause she looked like a clown," he laughed.
Really, though, 14-year-old Gia "is very mature for her age, which is good," said Joe. "So is [11-year-old] Gabriella actually...having them two around was a big help."
Even so, dad's the one who has to discipline the girls when they inevitably fight "over stupid stuff." So how does he do it? Watch the clip above to find out, plus hear what Joe has to say about all the other ways he's stepped in for Teresa.
For more of our exclusive interview with Joe Giudice, tune in to E! News tonight at 7 and 11 p.m. Plus, be sure to watch The Real Housewives of New Jersey: Teresa Checks In, Sunday at 8 p.m. on Bravo.
(E! and Bravo are both members of the NBCUniversal family.)