People.com Celebrity Parents Tyra Banks Reveals the Reason She Shared a Photo of Her Son on Social Media - and Says York Is Already Smizing During a trip to Late Night with Seth Meyers on Thursday, Tyra Banks talked about her son's ability to smize — but she doesn't want him to become a model By Dave Quinn Dave Quinn Instagram Twitter Dave Quinn is an Editor for PEOPLE, working across a number of verticals including the Entertainment, Lifestyle and News teams. He joined in 2006 as a Writer/Reporter where he became known for his Bravo and Broadway exclusives across print and digital. Dave is the author of the No. 1 New York Times best-selling book, Not All Diamonds and Rosé: The Inside Story of the Real Housewives from the People Who Lived It. He's appeared on many broadcasts including ABC's Good Morning America, Bravo's Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, E!'s Daily Pop, NBC's New York Live and PEOPLE's own Reality Check, as well as a number of podcasts like Bitch Sesh, Everything Iconic, Watch What Crappens, Hot Off the Mess, Mention It All, and PEOPLE Every Day. Prior to working at PEOPLE, Dave was the chief Theater Reporter for NBC New York and co-host of Entertainment Weekly's acclaimed TV Recaps series. People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 28, 2017 04:45 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Supermodel Tyra Banks has popularized the phrase “smize” over the years — a term she coined for her uncanny ability to smile with her eyes. And it appears her 17-month-old son York has followed in her footsteps! During a trip to Late Night with Seth Meyers on Thursday, Banks talked about her son’s model-like pose — as seen in the first (and only) full photo of him she shared to Instagram back in June. “I am not a stage mom. I don’t want you to think I’m like, ‘You ain’t going to get no peas and carrots if he don’t smize.’ He just has that natural thing,” the 43-year-old America’s Got Talent host told Meyers. “I had it when I was young too.” That doesn’t mean Banks wants York to follow in her career path. “I do not want him to model, Lord,” she said. “But he had that thing. Look at him. He’s like, ‘Hellooo. I am smizing.’ ” New Mom and Beauty Mogul Tyra Banks on Finding Balance: My Son Has Taught Me to ‘Focus on One Thing at a Time’ Tyra Banks/Instagram He’s not just good at smizing. In June, Banks told PEOPLE York has quickly become “Mommy’s little helper.” “He’s in love with his baby-sized broom,” she revealed. “Right now, he is into everything and anything, especially stuff he can push or move, so his curiosity is constantly making me laugh.” Want all the latest pregnancy and birth announcements, plus celebrity mom blogs? Click here to get those and more in the PEOPLE Babies newsletter. York was born in January of 2016 via gestational surrogate. Banks, who is also returning to host the next cycle of America’s Next Top Model, shares him with her Norwegian photographer boyfriend Erik Asla. Lloyd Bishop/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Elsewhere on her visit to Late Night, Banks revealed why she waited over a year to share a photo of York — and why she kind of regrets it. “It wasn’t so much as I was itching for the world to see him,” she said. “I went to a restaurant on Father’s Day with my son and my dad. It was by the ocean, and my son … wanted to get in the water for the first time. I slathered him with sun screen … and he was just looking crazy. He got slammed with waves, sand everywhere.” RELATED VIDEO: Adoption Holds a Special Place in Katherine Heigl’s Heart As Banks departed the beach, she was spotted by paparazzi who proceeded to snap pictures of her and her son despite her best efforts to hide him with a blanket. “I pull over to the gas station after they get their shot, and I text his dad and I’m like, ‘I got to put this picture out before the paparazzi. I don’t want them to make money off my child’s first picture. I want to beat them to the punch,’ ” Banks explained. “So I post that picture.” Banks would learn the next day that her efforts were for naught. “Ain’t no paparazzi pictures because mama knew how to hide him from that camera,” Banks recalled. “She’s a supermodel for a reason! And so now his picture’s out there and I didn’t need it to be!”