Being a parent can stir up all kinds of feelings we’d never expect, and what’s worse is that we never know when it’s going to happen. Talk show host, actress, and mom Drew Barrymore is learning that sometimes, her daughters’ behavior will kick up feelings for her that she might not want to experience again. And for someone like Drew, who has been very open about her tumultuous childhood, raising tweens — especially where her 11-year-old daughter, Olive, is concerned — can be uniquely challenging as she mentioned during a conversation with another celeb mom.
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Drew is looking for advice.
On a recent episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, Drew and guest Jessica Capshaw talked about how "triggering" it can be to raise tweens, especially girls. Drew’s oldest daughter, Olive, is already acting very much like a tween, which has Drew freaking out a bit. It makes sense given that she was in rehab as a teen.
And because Jessica is mom to four kids between the ages of 16 and 8, she had a bit of advice on how to navigate the tricky preteen years.
The talk show host is clearly stressed.
"My daughter who’s 12 … who is about to turn 12, she really wants to be 16. Going on 25," Drew explained, to which Jessica replied, "So did we!"
"I know! It’s so triggering," Drew said, falling back into her couch dramatically before asking for Jessica’s help.
Jessica reminded her that even though this time can be "really challenging," ultimately it can also be "as easy as you make it."
Jessica offered good advice.
Jessica also claimed there was one moment that became a turning point in her own relationship with her kids: smartphones.
"'Everyone else has a phone. I want a phone.' We waited until she was 13. And there was a contract and there was like, ‘What do I expect from you, what do you expect from me? What does this phone mean?’" she said.
Thankfully, Drew is surrounded by other women who get it.
Drew admitted that it's hard to reconcile the fact that she behaved the same way her daughter is currently behaving when she was Olive’s age, which can be hard for any parent to swallow!
Drew then reflected on a conversation she had with one of her besties, a fellow girl mom, who also gave her a really important perspective to keep in mind.
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One of Drew's besties hit her with a reality check.
"Not to drop a name, but one of my best friends happens to be Cameron Diaz. And I was like, ‘And the way these girls dress today!’ And she goes, ‘Oh come on. You remember the ‘70s with bikini tops and dolphin shorts!’" Drew recalled. "And I was like, ‘Yeah, but it felt different!.’ And she was like, ‘Come on. We all wore tube tops and tiny shorts.'"
It may be true, but it feels so different when you’re the mom.
