Ellie Kemper Revealed the Parenting Advice She Got From These 2 Celebrities
Fans of The Office still recognize Ellie Kemper as the lovable Dunder Mifflin receptionist, Erin Hannon. Later heading Tina Fey’s Netflix comedy Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the Bridesmaids star has rubbed elbows with plenty of celebrity moms over the years. The connections came in handy when Kemper became a mother of two boys, James and Matthew, where she was able to glean some words of wisdom from her colleagues.
Tina Fey and ‘The Office’ co-star Jenna Fischer shared some tips with mom Ellie Kemper
Kemper and her husband, Michael Koman, welcomed sons James in 2016 and Matthew in 2019. She tapped into her network of moms for some helpful hints on childrearing, which included some tips from her Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt boss.
“Tina Fey told me never to use a baby wipe warmer because then your child will get used to a warm baby wipe, and you can’t always have that on standby,” Kemper told Huffpost in 2019. “So I think that’s very valuable. I never use a baby wipe warmer.”
The Office alum also described some advice she got from her former sitcom co-star, who offered some insight on feeding strategy.
“Jenna Fischer told me about nursing ― breastfeeding versus bottles and all that stuff that people will have strong opinions about whatever you choose to do,” Kemper explained. “She said you have to do what’s right for you and your baby. I’ve taken that with me too. Every child is different. Every mom is different.”
Ellie Kemper offered her own advice to parents
Kemper noted how becoming a parent is a monumental life change, but revealed some thoughts that helped her make the adjustment.
“My advice for new parents is to realize everything is a phase,” she said. “That’s what people keep telling me, and it’s really helpful. You have to realize this is not your new permanent existence. Kids go through phases and life has stages. That helps to calm me down.”
With so much time devoted to her kids, Kemper found that concentrating on her sons rather than herself was actually a positive transition.
“What surprised me the most about becoming a parent is how you can’t focus as much on yourself,” she shared. “I sort of knew that going into it ― you’ll be taking care of someone else. But it feels healthy not to think about yourself as much. That’s a nice surprise.”
Ellie Kemper loves being a ‘boy mom’
Going from one child to two brought some challenges for Kemper, who discovered that the newborn phase can have its advantages.
“You realize as they get older that it’s so much easier when they’re just a few months old, and they can’t move,” she remarked. “I basically let my older son have whatever he wants when we travel because I have to survive. So he eats a lot of sugar, which can come back to bite you, but you’ve got to give them what they want just to settle them down.”
As for being surrounded by males in her home, Kemper apparently prefers being the queen bee of the house.
“I sort of love it,” she said. “I don’t know how I would’ve dealt with another female vying for dominance in my household.”
