Jessica Alba Reveals She Struggles With Letting Her Kids Make Mistakes: ‘Hardest Part About Being a Parent’
Jessica Alba rose to fame as an actor in movies such as Honey (2003), Fantastic Four (2005), and Sin City (2005). However, nowadays, Alba has is also known for being a founder of The Honest Company, which sells eco-friendly products to parents.
She recently talked about some of her own struggles when parenting her own kids. Alba shared that something she finds difficult is allowing her children to make their own mistakes in life.
How many kids does Jessica Alba have?
In 2008, Alba married her husband, Cash Warren. The couple has three children together: Honor (born 2008), Haven (born 2011), and Hayes (born 2017).
Alba and Warren once shared that they have some common goals when raising kids.
“One thing that Jessica and I are 100 percent aligned on is that we’re not raising a**holes,” Warren said in a 2020 interview with The Scott Brothers. “If they get out of line, we’re not going to stand for it. We’ve tried to maintain the values our parents taught us.”
Alba also added in the same interview, “I don’t shy away from setting boundaries and routines. They have to make their beds. They have to set the table, clear the table—those are no-brainers, right? They participate in taking care of the home and themselves.”
Both Alba and Warren are business owners, and they revealed that at home they consider themselves similar to business partners. Warren explained, “I’ve always looked for business partners who complement me. They have strengths that are my weaknesses, and that holds true for Jessica and me. Communication is key in both areas; nothing works if you don’t have each other’s back. And whether it’s making your household work or your business work, you have to be totally committed.”
Jessica Alba says the ‘hardest part’ about parenting is letting her kids make mistakes
Alba recently appeared on the podcast Raising Good Humans, where she talks about when to let go as a parent. The actor’s oldest child is now a teenager, and her younger ones are also getting older every day. Alba admitted that it can be difficult to step back and let her kids make mistakes to grow.
“That is the hardest part about being a parent is allowing your kids to make a mistake and knowing when it is going to be too hard or too much,” she said. “And then you’re like, I guess nothing’s too much.”
Alba added, “But I also like it. They’re not mistakes, they’re lessons, and they’re meant to go through the challenges and it’s meant to bring them out the other side. So, yeah, that’s impossible. That’s one thing that I definitely struggle with.”
Jessica Alba follows a Japanese philosophy that embraces imperfections
As a mom of three, Alba understands that life can be messy sometimes. She has shared that she follows the Japanese philosophy of “wabi-sabi,” which encourages people to embrace imperfections.
“I am an earthy person and I’m a tactile person,” she told Us Weekly in 2017. “There’s this Japanese philosophy called ‘wabi-sabi’ that I sort of live by. It’s enjoying and embracing the imperfections of real life.”
She also talked about this during her 2020 appearance on Hot Ones, saying, “In the end of the day, if you can feel a connection to memories and stories and things that surround you, there’s nothing more beautiful. It reminds you to live your life to the fullest.”
