Interview: Brooke Shields
“Rowan was like,‘Don't let the door hit you on the way out.'"
by Mary Ann Cooper
April 27, 2009
So, who is more like you, Rowan or Grier?
I'm really a blend of the two of them, but I'm more like Rowan because both of us are very aware of how things sound and how they seem. Like me, Rowan is self-aware at a very young age. Grier could care less about being liked. Whatever she wants is what
she wants and it's the most important thing. She doesn't believe in softening her response. Rowan is like, "Okay, how do I navigate this?"
You've got so much on your plate. You have to juggle a demanding career with being a great mom. Do you relate to Wendy, the character you played on
Lipstick Jungle?
I definitely identify with her. But her kids are older and I look at my kids and think "Oh God, I hope I'm more equipped than she is by the time they're teenagers!" I have to say I am anticipating it with fear — abject fear!
So, what has been your greatest challenge in trying to do it all and be the best mom you can be?
Slowing my brain down long enough to hear them. I'll go into function mode as long as they're fine. I make sure the school projects get done and the play dates are scheduled. The time is never an issue with me as much as my focus within the time that I'm
not trying to do ten things at once. Sitting down and actually slowing down enough to color the coloring book, rather than giving them the coloring books while I'm doing emails. They are starting to get to the stage when they say, "Nevermind" or "You don't
understand." And I'll think, "No, I do mind and you have to talk to me"; "No, I don't understand and you need to explain it to me." But it can't be rushed. It takes time, and I'm used to being on the move all the time and being busy all the time.
So I need to be mindful of that.
When you do slow down and you and the girls play hooky together what's a typical day like?
It usually involves something outdoors like the park. Sometimes we'll go get our nails done. It's usually the park and a movie or some kind of fun meal. We try to make a day of it and not come back for hours.
"Like me, Rowan is self-aware at a very young age."You caused quite a stir when you talked about your struggles with postpartum depression after Rowan was born. Did you experience the same thing after Grier was born?
I had none of it with Grier. The circumstances were so different. During my pregnancy I was able to find a medication in my third trimester that sort of kept me hormonally balanced but was totally safe for the baby. The doctors also monitored me. Plus, I
got pregnant naturally. I was physically and biologically stronger. I'm convinced people still need to talk about PPD more. There is still a sort of shame surrounding it, and that's so sad. But there are always people coming up to me saying somehow my story
helped them, and that's a good thing.
You've been in show business since you were a baby. What would be your reaction if Rowan and Grier came to you and asked to be models or actresses?
I realize they don't understand how difficult it is. And I certainly would not make it easier for them, insofar as take them around. I think it's a really difficult world to go into, and what they don't know now is that they wouldn't want it. I work with
kids a lot of the time and they don't to want to be doing it. They're not having fun. They're just not enjoying themselves. But if they grew up and wanted to be actresses after they went to school, then I would be much more amenable to helping them. The important
thing is that they have to go to school first.
Has being a mother yourself made you view your relationship with your own mother in a new light?
There hasn't been any great epiphany in any of it. It just gets you to this place where you have a better understanding of the difficulties of being a parent. My mom was with me all the time and it was just us. And she didn't have any kind of work aside
from me. I don't think I ever realized how hard it must have been to be a single mom, because I rely on my husband so much.
Having children can sometimes test a marriage. How has parenthood affected yours?
I don't think children can ever be considered to fix a marriage, but boy, it can give you a whole new level of respect for your partner. I realize there's so much in the point of view that he provides that I wouldn't have if I were alone. My husband makes
the time for our daughters. He works a lot, but what he does with the time he does have is pure. I've watched this since the girls were born. It's really something special.
About the Author
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Mary Ann Cooper is a freelance entertainment journalist living in New Jersey with her husband, Gary. Her work regularly appears in GRAND Magazine. She can be found online at www.maryanncooper.net |
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