40 Celebs Reveal Their Best Parenting Advice

Felicity Huffman: Make Time for Your Partner

Desperate Housewives star and mother of two Felicity Huffman told Savvymommy.com, “I was always afraid that when my husband and I had kids he would forget about me and only focus on the children, but in fact I am the one too focused on them, and he has to say to me ‘Hey, we need some couple's time! Remember me! I'm the guy you married!’” Felicity Huffman thought kids and career couldn’t mix »

Heidi Klum: You Can Make It Work

Project Runway host, Heidi Klum, uses the fashion show’s tag line “make it work” in her life as a mom when she gets overwhelmed. She told Redbook, “I was confident before I had my children, but maturing and becoming a mother enhances that self-confidence. You learn that you can take on quite a lot and make it work. When your kids need you to be strong and secure, it's very
natural to be."
Heidi Klum and 14 more model moms from past and present »

Kate Hudson: Give Your Kids Some Freedom

Kate Hudson, mom to sons, Ryder and Bingham, told Elle: “My parents allowed my brother and I to have our freedom and be ourselves and feel confident in our choices and to make mistakes without too much judgment … I hope that I can do as good a job.”
Kate goes back to work … as a brunette! »

Julia Roberts: Call Your Own Parents Often

“I try to call my mother, Betty, with more regularity because I think, ‘What if Hazel didn’t call me for two weeks?’” Julia Roberts told NewParent.com. “I’m able to see her mothering now from a different vantage point.”
A look back at Julia Roberts and her style »

Will Ferrell: Talk to Your Kids

When asked for parenting advice, Will Ferrell, father of sons Magnus and Mattias, joked to People: "Talk to your children, at least once a week. If you've got time, do it two or three times a week. But otherwise, I find the times where I let weeks and weeks go by without talking to my children, that adds up."
See more adorable photos of Will Ferrell and his kids »

Tom Cruise: Encourage Your Kids Creativity

Tom Cruise, dad to 5-year-old Suri, told Britain's GMTV: "I believe that she (should wear) whatever she wants to wear. She dresses herself. I want to encourage her creativity and her own self-expression. I think that's important for the child's own identity."
Suri Cruise’s shoe collection is worth over $150,000? »

Helena Christensen: Dont Stress

Super model and celeb mom Helena Christensen told Babble: “Every child is different. You’re different. I worried a lot when I had Mingus; the responsibility is so heavy if you think about it. If you think too much about it, it drives you crazy, so just let it happen. All [kids] really want is love and routine and a good night’s sleep and delicious food.”
Read the full Babble interview with Helena Christensen »

Bethenny Frankel: Sleep When You Can

"Sleep while the baby's sleeping! Sleep is way more important than exercise, that’s all you need to be worried about right now," Bethenny Frankel told Us Magazine.
Bethenny Frankel gets life lessons from Yo Gabba Gabba »

Nia Vardalos: Embrace the Messiness

"Becoming a mom to me means you have accepted that for the next 16 years of your life, you will have a sticky purse,” Nia Vardalos of My Big Fat Greek Wedding told Good Housekeeping. “[Mine] is always filled with stuff I didn't put there, from leftover Tootsie Rolls to wet wipes that got squished to the bottom. It makes me laugh every day."
Nia Vardalos talks about adoption »

Amy Wilson: Perfect is Overrated

Law & Order star and mom of three Amy Wilson told Celebritybabyscoop.com that being the martyr won’t impress your family. She said: "I have finally figured out that the more time I spend trying to be the 'best' mom I can be, the less of me my children get to have. They don't care if I have Gwen Stefani's abs, if the eggs are free-range, if their markers are nontoxic, and their paper from recycled fibers. They would much rather have chicken nuggets for dinner (again), laundry piled up to the ceiling, and my full, undivided attention, down on the floor playing with them for half an hour.”
Amy Wilson’s take on the unattainable perfection in parenting »

Marcia Cross: Use Humor to Diffuse the Situation

Marcia Cross says she uses laughter to deal with her twin toddlers’ tantrums. She told Good Housekeeping: "I use humor instead of getting into that whole yes and no thing all the time. It's about just getting them to laugh rather than getting in power struggles."
Straight talk about motherhood from Marcia Cross »

Ewan McGregor: Give Your Undivided Attention

Ewan McGregor shared his simple piece of parenting advice with Men’s Health: "Pay attention. I recognize it can be boring to play with young children — to tell a story over and over again, let's say — but the secret is being there. If you've made a decision to play with your children, then play with them. Turn off your BlackBerry. Lose yourself in their world. Even if you do it for a short time, it will mean a lot to you and to them."
All about Ewan McGregor’s latest adopted baby girl »

Stephen Colbert: Never Underestimate Your Kids

When asked if he has a parenting mantra, Stephen Colbert joked to Parents.com: “Never underestimate kids' tenacity. Raising a child is like wrestling a small but relentless opponent. You can't beat children in a logic battle. Their simple minds are better at it. Go with what adults are good at: tyrannical authority.”
Stephen Colbert takes his daughter as his date to the Grammys »

Meryl Streep: Listen More Than You Talk

"When your kids come home, they don't necessarily want to talk to you. They just want to know you're standing there, ready to talk," Meryl Streep told Good Housekeeping.
Meryl Streep and other celeb moms on the Forbes list of highest earning women »

Brooke Shields: Dont Worry What Others Think

Brooke Shields has a no-nonsense approach to raising her daughters. She told Newparent.com: “Trust me when I tell you I’m on my girls. And every time I am, I know from the outside it looks like I’m an overbearing, controlling parent. But I don’t think we are responsible to anybody but our kids and ourselves.”
10 things you didn’t know about Brooke Shields »

Molly Ringwald: Take Time For Yourself

“We all want to be good parents, and it's easy to say, ‘I'm just going to live for [my kids]',” The Breakfast Club star admitted to Babble. “Yes, my kids are incredibly important, and, yes, my kids come first, but I know that as a parent I need to come to them with a fresh mind. I can't be too exhausted or too tired. And I am a better parent [after I take time off] — I have more
energy, more fun.”

Julianne Moore: Teach By Example

When asked about how the The Kids Are All Right star teaches her own children about tolerance, Moore told CNN that she didn’t have to. “I don't think that I need to give them a lesson,” Moore stated. “You have to work really hard to give a child a prejudice. Children are naturally born without one. So, if the reality of gay families is kind of out there, if they see families living this way, then it's completely natural and normal for them.”

Jada Pinkett Smith: Respect Your Kids Boundaries

Mama Smith has a strong rule about respecting her children’s privacy on her “Golden Rules of Parenting” list. She told Cookie, "Staying out of kids' space can teach them to be responsible for their own decisions and mistakes. Is it their room, or are they borrowing the space while they're living in your house? If it's theirs, then they should be able to do whatever they want with it. If it's their clothes, they have the right to do whatever they want with those clothes. We have to give them some freedom to be who they are."

Kendra Wilkinson: Develop Selective Hearing

The only way to get through parenting, Wilkinson told Babble, is to take some advice and ditch the rest. “You’re going to have advice thrown at you all day, everyday, from your mom, your mother-in-law, your siblings — everybody!,” Wilkinson says. “You should do it this way! You should do it that way! No! Don’t listen to everything. Take the advice you want, but be your own mom. That’s what makes it so special.”

Jennie Garth: Stay Consistent

“Kids need routine,” the former 90210 star told Babble. “Have a bedtime, stick to it, do your homework before you turn on the TV.”

Denise Richards: Dont Put Down Your Body

“I'll never talk about weight around [my girls],” the star told Shape magazine, “And they'll never hear me say, 'Mommy's feeling fat today.' That kind of attitude just makes young girls grow up to be dissatisfied with their bodies.”

Bridget Moynahan: Be Prepared

“Don't forget your underwear,” Moynahan joked to Redbook. “But seriously, you have to be prepared for spit-up on your clothes. And always have a change of shirt in the car — one that blends with spit-up is a good choice!”

Katherine Heigl: Make White Noise

“We use a big standing fan. We put it on high wattage to drown out everything,” Heigl told People. “Her bedroom is right over the kitchen and living room area so you can really hear us down there when we are watching TV. My mother taught me that. She said she used to leave a vacuum running in the baby’s room and it really works.”

Kimora Lee Simmons: Live Generously

“My girls and I regularly go through their rooms to find clothes and toys to donate to charities. I firmly believe that children who have been given so much need to experience the joy that comes from giving,” Simmons told Mystyle.com “All children can do things to help, whether how big or small — by donating toys or lending a hand in the community.”

Philip Seymour Hoffman: Tell Them You Love Them

In an interview with Hollybaby.com, the Capote star and father of three admitted, “It’s important to tell [your kids] that you love them…Don’t assume that they know!” Hoffman went on to say, “I think it’s important that you’re physically affectionate with your children — that they get used to you hugging them and holding their hands. Those are the things that are the most important — that they know you’re there and you’re not going anywhere.”

Ally Sheedy: Stay Out of Their Way

The Breakfast Club star was out of the spotlight for years until two things happened — she landed a buzzworthy role in Life During Wartime, and she accidentally outed her daughter’s homosexuality during a charity benefit. When asked by Babble about what she does to help her daughter feel comfortable with herself, this was Sheedy’s advice: “I try very hard just to trust in her and let her be who she is and let her become her own self. The best advice I was ever given was to let this wonderful person develop and stay out of her way.”

Brandy Norwood: Be a Friend First

Singer, mom, Dancing With the Stars competitor — Brandy wears a lot of hats. When it comes to her eight year-old daughter, the one she puts on first is that of a friend. “A lot of mothers feel like they’re the mom first, with that authority,” Brandy told Parade. “But for me, I’m a friend first. I believe that just being there for my daughter as a friend more than ‘I’m in charge’ causes her to be more open with me as a person.”

Taraji Henson: Listen to Your Child

“Listen to your children and communicate with them,” The Karate Kid actress told Babble. “You have to be there 100 percent for them. You have to pay attention to what they’re doing/reading/watching because this world is a very different world than when I grew up. They have all this information at their fingertips, and you have to pay attention — with eyes wide open.”

Ron Howard: Find the Humor

You’re never going to make it through parenthood if you can’t laugh along the way. Just ask Ron Howard. The A Beautiful Mind director and father of four recently told Parade, "Humor is unavoidable. It might not feel funny in the moment, but more often than not there's a light at the end of the tunnel and you can personally look back and find the laughs in being a parent.”

Angelina Jolie: Let Kids Dress Themselves

When approached with criticisms that daughter Shiloh looks increasingly like a boy, the Changeling actress struck back by telling Reuters, “I would never be the kind of parent to force somebody to be something they are not. Children should be allowed to express themselves in whatever way they wish without anybody judging them because it is an important part of their growth.”

Amanda Beard: Follow Your Instincts

Beard may have seven Olympic medals for swimming, but she had zero parenting experience before she gave birth. To get through it, Beard admitted to Babble, “Follow your instincts. I had never held a baby, changed a diaper or given a bath before, but when you bring your child home, everything kicks in. I felt like, ‘I’m a mom, I’m in charge, I know how to do things, and this is my son.’”

Lori Loughlin: Mitigate the Fights

With two daughters just one year apart, Loughlin is all too familiar with breaking up catfights. To quell the situation, Loughlin recommends addressing the conflict as it happens. “I try talking to [my daughters] in the moment and pointing out why [one sister] is acting the way she is,” the Full House and 90210 star told Babble. “When you’re with anyone as much as my girls are together, you’re bound to fight!”

Hugh Jackman: Give Them a Workout

Jackman’s got a very strict routine for his two children before bedtime. “First of all, you gotta run them around before the bath. Play a game of hide and seek or wrestle or muck around,” Jackman told People. “Then they’re exhausted. Then we all fall asleep on the bed!” Sounds fun.

Whitney Houston: Let Children Express Themselves

“I think it’s a very important thing to allow our children to express themselves,” the singer/songwriter told InStyle magazine about her 16-year-old daughter. “If [Krissy's] angry, I allow her to say, ‘Damn! I’m so frustrated today!’ I want her to count on me to try to understand what she’s going through. No damnation, no condemnation, nothing that’s going to make her feel like she can’t come to me.”

Eva La Rue: Forgive Yourself

You're always going to feel guilty about something,” the CSI: Miami star and mother of one told Babble. “If there's one piece of valuable information I wish I had in the beginning, it's this — allow yourself the guilt. It's okay. There's no way around it.”

Michelle Obama: Let Kids Draw Their Own Conclusions

According to the first lady, parents don’t have to be the iron fist of authority. When asked by Prevention about how Mrs. Obama regulates her kids’ caloric intake, Michelle calmly says that she lets the kids decide. “When my older daughter asks, ‘Can I have pie?’ I’ll say, ‘Did you have it yesterday? Well, what do you think?,’” Obama said, “And she’ll come to the conclusion that, ‘You know, you’re right, I shouldn’t eat pie every night.’”

Jeffrey Tambor: Set Strong Boundaries

Tambor might play it silly on the screen, but the Arrested Development star and father of five knows when to turn the laughter off. “I believe in boundaries for kids,” Tambor told Babble. “[My wife and I] are not the kind of parents who say, ‘Do whatever you feel.’ We certainly know that kids, especially kids in their formative years, need boundaries and discipline and it comforts them.”

Angela Kinsey: Make Time for Playtime

Kinsey might play an uptight crone on The Office, but her parenting style is anything but. “We bought a little barn by Fisher Price and my daughter has all the animals,” Kinsey told us. “Now, Isabel’s taking it to another level saying, ‘Okay Mommy, you be a horse, I’ll be a cow.’ So I walk on the floor in my house neighing and mooing, and we act out the farm. Playtime is so important as parents, to be really involved and respond to whatever it is your kids are into at that moment.”

Tina Fey: Get Sleep

Motherhood is exhausting. To combat perpetual fatigue, the 30 Rock writer and actress advises parents to drop everything and go to bed. “You just have to go to sleep,” Fey told Parents. “There's a strong desire to get stuff done and be an adult, but just go to bed. Blow off sending your family birthday cards or setting the table for Thanksgiving — just go to sleep whenever you can. I just go to bed all the time.”

Elisabeth Hasselbeck: Communicate,Communicate, Communicate

“Every night I sit at my computer and talk it out with Tim,” Hasselback told Strollertraffic.com. “This is how the conversation goes: Who is taking Grace to school? Who will pick her up? What class does Taylor have? Who has a doctor’s appointment? What time is the meeting? Did you sign the permission slip for school? What about packing lunch and writing a note for the lunch? Oh, no! We need milk. Can you pick up diapers? And after swirling all of the schedule options about, I write it down as to not forget it all the next morning. Otherwise I would be lost. Without Tim — who was born to be a great dad — I would be even more lost.”

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