The ever-present coronavirus has made life harder for parents across the world. Actress Angelina Jolie, a mother of six, can certainly agree with that. On April 24, Jolie, who is a contributing editor for TIME, wrote an article for TIME’s Parents newsletter, in which she gives parental advice amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
In her letter, Jolie speaks on how the coronavirus has shown her that being a perfect parent is “impossible” and that children do not want perfection from their parents, just honesty. “So now, in the midst of this pandemic, I think of all the mothers and fathers with children at home,” said Jolie. “All hoping they can do everything right, answer all needs, and stay calm and positive. One thing that has helped me is to know that’s impossible.”
“It is a lovely thing to discover that your children don’t want you perfect. They just want you honest. And doing your best,” explained Jolie. In fact, the more room they have to be great where you are weak, the stronger they may become. They love you. They want to help you. So in the end, it’s the team you build. And in a way, they are raising you up too. You grow together.”
Angelina Jolie shares six children with her ex-husband, fellow actor Brad Pitt: 18-year-old Maddox, 16-year-old Pax, 15-year-old Zahara, 13-year-old Shiloh, and 11-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne Jolie-Pitt (Maddox, Pax and Zahara were adopted internationally). On April 23, the TIME 100: Finding Hope virtual summit took place, where health experts and entertainers discussed the impacts of coronavirus. It featured Jolie, along with singer John Legend and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director and immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci.
During the summit, Jolie spoke about how she is handling the quarantine with her six kids, saying: “We’re all locked in and we’re doing all right.” As a Special Envoy of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Jolie also discussed with TIME editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal about how the coronavirus greatly worsens issues that children around the world face, such as displacement and food insecurity. “We should never have children around the world that vulnerable,” says Jolie.
