Alicia Keys is leaning into the art of self-reflection. During a recent appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, the Grammy winner talked about what motherhood has taught her, especially about herself.
The 44-year-old explained that raising kids has actually pushed her to be more aware of her own reactions. When Drew Barrymore admitted she can “care myself to death” as a mom and asked for guidance, The “Fallin'” artist didn’t pretend there’s a perfect answer. Instead, she focused on staying grounded in the moment.
“You have your instinct, and you know what you feel. And I think we also do have to learn how to separate ourselves from them, because I think that’s a big point that you’re bringing up,” she told the talk show host.
The singer and her husband, Swizz Beatz, share a blended family of five children, three of whom are from his previous relationships. That kind of family dynamic naturally comes with many different layers, but Keys said most of the work is internal.
“Like, naturally, we do have our own triggers, and we do have our own histories and things that we’re working through,” she said. “And so knowing that they’re so pure, you know, knowing that they are a clean slate and a pureness, we can almost take a step and say, ‘Hold on, that’s mine. That’s not theirs. Let me just take a breather.’”
Her takeaway from the conversation isn’t about being a perfect parent, it’s about noticing what old feelings kids can bring to the surface. “It’s just like these things, they bring up things in you, and you’re like, ‘Ah, wait a minute. Is that me, though? It’s probably me,’” she said.
The “Empire State of Mind” singer called children “… the most beautiful teachers…”
“I think that’s why they’re the most beautiful teachers because they bring to light what we have to see in ourselves”.
The singer has spoken before about motherhood being a turning point. In a 2021 interview with Bustle, she shared, “I know for sure that prior to it, I still didn’t know myself. I still didn’t understand my own worth and importance.”
That self-awareness is exactly what she hopes her kids learn. Speaking to People Magazine in 2024, she explained that she encourages all of her children to pay attention to their feelings and inner voice.
“If you don’t know what you think or what you feel, it’s going to be hard for you. I feel like I’ve spent a lot of time not fully understanding or not trusting what I felt, and so I want to teach them to trust their instincts.”
Photo Credit: The Drew Barrymore Show Instagram; Alicia Keys Instagram
