Celebrities like Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez seem to thrive at step-parenting, but in real life, it’s not that easy. Gwyneth Paltrow opened up about being a step-mom to her husband Brad Falchuk’s kids in a vulnerable new interview that sheds some light on this challenging family dynamic.
Step-Parenting Is ‘Hard’
When Paltrow married Falchuk in 2018, she doubled the number of kids at home. She is mom to Apple, 19, and Moses, 17, with ex Chris Martin, and her TV writer-producer husband has Isabella, 19, and Brody, 17, from a previous relationship. Becoming a blended family of four was a struggle for the good.clean.goop founder, who spoke about it with PEOPLE.
“It’s hard, and it’s not intuitive, and nobody tells you how to do it. You just stick with it,” she told the outlet about step-parenting. “Now it’s one of the things that brings me the most happiness in my life.” How sweet is that?
Things Are ‘Pretty Great’ Now
Earlier this year, the Emma star slammed harmful stereotypes that revolve around step-parenting.
“I did find it really hard at first,” she said on an Instagram Q&A about being a stepmom.
“You know, there’s no book on this; nobody tells us what to do. And in fact, all of the existing media around what a stepmother is casts us in this evil, villainous light,” she continued. “So, it’s kind of like trying to avoid land mines. And then you’re going into a family with dynamics. And there’s all kinds of fear around loss and what does this person mean?”
Paltrow went on, “But for myself, the minute I decided, and fully embodied the idea that my step kids were my kids and I love them just as much and I gave them the same rules and boundaries, and just kind of whole-heartedly went for it, then the easier the whole thing got. And now it’s pretty great.”
She’s Trying to ‘Reframe’ Being an Empty Nester
Paltrow, who reportedly enjoys “cooking family dinners while listening to French pop music (her current favorite genre) and watching European murder-mystery shows,” according to PEOPLE, also shared her thoughts on the kids growing up and leaving home. (Apple is in college and Moses is in his senior year of high school).
“I’m trying to reframe it so that I can at least try to convince myself there’s some kind of a silver lining,” she told PEOPLE. “Empty nest sounds so sad and lonely.”
“I believe that life, especially for women, comes in chapters,” she added. “This is really going to be a new chapter for me.” And one that will undoubtedly be just as exciting as all the others!
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