Moderation is key for most things in life, and it seems like Julia Roberts follow that motto when it comes to screen time. The Pretty Woman star opened up about using cell phones to connect with her twins Hazel and Phinnaeus “Finn”, 19, and son Henry, 16, with husband Danny Moder — and the one rule her teens have to stick to.
No Phones at the Table
While Roberts was away filming her new movie, Leave The World Behind, Henry was at home with his dad and Finn and Hazel were off doing their own things, as they have moved out. So the family stayed connected through video calls.
“We all were on a FaceTime the other day together, all of us. And it was so fun,” Roberts told TODAY. “I might’ve had a towel on my wet head. We were all so happy to be together in that way that we are still so deeply in love.”
Doesn’t that just melt your heart? But just because she appreciates the connection iPhones can bring, it doesn’t mean she wants phones in all aspects of her life. In fact, when everyone’s together, the phones are put away.
“So, for us, we just had sort of simple rules where we had a charging station, where everybody’s phone goes when you get home. There’s no phones at the table, certainly,” the Oscar winner explained. It makes sense, honestly!
Stay Connected
In fact, the charging station idea is one that doctors agree with. Ariana Hoet, Ph.D., executive clinical director of On Our Sleeves — an organization at the forefront of the movement for children’s mental health — told SheKnows in October that her family turns off their devices at 8 p.m. every day.
“We all have a charging station in the kitchen … and that means everyone puts their phone on the charging station in the kitchen,” she told us.
No matter what your family’s specific technology rules are, the most important thing we can do as parents is stay checked in with our kids.
“What’s really important is staying involved so that we don’t just give access and walk away, but also having those daily check-ins,” Dr. Hoet told SheKnows. “Not just about social media, but life in general; just practicing the habit of conversation, and reminding them that you’re there if there’s ever a concern … [so] you can help them problem solve and intervene early.”
She went on, “We cannot protect our children from the stress of the world. But we know that one of the best protective factors is that relationship that they have with you. So while stress may happen, or bullying may happen, if they have that healthy relationship with you, it helps them get through it with their mental health intact.”
Momming Never Stops
Even though Roberts’ twins are technically adults, Roberts is still an involved parent. “I parent them the same way out of the house that I parented them in the house, which is, you know, ‘Are you getting enough sleep?’ And ‘You sound like you’re sick.’ And ‘Are you drinking tea?’ And ‘Text me when you get home you get home (so) I can see that you’re home safe and sound,” Roberts told the outlet.
What do you expect? You can’t just turn off the mom part of your brain because you don’t physically see your kids every day. It never really goes away!
Luckily, Hazel and Finn are old enough to appreciate their mom. “And I have an immense amount of appreciation for both of my older kids because they still allow me to be the same mom to them and it’s not eye-rolling and there’s a huge amount of understanding,” she added.
That’s likely due to the connection she’s built with them their whole lives, which is just so beautiful to see.
Leave a Comment