Drew Barrymore has grown up in the public eye, considering she was a child actor. She won us over in “E.T.” and then over and over again in her many romantic comedies, like “Never Been Kissed.” It’s hard not to like her, since she seems so open and sweet via her social media profiles (which of course are curated, but hey, I like it).
Four years ago, she gave birth to her daughter Olive with then-husband Will Kopelman. Sadly, she and her husband separated earlier this year. Because of this, she and Kopelman, like many divorced parents, have been co-parenting. Her secret to this tricky situation? Planning. She told Entertainment Tonight:
“Constant plans. I woke up to an email from my children’s grandmother, Coco, this morning saying, ‘OK, so I think for my birthday we’re going to do it on the 14th. Can you make that date because it’s not the same without you. I have to make sure that date works for you.’”
While her advice may seem like common sense, it makes a huge difference in a child’s life. It makes holidays easier, saves hurt feelings, gives a child a schedule, and allows a kid to understand that both of their parents love them–and both matter. It’s easy for kids to take sides when miscommunication happens as a result of chaotic planning. For Barrymore, for instance, Halloween now has “three dates.”
Barrymore went on to say that all families are different, thus need different structures. Clearly, this can’t be more true.
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