Kristen Bell is extremely private about her children. But no matter how private she might be, there's no avoiding the fact that Lincoln and Delta are the children of two uber-famous celebrities.
Kristen has two daughters, Lincoln and Delta, with her husband Dax Shepard. In an interview with Pop Sugar, the 38-year-old actress got candid about what it's like to raise kids in the spotlight.
She says her eldest, 5-year-old Lincoln, recently realized that, yes, Mommy and Daddy are famous.
It happened while Dax was recording a podcast with his producer, Monica Padman.
"Do people listen to the podcast for you or for Monica? Do you think they like you more or Monica?" Lincoln asked.
"They probably like us evenly because we both work hard on it. But probably they tune into the podcast because I'm famous and they know my name," Dax answered.
"You're famous?"
"Well, yeah, sweetie," Dax said. "Why do you think people ask me and Mommy for pictures when we're out in public?"
"Mommy's famous?!"
Yes, sweetheart, VERY FAMOUS.
But at only 5 years old, Lincoln doesn't fully understand the whole ordeal. She doesn't have "a full sense of what fame is," Kristen says.
(Mom and Dad want to keep it that way — they don't show their daughters' faces in any photos.)
Instead, fame is "just a word she hears as being a mutually agreed upon thing that everyone loves."
Kristen's youngest daughter, 3-year-old Delta, still has even more to learn.
But Kristen says they both are starting to grasp that their family is different.
"Because my kids do, as any monkeys do, understand a hierarchy, and they understand that we receive special treatment sometimes or, rather, that things are easy for us."
"So we do remind them a lot when we receive special treatment, and say, 'This is special treatment, this is not normal.' We constantly remind them how lucky we are. We never let them take it for granted — not even the fact that we can pay our bills."
So how does the Bad Moms star deal with fame while raising her two kids?
She says they reached out to friends who were also raised by celebrities for some tips.
"You know, we've asked a lot of advice on this subject," Kristen said. "Being friends with Jason Ritter [son of the late John Ritter] and people who have had a life similar to his, we've asked, 'What did your parents do that you enjoyed? What did they do that you didn't enjoy?'"
They figured out "one key thing" that makes all the difference.
"In public, when we are out as a family, we are fiercely protective of that family time."
"So I will not stop for pictures with people when I am with my kids. And it's not in disregard or disrespect to my fans — it's because it is very hard for a 5-year-old to understand why her mommy is paying attention to strangers and not her."
"And ultimately, her well-being is more important to me, so I find a nice way to say, 'Oh, right now I'm Ms. Mom' or 'I don't take pictures when I'm around my kids.'"
This level of thoughtfulness and intention is the mark of a great mom.
Lincoln and Delta are lucky to have her!
