If you had to choose one of the most likable celebrities out there, it would be Drew Barrymore. Not only is Drew an incredible actress and businesswoman, but she's also a mom. Her daughters, Frankie and Olive, are 5 and 7. And she's doing a lot of parenting solo. She's got an incredible co-parenting relationship with her ex-husband, Will Kopelman, but it can still be challenging.
Right now, all parents are feeling the struggle. And Drew Barrymore isn't an exception. There's a reason why she and many other parents all over the world didn't pursue a career path in education. However, since schools have shut down, nobody has much of a choice.
It's hard to do two jobs at once, and Drew admitted that she was feeling the pressure. On Tuesday, she video chatted with the Today show's Savannah Guthrie, and Drew wasn't ashamed to share her struggle.
According to the actress, things were going as well as they could be. Until the school assignments arrived.
"I don't know if there are good days and bad days," Drew said. "I think there are good hours and bad hours … I cried every day, all day long. It was like every church and state. It was the messiest plate I’ve ever held in my life to be the teacher, the parent, the disciplinarian, the caretaker."
It's a lot to handle. Especially since parents often don't envision having to stay home with their kids all day, every day. Usually, there are plenty of distractions and playdate opportunities to give moms the much-needed break they need. But with stay-at-home orders, parents are responsible for more than ever before.
One thing's for sure — these orders have made everyone appreciate teachers even more. Their jobs are to make sure a variety of different minds take in information. And obviously discipline issues happen. It's a tough yet rewarding career, and most teachers don't get a paycheck that actually reflects that.
"I didn’t think I needed to respect and appreciate teachers any more than I did," Drew admitted. "Then you start to get some systems and you see people on social media making lists and you're like, 'Aaarghh!' You find your way. You're resilient." Social media, sadly, has been putting even more pressure on moms in this sort of way.
While social media is an excellent resource to find tips and suggestions, some overwhelmed moms might feel as if they need to equal the amount of work showcased by other parents. It's hard to feel like you're not doing enough during times like these, especially when there's already so little time in the day. And with multiple kids, it becomes even more difficult.
But there's still a lot of positivity in Drew's day. For one, she gets to spend time with her kids. Also, her beauty business — Flower Beauty — is working to help raise funds toward relief from the virus. She's teamed up with dozens of other beauty brands to form Beauty United, which has raised over $6 million so far.
Those types of donations are making a huge difference when it comes to trying to create a vaccine and supplying hospitals with everything they need. The fact that Drew wants to join the fight is honorable. Then again, it's in her character to support others and attempt to be the rainbow after a storm.
She admitted that bonding together with other brands has been a wonderful experience. "I see [Jimmy] Kimmel, [Stephen] Colbert and [Jimmy] Fallon hosting a show together. I see every beauty company coming together," she said. "I see a sea of change where network lines and company lines are fading away and this common goal is bringing everyone together."
Teamwork is part of the reason why Drew is so successful. Her film company, Flower Films, is run by Drew and her close friend Nancy Juvonen. Drew was actually responsible for introducing Nancy to her friend Jimmy Fallon, and the two soon fell in love. The families are still very close.
In fact, Jimmy proposed to Nancy not too long after meeting her. "I’m just really excited right now and just happy. I’m the luckiest guy on earth," he said, per The Netline. "She’s the coolest girl in the world. It was serious. I did the whole one knee thing. I tried not to cry before she did. I was breaking down a little bit. I don’t even remember what I said."
The film company and the beauty company are just two of Drew's projects. She's also still making movies and television shows. While Netflix chose to cancel her show Santa Clarita Diet, the show still had a very large fan base. As expected, most of them felt like Netflix made the wrong call.
But it's all a balance that works for Drew. That said, she did tell Working Mother that being a mom and a working parent can be tough to juggle sometimes. Even with support, it can be tricky to balance all of your roles.
"Sometimes I feel like the two are pulling in different directions, and I feel really torn and freaked out in my head and my heart and kind of all over the place," she said. "I think there’s a lot of days where I feel like, 'Good, I took care of work stuff, now I can focus solely on my kids,' and I’m revitalized by work to just go and be a mom and nothing but a mom. And then when I lean in with my kids so much, I’m like 'Good, I’m glad I have something else to focus on.' It makes me feel reenergized."
"I think if you did nothing but work, you’d be exhausted and resent work," she continued. "And if you do nothing but [be with] your children, you’d be exhausted by that. It is a balance." While it may be harder to do these days, Drew is truly doing the best she can. All parents out there should remember that this isn't easy. If our kids feel safe and loved, that's the most important part.
