Jennifer Garner is painting a poignant portrait of her motherhood journey, sharing insights into her co-parenting dynamics with ex-husband Ben Affleck—a journey that involves raising their children Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17, and Samuel, 13, in "two separate households."
"I become mom and dad; he becomes dad and mom," she said in an interview with Bustle published on Feb. 24. "It's an unavoidable dynamic, isn't it? Because you don't have the luxury of having both the yin and yang in the same household. So, you have to embody both in your parenting approach."
While Jennifer—who was married to the Oscar winner from 2005 to 2018—appears to have come to terms with life as a single parent, she admits that this arrangement comes with a mix of emotions.
"There's a sense of loss in it," the 53-year-old reflects, "but there's also something gained."
Ben, also 53, has been candid about his family life, particularly how his celebrity status has influenced his parenting.
"Having a public life complicates things when it comes to your children," he told E! News in January. "We really want to give them space to figure out what they want to do."
As such, Ben emphasizes that he "wouldn't push" his kids into showbusiness—in fact, he jokes that he'd prefer if they stayed clear of Hollywood altogether.
"They're brilliant and lovely and wonderful, and we love them and are proud of them," he continues. "And we hope they don't waste their lives acting."
Similarly, Jennifer recently shared how she makes a conscious effort not to push her kids in any specific direction.
"It's more about parenting with a button on my mouth," she told Marie Claire UK last month. "You have to let them grow up and make their choices. You don't get to control it."
