14 Times Amanda Peet Got Refreshingly Frank About Motherhood

I want to be honest about it because I think there’s still so much shame when you have mixed feelings about being a mom instead of feeling this sort of ‘bliss.’ I think a lot of people still really struggle with that, but it’s hard to find other people who are willing to talk about it.

I still feel desperately sad when I don’t win a role. When you’re able to identify your passions, then your child will be able to identify hers. It’s a great template.

My kids are awesome. I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but they’re pretty adventurous. They always have been.

I try to be really hippie about things. I'm uptight in all the ways that are really important, but the things my husband and family can benefit from my uptightness, I'm completely lacking.

I’m a mom, and I remember when I first had Frankie and some of my friends were becoming moms at the same time, and some people said to me: ‘Doesn’t it just put everything in perspective?’ And I was like, No. [Laughs] I’m still really competitive and ambitious and really petty.

You have to put on your own oxygen mask before you put on others... it's a good metaphor for parenting.

I certainly don’t want her to be obsessed with exercise or diet or calories or body image. I’m dying for her mental time to be spent looking outward, even if that sounds corny.

I have daughters, so I try not to have that calorie-counting mentality. I try not to expose them to that because I think girls should just play sports and not think about food until as late as possible.

A lot of women feel that if they’re exerting energy in different areas of their life… it’s automatically detrimental to the child. I think the exact opposite is true. Children need to have a role model who is able to identify her passions and go after them.

I don't clean, I don't make the bed. I spend my salary. I worry a lot. I just don't worry about socks on the floor.

One surprise of motherhood for me was how little control I have. I thought it would be an extended, blissful romance with me at the helm, cuddling this little creature to life. It’s been bittersweet and humbling to let her lead, and to try not to be perfect myself.

If there were some recipe that would make all of our children really sane and civic-minded and hugely intelligent, I think we'd probably all do it. But I don't know that there is a recipe for creating that.

I think it’s important for her to know that you can fail and then recover and that — it’s so corny — but that failure is important. It’s part of the thing. You cannot escape it. There’s nothing you can do. There’s no way you can control everything that much.

I wanted to be a mom. I wanted a baby for so long, and as soon as I met David, I knew that I wanted him to be the father of my children.