The pandemic has been challenging for everyone, but Jennifer Garner is trying to keep her children smiling throughout.
In an interview on the Dear Media podcast Raising Good Humans with host Dr. Aliza Pressman, Jennifer revealed the many different ways she had been trying to keep their spirits lifted.
From daily sweet treats to Austin Powers viewing sessions, Jennifer, 48, has been breaking routine to keep her children happy.
Keeping their spirits lifted: Jennifer Garner revealed how she had been bonding with her children during the pandemic (pictured 2018)
One of the surprising ways Jennifer has begun bonding with her daughter has been with Austin Powers viewing sessions.
Jennifer admitted she wasn’t ‘proud’ of their newfound hobby, but enjoyed watching it with her because it brought them joy.
‘So here’s something I’m not very proud of,’ she admitted. ‘Um, I even watched Austin Powers with her…. I needed to see that laugh. And I felt like, okay, so it’s fake. I don’t care. I mean, we just have to remind our bodies of how to have joy and I’m just letting it happen.’
The raunchy comedy isn’t the only rule Jennifer has loosened to keep her kids happy.
‘It was like rules were out the window’: At the start of the pandemic, when things were particularly uncertain, Jennifer allowed children to indulge in a sweet treat a day (pictured April 2020)
At the start of the pandemic, when things were particularly uncertain, Jennifer allowed children to indulge in a sweet treat a day.
‘I will say in the spring, I took everyone to treat mid morning, not a snack, but a treat,’ she explained.
‘I was trying to keep everyone’s spirits up and it was just so strange. The whole world felt so strange. It was like rules were out the window. So a cookie at 11:00 AM was like, why not?’
While Jennifer has been allowing her kids to indulge in their sweet tooth, their overall well-being is still a priority.
Yeah baby! Jennifer wasn’t ‘proud’ to admit she had begun watching the raunchy comedy Austin Powers with her daughter
The actress attempted to get her children meditating, even setting up an area with candles.
‘It’s like with meditation, you think, “Oh, we’re all home. And I’m going to have my kids be mindful and meditate.” And at least I did.
‘And they were all like, yeah, no. I mean, I set it up and there were candles and there was lovely and mute. And I just said, “We’re just going to sit for 10 minutes.”
‘They just weren’t, I mean, then I realized one good breath… I knew about this from preschool that that just sitting and just taking one good breath is as restorative as, you know, a fake 10 minutes just to please your mom.
Just breathe: The actress attempted to get her children meditating, even setting up an area with candles
‘And that’s been really, that’s been really helpful and then they can build on it as they want to, but at least it’s there in there somewhere. And it’s not any pressure.’
Jennifer shares daughters Violet, 14, Seraphina, 11, and son Samuel, eight, with her ex-husband Ben Affleck, whom she divorced in 2018 after more than 10 years of marriage.
Jennifer was previously linked to businessman John Miller, while Ben has moved on to new girlfriend Ana de Armas.
Family matters: Jennifer shares daughters Violet, 14, Seraphina, 11, and son Samuel, eight, with her ex-husband Ben Affleck, whom she divorced in 2018 after more than 10 years of marriage