'Goofy' mom Reese Witherspoon

7 October 2019

Reese Witherspoon is a "goofy" parent.

Reese Witherspoon

The 'Big Little Lies' actress - who has children Ava, 20, and Deacon, 15, with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe and Tennessee, seven, with spouse Jim Toth - likes to have fun when she's at home with her kids but she can be "pretty strict" about their daily routine.

She said: "As a mom, I'm kind of goofy. I like to dance around and tell jokes. But I'm pretty strict about bedtimes and making sure everybody brushes their teeth twice a day and that kind of stuff.

" When you have kids, it's like a whole other list of things you have in your mind that you have to get done once you've left your job. When they're little, it's like, 'Are their bodies taken care of?' But as they get older, you're like, 'What are your dreams and goals?"

"My son is very into music. So now we're trying to figure out what kind of a job he wants. Does he want to be on the business side? Or the creative side? Of course it's ultimately up to them to make the right decision. But I try to give them the best advice. I'm like their manager."

Away from acting, the 43-year-old star is kept busy with her production company, her Draper James clothing range, her book club and work as the face of Elizabeth Arden but her screen career is still her "core competency".

Interviewed by Natalie Portman for the new issue of America's Harper's Bazaar magazine, she said: "In terms of work, Hello Sunshine is the majority of my world. It's about storytelling for women, by women, and about getting more women behind the camera. I do meetings in the morning while I'm getting my hair and make-up done.

"After that, the people who run my companies take over, and I focus on acting.

"Acting is still my core competency. It fills my tank.

"But my biggest priority is to take care of my kids. They're getting older now -- my daughter is in college, my older son is in high school, and my youngest is in first grade -- so I have more free time than I used to. I try to get home for dinner at least four nights a week."