- What is your secret?

Honestly, my secret. I do write a bit about this in my book, but I honestly believe that the secret is before you get to that point. The secret is allowing yourself to communicate with your kids so you talk to them before they push you to a point. If you think you are going to have a stressful day, you start the morning with saying, I just want to let you know this is going to be a five cup of coffee day for me.

You try to use humour. You try to embrace the imperfections in yourself and be honest rather than trying to suppress yourself and be perfect mum or perfect dad. I think it’s better to say those things so there is an expectation that is more realistic and I think if you do that on a consistent basis you may end up with a different result.

- But you need time to do that?

Well I didn’t work for the first five years after she was born. I did Cabaret on the road for seven months, but that was performing at night and I did Spy Kids which was only three weeks work. So I was around.

I didn’t sleep. She was the worst sleeper. I was tired like everyone else but I wasn’t making myself do other things. I think that is the problem, we over tax ourselves. I have so many friends who I tell, 'Put the blackberry in the glove department'. We have to slow down. We are doing too many things at the same time, and that’s what makes us blow up.

- But how do you balance that now that you are busier?

It’s good she is older now. I think the older they get, the busier you allow yourself to be. She has her own thing now and she wants to be with her friends. So you get more space as they get older, you just need to survive those first five or six years.

- Is she aware her mother is famous?

I think in our family I’m her mother. If you are going to define me I’m Emerson’s mum and Teri Hatcher is just a costume I put on for people sometime. When we are together I sometimes don’t take pictures with people who ask, because I think it takes attention away from her, but I think she is old enough now, if it’s a little kid that comes up she will give me that look of, 'Yeah it’s OK'.

But she knows it’s an image and people are just as apt to mean as nice. You have a close family of friends and family and who loves and know you. All the rest of it is noise. It’s part of the business you have to play.

- Do you think your daughter will follow in your footsteps?
 
I don’t know what she is going to do. She is quite a writer. She loves to write poetry and draw. When we went to Africa she was really touched by the kids with AIDS, so I can see her wanting to work in some global aspect. It’s nice to be a kid with a lot of choices and I think she is aware of that and is grateful.

Coraline is released on DVD 12th October.

Tagged in