There's no such thing as a perfect parent. In fact, Olivia Wilde believes parents should be open about their mistakes and feel free to share them with others.
The actress discussed this idea during a recent interview with E! News.
"I think that I find great comfort in sharing stories with other parents," she said. "When you realize that Serena Williams is having just as hard of a time traveling with her toddler as I am, that makes me feel better. When I read that, I think 'Well, maybe it's helpful if I share a story of having a really hard day with my kids.'"
The TRON: Legacy star recalled one particularly stressful moment two years ago when she was traveling with her young children. She admitted she was "just really feeling like I was not in control of the whole parenting thing" and like she was "just a mess." So, she took to Twitter to vent.
"Anyone else suck at parenting today?" she wrote.
But instead of being shamed for her parenting struggles, she found support.
"It was amazing because I got, like, thousands of stories of like, 'Yes I am, and this is how I'm dealing with it,'" she recalled.
Wilde shares two kids with her longtime love Jason Sudeikis: Otis Alexander (4) and Daisy Josephine (1). However, it looks like their oldest child is still adjusting to life as a big brother.
"The amazing thing about siblings is that it's learning to share from a young age," she said. "And, I think, something that's really important that's happening to my son is he's spent two and a half years as the only child and there's this new person."
Wilde said she pays a lot of attention to how she and Sudeikis encourage them to share and why. She said she also tries to talk to her kids about other important topics, such as gender politics.
In fact, she and Sudeikis will often use storytelling to teach their kids important lessons and share her activism. For instance, she'll talk to them about shutting off the water while they're brushing their teeth and how they're lucky to go to school because many kids don't have access to education.
She's also partnering with Thomas and Friends and the United Nations, which are working together to inspire the next generation through storytelling.
"If we can start at a very young age with storytelling that builds a foundation of responsibility and love, that is the most important thing we can do," she said at one point.
Watch the videos to hear her talk about her parenting style and activism.