Julie Bowen shares her parenting do’s and don’ts
Just like her Modern family character, Claire Dunphy, Julie Bowen is an amazing mom — and she recently shared her best parenting advice with Us.
First on the docket? Social media. Bowen, 53, allows son Oliver, 16, and twins John and Gus, both 14, to use social platforms, but she asked them to wait until their teenage years. (The actress shares her children with ex-husband Scott Phillips.)
“My kids didn’t get cell phones until they were 14 and they didn’t get social media until they were 14,” Bowen said exclusively We weekly while promoting her collaboration with Life Cereal. “And boy, am I personally glad I waited… [their phones are now] stuck to their faces.”
Bowen went on to explain that she thinks children need a “certain level of brain maturity to be able to handle social media,” so she’s glad she waited to give her children access.
“I just think they need more time. They say your prefrontal cortex isn’t developed until you’re in your 20s,” she shared, adding that she “definitely” checks her boys’ bills. ‘They have to let me follow them. Sure, they can set up secret accounts and all that stuff, but you’re trying to have conversations in a more global sense about being an ethical person and then hope that they take that into their personal lives. There’s a lot of crossing going on, I’ll be honest with you.
In addition to her social media rules, Bowen has also set certain dating norms for her sons.
‘They are very polite when it comes to girls. They bring girls,” she said Us. “I just say, ‘Please be kind and remember that you will always see this person.’ Nobody disappears. So always act as if you are going to see this person tomorrow. And never post anything if you don’t want me to see it.”
In addition to her dating and social media tips, Bowen also has some advice for parents who have picky eaters at home.
“[It’s] not so much a tip as a rephrasing,” she explained. “My sister, who is a doctor and had children before me, said, ‘Don’t look at it [like] they have to eat vegetables every day, they have to have fruit every day and all they want to eat is macaroni and cheese or cereal. Check it out over the course of a week. If you get some fruits and veggies in during the week, that’s a win. Stop trying to achieve an impossibly perfect standard every day. They’re going to be fine.’”
A staple in Bowen’s pantry is Life Cereal, which she calls a “go-to” for breakfast, late night snacks and everything in between. Through Sunday, November 19, parents in the United States can call Life Cereal’s hotline at 1-855-4-IFYKYK to share their best parenting tips or discover new ones from other callers, with the chance to exchange advice with Bowen himself.
“When you are a mother, the most important thing is to learn the past of least resistance. Collaborate with so [a brand] like life couldn’t be easier because it’s something that’s part of our home,” she shared Us. “Want to help other people come up with their own parenting hacks and listen to parenting tips and tricks from people across the country? It’s like I wish I had this when I had younger kids. I need this for teens now.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi