By India McCarty
Steve Carrell is all for giving his children advice, but the actor also shared that there are times when he has to let them “figure it out themselves.”
“It’s a cliche, but you love your kids and you would do anything for your kids. But, at a certain point, you have to let them make their own mistakes,” Carrell told TODAY. “They’re not children anymore and you have to respect the fact that they’re adults and they have their own wants and needs and their own directions that they choose to pursue. So, that’s a learning curve.”
He shares daughter Elisabeth Anne, 25, and son John, 22, with wife and SNL alum, Nancy Walls Carell.
While the actor acknowledged that he has “a really good relationship” with his children, he said he doesn’t “always offer” his opinion when they’re dealing with problems.
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“It’s a hard balancing act to be their dad while, at the same time, allow them to figure it out themselves because those battles that they have by themselves are the ones that are really going to give them strength and teach them something. It can’t all be handed to them,” Carrell said.
Carrell has previously spoken about the changes fatherhood brought to his life. In a 2013 interview, Carrell shared, “When we had kids, my career completely changed. I’ll never forget the first audition after my daughter was born. I nailed it because I didn’t care anymore.”
Later that year, he shared his parenting fears, telling journalists at a press conference, “You don’t want to see your kids get hurt. That’s the main thing. You know they’re going to have their hearts broken at some point, and you can’t ultimately protect them against having that happen.”
The DESPICABLE ME star recently discussed his 30-year marriage to Walls Carrell, telling L’Officiel, “My wife and I are trying to travel more now that we’re empty nesters.”
“We read scripts together, and after 30 years of marriage, we know each other pretty well,” he continued. “We really do finish each other’s sentences, but people who know us know that she’s way funnier than I am. She’s just a super-talented and smart person. And, you know, she’s a babe.”
Carrell also spoke about how the couple handled raising children in Hollywood, saying, “A big thing was trying to make sure that my kids had a fairly normal upbringing. My wife and I aren’t Hollywood-party types; I like to do the work, and I have friendships at work, but we don’t go out a lot. Most of our friends are the parents of our kids’ classmates.”
While it can be tempting to try and solve your children’s problems for them, Carrell’s words are a reminder that it’s important to let them fight their own battles.
Read Next: Steve Carell Calls DESPICABLE ME’s Gru ‘a Good Dad’
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