Drew Barrymore is a successful actress, producer and talk show host — but she’s also a mom who worries about her kids. On this morning’s episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, the star tearfully revealed that she has gotten “physically ill” over the fear that something bad could happen to her young daughters.
Arthur Brooks, a social scientist and happiness expert, stopped by the hit daytime talk show to help parents in the audience overcome their worries about their children. However, the emotional conversation also seemed to resonate with Barrymore, who shares daughters Olive, 11, and Frankie, 10, with her ex-husband Will Kopelman.
“This is my No. 1 issue in life,” she said, becoming choked up. “This is the one that hits home the hardest with me.”
Barrymore continued, “What I’ve never heard before is to focus on the outcome that you want. Because I’m tired of feeling this way. Since the day my kids were born, I have not stopped worrying. It has made me physically ill. It has made me mentally worn down.”
She added, “I’m just so fearful of anything bad happening to them. And I don’t want to be a prisoner to this level of fear anymore. I know they don’t want it for me. And I don’t want it for me.”
However, the actress noted that she felt “less alone” after listening to fellow moms in the audience who shared the same worries about their own kids.
“It’s a cycle I truly want to break,” Barrymore said. “Focusing on the outcome you want feels really powerful because I could find a better channel to put all of this energy into.”
Brooks then pointed out that Barrymore “suffered and struggled in a lot of ways” that her children won’t have to, referring to her tumultuous upbringing as a child star.
“It’s worth keeping in mind that they’re gonna have a different childhood than you because of you,” he said. “Your kids are not growing up with your parents. They’re growing up with you. And you have a choice.”
Brooks added, “The things that weren’t good about your childhood — the struggles and the suffering that you had as a child — you can edit that in your own parenting.”
The Drew Barrymore Show airs on weekdays on CBS. You can check the website for local airtimes.
