Inside Jennifer Garner’s Parenthood Journey, in Her Own Words

Jennifer Garner's favorite alias? Mom.

After all, the 13 Going on 30 star has her and ex Ben Affleck's kids Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12, in mind with everything she does.

"Once I had kids, I began asking myself, 'How do I want to spend my time?'" she told Today Parents. "'How do I want to make what little impact I can on the world?'"

And whether it's through taking up meaningful movie roles or advocating for other children, Garner will "try to be the best version of myself and to have faith that they're watching me as carefully when I do something right as they do when I roll through a stop sign."

She added "I give it all I can."

In fact, when Garner parted ways with Affleck in 2015 after 10 years of marriage, she and the Oscar winner made it their mission to "go forward with love and friendship" in co-parenting their kids.

"No one needs to hate him for me," the Alias alum noted in a 2016 interview with Vanity Fair. "I don’t hate him."

Through the years, Garner has kept a friendly bond with Affleck, 51. In 2023, she penned a sweet tribute to the Justice League actor, writing that "no one loves their kids like you love ours."

"Shout out to BGA," she added at the time. "Happy Father’s Day, Ben!" 

And recently, the former couple proved that their united front was stronger than ever when they came together with Ben's wife Jennifer Lopez, as well as the singer's 16-year-old twins Max and Emme with ex Marc Anthony, to celebrate Samuel's graduation. 

For more insight into Garner's parenthood journey, in her own words, keep reading.

When it comes to co-parenting, Jennifer Garner will always maintain a cordial relationship with her ex-husband Ben Affleck for the sake of their children: Violet, Seraphina and Samuel.

“It’s not Ben’s job to make me happy," Garner shared in a 2016 Vanity Fair interview. "The main thing is these kids―and we’re completely in line with what we hope for them."

She continued, "Sure, I lost the dream of dancing with my husband at my daughter’s wedding. But you should see their faces when he walks through the door. And if you see your kids love someone so purely and wholly, then you’re going to be friends with that person.”

Though she and Affleck are both successful actors, Garner doesn't want their kids to live inside a Hollywood bubble.

"It's really important for my kids to see that everyone doesn’t have the lives they see in Los Angeles," she told Southern Living. "That doesn’t reflect the rest of the world. I want them to grow up with the Southern values I had―to look at people when they say hello and to stop and smell the roses."

And that's why her parenting style is very hands-on.

“I think teaching your kids anything is a lifelong job and certainly values are something―you can’t just say, ‘Here, have values!’" she previously told E! News. "You have to show them that you have values."

Explaining how setting a good example is the "most important job," the Alias alum added that she and Affleck—who she split with in 2015 after 10 years of marriage—hope that their kids "see and appreciate the work we do."

Of course, there is no one standard way of parenting.

“As much as you think that, ’OK, I’m going to follow what this person says,'" Garner noted during a 2016 appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers, "it’s not up to you, dude."

Advising parents to "let it go" when it comes to their worries, the 13 Going on 30 star continued, "You’re going to struggle. It’s going to suck—just like for everyone else."

For Garner, the key to maintaining a good structure for her kids is setting up boundaries and rules.

"You just have to do it," she explained to Us Weekly. "It’s not pretty. I don’t think that I’m always the best at it, but I try my best to be consistent and for them to know what they can expect from me."

And when she does experience a roadblock in her parenting journey, Garner believes "every day is a fresh start."

"You always can say, ‘Today, we’re going to try this!'" she told People. "And if it goes horribly, you can say, ‘Today, we’re throwing that out, and we’re trying this!’"

The actress added, "That’s part of what I like about being a mom in general."

Garner's motherhood joy extends into the cinematic universe as well.

"I’m really glad that I’m playing moms," she told Today, "because there’s no more rich time in women’s lives than when you have your babies."

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