Lisa Kudrow’s Son Thought Jennifer Aniston Was His Mom, and 9 More Things We Love About Her Parenting Style
Lisa Kudrow, who is known for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the sitcom Friends, recently thrilled fans when she posted a photo on Instagram from her son’s graduation ceremony. Their great mother-and-son relationship only shows that, in real life, Kudrow is every bit as cool and fun as her popular onscreen character.
Bright Side loves how Kudrow is rocking motherhood, so we made a list of her parenting approaches based on her previous interviews. Read until the end for a bonus quote from her son, Julian, which will surely tug at your heartstrings.
1. She valued having supportive friends during her pregnancy.
Most of us remember that her character Phoebe became a surrogate mother for triplets on the show. While filming those episodes, Kudrow was actually pregnant with Julian, her child with her husband Michel Stern.
In one interview, the actress expressed her appreciation for the support she received from the cast during her pregnancy. She said “The 6 of us would do a huddle backstage and just say, ‘All right, have a good show, love you, love you, love you, love you.’ And when I was pregnant, then they would say, ‘Have a great show, love you, love you — love you, little Julian!’… So sweet, they included my little fetus in the huddle.”
2. She embraced motherhood and the changes it brought to her life.
Kudrow said that being a mother made her fear for the first time, and there were times when she felt disappointed because she didn’t know what to do. Motherhood also made her more emotional, which she believes was a good thing for her acting career. Anything about her child easily made her cry and having Julian opened new feelings for her to draw from, especially in dramatic scenes.
3. She handled it well when Julian thought Jennifer Aniston was his “mommy.”
In her sit-down interview with Conan O’Brien, Kudrow shared that, as a kid, Julian would fly into Jennifer Aniston’s lap whenever he visited the set. She also revealed that, at home, Julian would see Aniston on TV and call her “mommy.”
O’Brien asked if that moment was scarring for her, and Kudrow responded that she became analytical and questioned if she was lacking a special connection that Julian shared with Aniston. But at the end of the day, she still felt happy for both of them and said she was “always glad for anyone that Julian felt love for, and felt from.”
4. She makes an effort to explain her decisions.
Kudrow believes that one of her best parental qualities is her willingness to explain the logic behind her decisions, instead of just telling her child “Because I said so.” However, she also admits to getting carried away and breaking into “monologues” after he asked one question.
She reveals that she gave Julian important advice about the internet, saying “That stuff’s there forever. You’re gonna look back at this stuff and you’re gonna go, ‘Oh my God, I can do so much better than that now,’ and you might be embarrassed.” And when her son told her she was right, she considered that her proudest mommy moment.
5. She talked with other parents about their kids’ situations.
The actress’s first rule of parenting is getting to know other parents. In her case, she felt that kids were scrutinized by adults too much, to the point that they are not allowed to go through something. And fortunately, she was able to discuss this issue with other mothers.
6. She managed to keep their family life private.
In an article by The Guardian, Kudrow talks about the dangers of social media. “You think you’re controlling the story. But when you put it out there, any individual can perceive it the way they want and they’ve got the same forum you do. Personal relationships, family, marriage, that stuff is meant to have very private parts, and it’s worth protecting,” she said. And for someone who values privacy this much, it’s no surprise that Kudrow rarely posts family photos on her Instagram.
