[imagesource:instagram]

Charlize Theron first became a mom back in 2012, when she adopted her two children.

Now, she’s confessing about the challenges of motherhood and what gets her through the ‘hard’ moments, while also reflecting on how much she has changed since becoming a parent.

Five years after she founded the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project in 2007, Theron adopted her daughter Jackson, 11, followed by her second daughter August, seven, both from her homeland of South Africa.

She credits her decision to adopt to her early exposure to orphanages and the work her Outreach Project does, partnering with varying community organisations to support African youth.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Charlize Theron (@charlizeafrica)

Speaking at Town & Country’s 10th Annual Philanthropy Summit, Charlize opened up about how her daughters have changed her worldview, Hello! Magazine reported:

“[Being] a parent in general is a nice hard,” she explained, adding: “When you’re in it, you’re like, ‘I’m never going to survive this.’ And then you get to the other side, you’re like, ‘Oh my God, this is amazing. I can’t believe I did that.'”

She added that it is the strength of the African youth that inspires her through challenging moments:

“When it gets hard, you have to just remember that you can survive this because some of these young people have survived so much… That’s the thing that drives me when it gets really dark and I just go, ‘Why are we doing this? Does this really matter?'”

Charlize continued: “You just think to yourself, if they can have that fire in their belly living in these circumstances, then God damn it, we should have a tenth of that,” maintaining: “It makes you realize that happiness and enjoying this precious life that we have takes very little.”

Besides the challenges, Charlize is a doting mother who is willing to take on all the roles necessary to keep her ‘nuggets’ happy:

“Everything about them comes first – what they need, who they are,” continuing: “Outside of [work], I’m an Uber driver. I drive all my kids all day, all night, to all their activities,” before joking: “In the moment, I’m like, ‘I hope you guys remember this.’ They’re like, ‘Remember what?’ I’m like, ‘Exactly.'”

The trio recently enjoyed a Taylor Swift concert together:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Charlize Theron (@charlizeafrica)

Recalling her daughters showing her their latest findings from a National Geographic issue, Charlize realises how much they teach her:

“In the moment, you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s funny,'” before adding: “When you think about it, there’s actually real power in the innocence of what that is for them, and we lose that the older we get, so it’s great to have these two nuggets.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Charlize Theron (@charlizeafrica)

When it comes to supporting them emotionally, she says she’s always wanted to have an open conversation with her kids and wants them to feel like they can talk to her about anything:

“When they have brought up something that is inappropriate, I always think, ‘Don’t be stern. Just be cool because they’re bringing this to you. They feel safe enough to bring this to you,’ and I want to keep that going.”

She further reflected on how her daughters have made her think about her own relationship with her mom:

“When you’re actually in [parenthood] and you’re experiencing it, the evidence is right there, explaining: “You understand how you could have been so much better as a child.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Charlize Theron (@charlizeafrica)

What a cool mom.

[source:hellomagazine]