Drew Barrymore “Cried Every Day” as a Parent Trying to Figure Out a Quarantine Routine
Finding a good balance among working, parenting, and necessary self-care is already a challenge. A global pandemic makes it that much more difficult—yes, even for celebrities like Drew Barrymore, who recently opened up about having had a hard time trying finding a routine with her two young girls, Olive and Frankie.
In an interview with Today, the Flower Beauty founder says things have been tough as a parent. “I don’t know if there are good days and bad days,” she said, “I think there are good hours and bad hours, or hard challenging hours.”
After spending a full week self-quarantined at home with her girls, Barrymore admits that she felt paralyzed. Distancing herself from social media, she turned to writing and started a personal blog. “There’s a great quote, which is, ‘Insecurity is loud, confidence is quiet,’” she says. “And I thought, as I fight my way to confidence in this time—because I didn’t really know how to act or react, it was all so new and unknown and scary—I found that writing was a great way for me to communicate.”
The next thing to tackle? Finding a good, kid-friendly routine with her daughters. Quarantine days became filled with fun events at home, from going on bike and car rides to board games and crafts, “and then school started, and it all went out the window,” she said.
She explained that as soon as she created some sense of normal with her kiddos, adding in home-schooling was another beast she had yet to conquer. “The minute I thought, ‘Oh, I’m three weeks in, I got this.’ I cried every day, all day long. It was like every church and state, it was the messiest plate I’ve ever held in my hand in my life—to be the teacher, the parent, the disciplinarian, the caretaker.”
But as people continued to share their creative hacks and plans, she found a way to be inspired. “You start to get some systems and you see people on social media making lists, and you’re like, ‘I don’t wanna make lists! It’s never gonna work this way!’ and then you find your way,” Barrymore said.
Ultimately, she needed to change her mindset. “I march in the army of optimism, and I’m looking for recruits, but I’m very real about it. I’m not some vapid hippie who’s like, ‘You just gotta me happy, man,’” she said. “It’s like, this is the way and the direction I will point my compass. Every day, it will be my North Star, and every day, it’s gonna tick around and I’m gonna have to push it harder.”
That’s why she, among 40 other leaders, helped launch the Beauty United initiative to help provide COVID-19 relief. The goal of the campaign is to raise $10 million for the Frontline Responders Fund, and they have already raised more than $6 million, as of today.
In the meantime, she’s trying to keep her head up. “Happiness is a war you fight every day.”
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