Reese Witherspoon parents her youngest child differently after eldest children ‘wore [her] out’

Reese Witherspoon parents her youngest child, Tennessee, differently from her eldest children, Ava and Deacon, because they “wore [her] out”.

Reese Witherspoon parents her youngest child differently from her elder children.

The 49-year-old actress takes a calmer approach to being a mom to son Tennessee, 12, whom she has with her ex-husband Jim Toth, 55, because her daughter Ava, 26, and her son Deacon, 21 – whom she has with her ex-spouse, 51-year-old actor Ryan Phillippe – “wore me out”.

Reese made the admission on the latest episode of the New York Times’ The Interview podcast after host Lulu Garcia-Navarro asked: “Are you different as a parent this time around?”

The Morning Show star replied: “Oh, for sure. I’m exhausted. I’m completely wrung out and tired.

“And whenever I lose my cool, I turn to my youngest and I go, ‘You got to call your brother and sister. They wore me out. I’m so tired. Like eat the cookie, go to bed late, just do it. But like, think about how it’s going to make you feel.’

“And then, like beyond that, I’m so tired.

“I’ve been parenting for 25 years.”

Elsewhere in the podcast episode – titled How Reese Witherspoon Figured Out Who She Really Is – the star revealed the guidance she gave to Ava as she follows in her mom’s footsteps in becoming a Hollywood star.

Speaking about her eldest child – who made her acting debut in the ABC medical drama Doctor Odyssey earlier this year – Reese said: “Well, it’s interesting because last year, she turned 25.

“And when I was 25, she was a year and a half old, and I’d just done Legally Blonde. And I was about to start Sweet Home Alabama.

“We are just living very different life existences, realities. And I’m so proud of her for not being anything but herself. Not trying to emulate me or be me.

“You know what I’m saying? Not trying to approximate my career or … Ava’s just cool. She’s just always been cool. Some people are just boring cool. She was just boring cool.

“But part of the challenge of being a mother of a 26-year-old woman is learning to back away, learning she doesn’t need me in the same ways, and that’s okay. And soothing my heart when I feel, like, rejected a little bit.

“But it’s not a rejection. It’s actually her … people in my life remind me the alternative would be worse – if she was just so needy, needy, needy. She’s not needy like that. I’m just really proud of who she’s become as an individual.”

Reese also shared that Ava and Deacon have become “incredible friends” to her since they moved out of the family home.

The Big Little Lies actress explained: “Ava will call me and just be like a great friend, Deacon calls me all the time, we hang out in New York, and he’ll tell me about cool restaurants, and I’ll be like, ‘Great. Can you get a reservation?’ Cause he can get better reservations than I can now!

“But it’s awesome to have your kids become adults.”