Jennifer Garner Shares What It’s Like to Raise Kids in the Public Eye: ‘You’ll Do Whatever You Need to Do’

A different reality. Jennifer Garner spoke with WSJ Magazine for its March Women’s Style issue about raising three kids in the public eye, and it sounds like it wasn’t always easy. “There were so many things you wouldn’t expect,” she explained. “We’d be left alone at Disneyland and then we would be at a park in Santa Monica. But if you love something, you’ll do whatever you need to do.”

Jen, 46, shares Violet, 13, Seraphina, 10, and Samuel, 6, with her ex-husband, actor Ben Affleck. When it comes to raising their kids, Jen said, “How do you adapt to your career? That’s a big question. Being someone who is well known requires an enormous adaption. Who am I now? How do I go through the world? Then there’s having children and, in my case, a career that’s a very selfish one.” It must have been difficult to navigate.

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The 13 Going on 30 actress continued, “The combination of those things is the largest adaption of all. When I had kids, I started considering how jobs worked for my family. How much am I going to ask of my partner and kids? What’s worth it and what isn’t?” That’s something that most parents struggle with. You’re not alone, Jen!

She further explained, “Something Ben and I used to say to each other all the time is, ‘We have to adapt.’ We were surrounded by paparazzi.” That might be a choice Jen and Ben, 46, made, but their kids don’t really have any say in it.

These days, Jen is dating her businessman boyfriend John Miller. She and her ex seem to have the whole custody thing worked out because they’re both spotted out and about with the kids a lot. It’s great that they can manage to have normal, fun family outings with them, in spite of the unique challenges of fame.