Angelina Jolie writes thoughtful open letter to parents: 'Your children don’t want you perfect, they just want you honest'

Angelina Jolie recently guest-edited a special edition of TIME magazine's parenting newsletter, where she wrote a thoughtful letter to parents.

Published on TIME's website last Friday, April 24, the award-winning actress and TIME magazine contributing editor said she empathizes with parents all over the world given the COVID-19 health crisis.

"How much you want to lead your loved ones through this. How you worry. How you plan. How you smile for them, when inside you feel at times you are breaking," she wrote.

Angelina recalled her decision to become a parent and said, "It wasn't hard to love. It wasn't hard to dedicate myself to someone and something greater than my life."

The mother of six admitted the hardest part of being a parent "was knowing that from now on, I needed to be the one to make sure everything was okay. To manage it and make it work. From food to school to medical. Whatever would come. And to be patient."

She told mothers and fathers at home — who are doing their best to make things right, cater to their children's needs and stay calm and positive amid the crisis — that what's helping her get through it all, is knowing "that it's impossible." 

"It is a lovely thing to discover that your children don’t want you perfect. They just want you honest. And doing your best," she added.

The 44-year-old Hollywood actress said parenting is all about nurturing each other.

"In fact, the more room they have to be great where you are weak, the stronger they may become. They love you. They want to help you. So in the end, it’s the team you build. And in a way, they are raising you up too. You grow together."

Read her full letter below.

Dear Parents,

I am thinking of you. I am imagining how hard each of you is trying to get through your days. How much you want to lead your loved ones through this. How you worry. How you plan. How you smile for them, when inside you feel at times you are breaking.

I was not a very stable youth. In fact, I never thought I could be anyone’s mom. I remember the decision to become a parent. It wasn’t hard to love. It wasn’t hard to dedicate myself to someone and something greater than my life. What was hard was knowing that from now on I needed to be the one to make sure everything was okay. To manage it and make it work. From food to school to medical. Whatever would come. And to be patient.

I realized I stopped my constant daydreaming, instead staying always ready for any break into what I was doing or thinking to answer a need. It was a new skill to acquire.

So now, in the midst of this pandemic, I think of all the mothers and fathers with children at home. All hoping they can do everything right, answer all needs, and stay calm and positive.

One thing that has helped me is to know that’s impossible.

It is a lovely thing to discover that your children don’t want you perfect. They just want you honest. And doing your best. In fact, the more room they have to be great where you are weak, the stronger they may become. They love you. They want to help you. So in the end, it’s the team you build. And in a way, they are raising you up too. You grow together. 

Angelina has six children with his ex-husband Brad Pitt namely Shiloh, Maddox, Vivienne, Zahara, Knox and Pax. — Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/LA, GMA News