Drew Barrymore Opened Up About Balancing Parenting and Homeschooling: “I Cried Every Day”

Keeping a routine and schedule that works for you is key when you’re working from home, but if you’re a parent, sometimes “routine” is just a seven-letter word. In a recent interview with Today‘s Savannah Guthrie, Drew Barrymore opened up about her personal struggle with balancing parenting, working, and homeschooling all at once. “I try to find routine with my kids: go on a bike ride, take a car ride, break out the chalk and do hopscotch, board games . . . and be inventive,” Drew said. “Then school started and it all went out the window.”

Like many parents trying to navigate the world of homeschooling right now, Drew has hit a few bumps in the road that have proven to be understandably stressful. “The minute I thought, ‘Oh, I’m three weeks in. I’ve got this,’ . . . I cried every day, all day long,” she said. “It was like every church and state. It was the messiest plate I’ve ever held in my life to be the teacher, the parent, the disciplinarian, the caretaker . . . I didn’t think I needed to respect and appreciate teachers any more than I did. Then you start to get some systems and you see people on social media making lists and you’re like, aaarghh. You find your way. We’re resilient people.”

Despite the frustration that comes along with trying to manage an at-home work-life balance, Drew is optimistic that everything is going to be okay. “I don’t know if there are good days and bad days,” Drew added. “I think there are good hours and bad hours . . . I march in the army of optimism and I’m looking for recruits.”