Drew Barrymore On The 1 Bit Of Life-Changing Advice She's Passed On To Her Kids

Drew Barrymore is getting real about the life lessons she’s learned that she’s now passing onto her daughters.

In an interview with Real Simple, the actress and talk show host was asked about how she models to her kids the importance of being kind to herself – to which she admitted that she hasn’t quite “got that one down yet”.

“I model how important it is to be kind to others. If you’re not good to someone, you will not only ruin their day, but guess what: you’re going to feel really bad about yourself. So nix that behaviour,” she said.

The mum-of-two then moved on to the one piece of advice someone once shared with her, which has “changed” her life “forever”.

Discussing what else she teaches her kids, the Charlie’s Angels star said: “I’ve taught them that if you clean up after yourself, you’re going to have more calmness in your space.

“Your head is as messy as your room is. Someone said that to me, and it changed my life forever.”

Drew, who shares two daughters, Olive, who is 12, and Frankie, 11, with her ex-husband Will Kopelman, said messes can be “cute and charming” but have to get cleaned up “so you’re ready for the next mess to be made”.

There’s definitely clout behind the well-known phrase: tidy home, tidy mind. 

Lee Chambers, a psychologist and wellbeing consultant, previously told HuffPost UK that clutter can affect our mental health in multiple ways.

“Clutter has a cumulative effect on our minds, increasing the potential of cognitive overload and reducing our resources, and causes elevated cortisol levels,” he said. “This increases the likelihood of feeling overwhelmed, having a lower mood, and [feeling] worried.”

Not only that but when we’re surrounded by mess, it can be understandably hard for our brains to focus because “we have more information to process, visual reminders of our disorganised environment, which continually distracts us”.

“This can become an issue when we’re trying to focus on another task as clutter distracts us from processing information and getting into a state of flow,” he said.

“It can also impact our emotional balance by affecting our sleep, which can impact our communication with others and our overall feelings daily.”

Getting kids involved with housework is also good for them. A 75-year study from Harvard found that children who are encouraged to do chores around the house are more likely to be happier as adults, have more empathy towards others, and be more successful in their careers.