When it comes to dealing with conflict, Kristen Bell shared that she uses "sassy kindness," as her go-to. During The Kelly Clarkson Show on October 23, the actress emphasized the helpful mindset and explained: "That's kind of my vibe in real life." Kelly immediately understood the attitude that Kristen was referencing and added: "That's a Southern thing though. That's like 'God bless.'" Kristen continued: "Thank you very [much]. It is very 'God bless,' isn't it?" The actress explained that she teaches her children that it's healthy to have boundaries, and she advises them on how to get their needs met in a polite way using "sassy kindness."
She revealed: "With my kids, we talk about being a doormat, a doormat with spikes, a bulldozer or a pillar. You have choices right? How you react to things. 'Don't be a doormat, don't be a backstabbing dormant, don't be a bulldozer.'" Kristen continued: "Be a pillar. Stand for what you believe in while also not necessarily hurting anyone else. I find sassy kindness is the way to get that done. Kelly added: "It's a fun way as well."
© Getty ImagesKristen shares two daughters named Lincoln Bell Shepard, 12, and Delta Bell Shepard, 10, with her husband Dax Shepard, and the duo have been married since 2013. The entertainer keeps her options open when it comes to parenting advice and she's willing to experiment with different theories, even international ones, on how to successfully raise a child.
© Getty ImagesThe actress shared on the Today show: "I'm really good at taking advice because I believe that I should take any and all advice out there, and it is up to me to decide what's useful. So, for example, I look into Montessori teaching and Waldorf teaching, and the MUSE School that James Cameron started, and all of these different methods of learning — and I read The Danish Way of Parenting — and then I look at my kids and I see what can apply and be useful. I am a parent that actually loves to hear advice from other mothers. I don't care if your filter is judgmental or altruistic — I still want to hear it because it may be valuable to me."
© Getty ImagesKristen also knows that in order to be a good mother, you have to schedule out solo time to recharge. She expressed: "Sleep and some quiet morning time. For me, it's all about the preparation in the mornings. And my husband and I try to work it out where if one person is more overtired, we always give the opposite person a chance to sleep."
© Getty ImagesDax and Kristen take turns taking on parenting responsibilities which helps them stay balanced and refrain from parenting burnout. She continued: "So, if I'm working a lot, he'll say, 'OK, the next two nights, why don't you wear earplugs, and I'll wake up with them.' And then he'll brew matcha or something in the morning so I can have a nice, quiet, 30-minute wake up that's later than they all have. Sleeping is probably my most important and most needed thing to take care of myself."
