Parenting rarely comes with a neat script, but the teenage years can make the plot especially unpredictable. Kristen Bell is discovering that first-hand as she navigates life with daughters Lincoln, 13, and Delta, 11. In a recent interview with Bustle, the actor and mother recently opened up about the emotional highs and lows of raising children through puberty, admitting that even with years of parenting experience, there are moments when it all feels overwhelming. Her honesty also sheds light on another modern parenting dilemma of deciding what parts of a child’s life belong online and what should remain theirs alone.
When parenting gets emotional
In the recent interview with Bustle, Bell reflected on raising her daughters amid what she described as the “cyclone of puberty”. The actor, who shares her children with husband Dax Shepard, was candid about just how difficult this stage can be, acknowledging that she cries weekly.
28 Sept 2026 | 08:18
Does your teenager tell you about their friends, or do you often have to ask? How much do you know about their social life?
For Bell, one of the hardest parts is resisting the feeling that her family is somehow the only one going through a particular challenge. Puberty can bring sudden changes in mood, behaviour and communication, leaving parents wondering whether they are doing something wrong.Her experience offers a reassuring reminder that adolescence can be complicated for almost every family. Children are changing rapidly, while parents are simultaneously learning how to respond to a version of their child they have never encountered before.
A new approach to sharing online
Bell and Shepard have also reconsidered how much of their family life they share publicly. When their daughters were younger, Bell was more comfortable posting cute moments and childhood memories. As the girls grew older, however, the couple realised that the equation had changed.Their daughters were now old enough to understand what appeared online and potentially have feelings about it. Bell has said that her primary responsibility is to protect them, which has meant becoming increasingly cautious about sharing their lives publicly.The couple have largely kept their daughters’ faces off social media, choosing instead to protect their privacy while occasionally celebrating family milestones.
Growing alongside your children
Bell’s experience ultimately captures one of the less-discussed truths of parenting: parents have to keep adapting, too. What works during childhood may no longer feel right during adolescence.Her are two lessons that modern parents can learn from Kristen Bell and Dax Shephard.
Parenting Lesson 1: Stop comparing
During puberty, it can be tempting to compare children with their friends, siblings or even with how they behaved a few years earlier. But adolescence is deeply individual. One child may become more outspoken, another more withdrawn, while a third may experience dramatic emotional changes.Rather than constantly searching for whether a child is behaving “normally”, parents can focus on listening, staying patient and remembering that development does not follow a universal timetable.Sometimes, simply recognising that other parents are struggling too can make the journey feel less lonely.
Parenting Lesson 2: Let privacy grow with the child
A photograph that seems adorable when a child is five may feel embarrassing or intrusive when they are 13. As children develop their own identities, parents can give them greater control over what is shared about them. Bell followed that principle when she celebrated Lincoln’s 13th birthday with a montage of childhood memories while keeping her daughter’s face obscured.
