Ryan Reynolds: Parents are so much better equipped than when I was a kid
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Ryan Reynolds first came onto my radar because of his relationship with Alanis Morrissette. I thought he was hot (I did!) but was probably one of those men who know they’re attractive and therefore act like immature jerks. He just gave me those vibes. Fast forward 20 years and the more I learn about this now grown-up, mature Ryan Reynolds, the more I like him beyond his looks. He seems like he’s got his sh-t together and is in a good place as a family man and supportive friend. Earlier this week, Ryan accepted an award from Bring Change to Mind, Glenn Close’s organization dedicated to raising awareness for mental illness. At the awards, he spoke about how different he thinks parenting is nowadays, thanks to more “self-awareness” that his parents’ generation didn’t have.
“I think it’s more about talking to them about everything,” the actor, 46, tells PEOPLE at the Bring Change to Mind Revels & Revelations 11 event in New York City on Monday. “It’s genuine when I say I take a huge interest in their days and how things are going.”
Reynolds also opened up to PEOPLE about how he and his wife Blake Lively stress the importance of “self-awareness” to their four kids as well as sharing details of their daily routines.
“For me, the best time of my day is walking them to school and walking them back,” he says to PEOPLE at the event. “I think as parents, we are so much better equipped to handle the rigors of childhood through our kids now than when I was a kid. It’s just totally different now. People are much more self-aware. And that’s the thing we sort of hang our hat on the most is self-awareness with our kids. Not be happy, not be anything, just be self-aware and welcome everything in.”
The Deadpool star was honored with the Robin Williams’ Legacy of Laughter Award at the event. Actress Glenn Close and her family established the organization Bring Change to Mind in 2009 to fight the stigma of mental illness.
I’m an Elder Millennial. I know that generational talk is a touchy subject, but I think Ryan gives a fair assessment. There’s more awareness and less stigma placed on certain things nowadays, like a child’s mental health, “non-traditional” gender roles, and neurodiversity. While we still have a long way to go in getting society as a whole to support our more vulnerable children, particularly in the LGBTQ+ community, so many parents are making progress and acquiring better parenting tools because they are aware that those tools are out there. I think each generation improves upon the last one, and that’s how it should be. I’m sure my children’s generation will still have plenty to go to therapy for and therefore continue to do better by their own children.
As far as Ryan’s focus on doing the school run, I do find that with my kids, there are three times during the day that they’re most open and likely to share: on the way to school, on the way back home from after-school, and right before I leave their rooms at bedtime. The one thing that holds true through all generations is that kids will legit say, do, and need everything just to avoid going to sleep.
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