Jennifer Garner loves her life at home with her children. The mom-of-three opened up about her "sweet" kids on the Dish podcast with Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett.
The actress appeared on the podcast ahead of Mother's Day in the United Kingdom, which is on Sunday, March 15. After the hosts asked Jennifer about her Mother's Day traditions, she shared what she really loves about her kids – Violet, 20, Fin, 17, and Samuel, 13.
"My kids are sweet. So Mother's Day is nice, but basically it's just, they just have to be nice to me," she joked.
© GC ImagesJennifer went on: "I don't have any high, crazy expectations, but they're usually very nice, and they'll write me a note or something, and that is, perfect."
The 13 Going on 30 actress explained: "Unfortunately for them, my birthday is in April," which is just one month before Mother's Day in the United States. "They are always very nice for my birthday," Jennifer noted. "So they're a bit over. That's not quite enough time to build up the nice reserve, you know."
Jennifer shared the special treat she makes her kids – bread shaped men – that she learned to bake with her mom.
© Getty Images"Okay, so a lot of bread recipes make enough for two loaves," she explained. "So I would, my mom, growing up, she would make one proper loaf, and with the other loaf worth of dough she would shape them into little men."
Now, Jennifer and her three kids "tear them apart and dip their little heads in butter."
Jennifer on raising her kids with her ex
The Alias actress recently shared the challenges of co-parenting her three children with her ex-husband, Ben Affleck. During an appearance on Bustle's One Nightstand YouTube series, the actress opened up about raising Violet, Fin, and Samuel in separate households.
"When your kids grow up in two separate households, I become mom and dad and he becomes dad and mom," Jennifer said. "You kind of can't help it, right? Because you don't have the benefit of both sides of the yin and yang being in the same house."
© Getty ImagesJennifer continued: "There's a little bit of loss in that, but there’s also something gained in that. You also just learn. It's made me let go and not focus so much on bringing up."
Jennifer and Ben's relationship
The former couple were married from 2005 to 2015 and co-parent Violet, Fin, and Samuel.
© FilmMagicThis isn't the first time Jennifer has openly discussed her co-parenting relationship with Ben. During an interview with Marie Claire, the actress discussed going through a public divorce. "You have to be smart about what you can and can't handle, and I could not handle what was out there [in the press]," she said.
Jennifer continued: "So much about my life surprises me…that I'm able to co-parent at this point in time with peace and equanimity and a partnership that I didn't know I would ever get back to."
