Kerry Washington Says Her Family Life Is ‘Not for Public Consumption’

Actress Kerry Washington has recently given us a glimpse into what her life is like as an artist, activist, and mother.

In in a recent interview with InStyle, the Scandal and Little Fires Everywhere star, who shares daughter Isabelle, 11, son Caleb, 9, and a teenage stepdaughter with husband Nnamdi Asomugha, opened up about parenthood. Along with discussing her acting career and advocacy work, Washington touched on topics such as being present for her kids, how she prioritizes her family’s privacy, and more.

On Being Present In Her Kids’ Lives

Working parents everywhere understand the effort it takes to be there for their children every day, and Washington is no exception. She values participating in day-to-day tasks like the school car line, emphasizing the importance of personally dropping off and picking up her kids from school.

She calls taking part in her kids’ lives a “real privilege.” When thinking about the bigger picture of life and its priorities, Washington stresses that, in the end, most people don’t wish they spent more time working. Instead, people tend to regret the time they missed with family or possibly creative dreams they were too afraid to pursue. As a result, she prioritizes not only her creative goals but also her family, and cherishes this time spent with her children.

Protecting Her Children From the Public

It’s no secret that kids of celebrities often don’t have a typical childhood. With that, it’s important to Washington to keep her family life off social media and out of the public eye. Even when her kids were babies, she never shared photos with her followers.

Today, while her kids of course have to attend school and lead their own lives (even seeing Beyoncé with their mom), Washington is careful not to intentionally share images publicly on her own page. “Our kids get to be who they are, not who the world has decided they are,” she says.

Keeping Her Family Life Private

In addition to keeping her children off of her social media, Washington keeps her personal life private, too.

Living life under the microscope can be hard on relationships. Washington didn’t even share a photo of herself and her husband together until they’d been married for 10 years! “I feel like we are more protective of our real truth. That’s not for public consumption.”

“Work is a big part of my life—I’m not retiring, I’m not walking away—but I’m ambitious about living a full life.”

Kerry Washington

On Staying Ambitious for Work and Family

Washington’s ambitious nature has led to success as an actress, producer, and director—but her ambition is rooted in more than just her career. She views that word with a fuller picture, looking at it through the lens of not just work, but family, identity, and more.

“I want to be ambitious for things other than professional success,” she explains. “Ambitious for my kids, ambitious for my marriage, ambitious for life.” While work is a significant part of her life, living a full life matters the most to her.

Read the original article on Parents