Jodie Sweeting talks raising teenage daughters

My first obsession with television was Full house. I wanted to live in San Francisco and join the Tanner family. I think Uncle Jesse is the coolest and love Danny Tanner’s dad jokes and Heartfelt advice for every situation. Of course, DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle Tanner are the sisters every girl wants to have by her side.

So when I got the chance to talk to 42-year-old Stephanie Tanner herself—actress, activist, author, podcaster, and mother—Jodie Sweetin, the pair It was definitely a full circle moment for the 80 year old kid in me.

“How Rude!” remains one of my comeback go-tos, and I’m still in awe of Stefani’s killer dance moves. (In case you missed it, Sweetin just recreated her viral “Motownphilly” dance from Season 5 33 years later!).

But what was truly special, even surreal, was the opportunity to chat with Sweetin Mom to Mom. She’s raising two teenage daughters, Zoie, 16, and Bea, 14, and trying to get through the craziness of back-to-school season just like the rest of us.

“This week, ‘Mom, I need 12 things!’ ‘When? ‘Tomorrow? ‘Oh, cool!'” As we grapple with the stress of buying school supplies and the system for getting kids back on track after the summer She smiled in sympathy with the shock.

Raising teenage girls

Thankfully, Sweeting’s back-to-school stress has eased somewhat as her youngest child successfully transitions to high school.

“Bea was actually so excited for the first day, she wasn’t scared at all, she wasn’t nervous at all,” said Sweetin, who found it satisfying to watch her daughters begin to find themselves. “Zoie is more of an athlete, an adventurer, and Bea is more of a performer.”

Sweeting’s daughters also attend different high schools, which Sweeting believes allows them to stay close.

“They have their own social lives and interests. They find their own rhythm and have their own lives. I mean, it does make the mornings more hectic, but thank God for the school bus,” she said.

Sweetin How to Find Time for Self-Care

In those busy moments, Sweetin insists on self-care and even partners with OLLY Vitamins to make more people aware of the importance of healthy habits. Sweeting starts her day by meditating for at least five minutes.

“I found that it really helped me. Just five minutes before the first round of ‘Hello, are you alive?’ Wake up! And then come back for the inevitable second, third and fourth round of getting the kids up,” Sweeting shared.

After the kids go to school, she gets into “me time” by sitting outside in the hammock and enjoying a little sunshine and nature.

“I’d say, ‘Oh, listen to that bird!’ It sounds silly, but we live in such a busy world with constant screens and kids and schedules — if I could just unplug every day A few minutes of power and presence, that really helped,” Sweeting said.

The great screen time debate

In fact, Sweeting hopes her kids will be more engaged and spend less screen time now that school is back in session.

“As soon as my girls walk in the door, I’m like, ‘Okay, hand me the phone.'” Even if it’s just a half hour before starting to do homework to decompress, have a snack, and relax,” Sweetin said. “I find transition time is really helpful. It saves one fight while we’re trying to get things done around the house, homework, dinner. . . Once everything is done, we discuss when they can resume their screen time .

But Sweeting admits that implementation is easier said than done.

“It’s so annoying. I hate it. As parents, we hate it. No one wants to follow these rules,” she said.

rules of the road

Now, Sweetin is engaged in a parenting rite of passage that has her working even harder to stay in that zen state. She’s been teaching Zoie how to drive!

“Every time we go to the drugstore or the grocery store, we ask, ‘Can I drive? Can I drive? OLLY’s Goodbye Stress are great because they soothe, but they also help you stay alert, which Crucial for 16 year olds when driving – you just don’t cry! Sweeting laughed!

When the reality hit Sweetin that she had a daughter old enough to start driving, she had mixed emotions.

“There’s this weird thing that happens when you’re suddenly in the passenger seat. You’re like, ‘They’re driving because they’re too old,’ and then you realize, ‘Oh my gosh, they’re That Old? This means I am So old! It happened so fast,” she said.

thanks to her village

To get through the trials and tribulations of raising teenagers, Sweeting credits her support system, which includes her lifelong girlfriend and her husband of two years, Mescal Wasilewski.

“He’s my best friend and a huge support. He’s so calm and patient,” Sweeting said with a laugh. “He just thinks we’re all crazy, which is great. He keeps us grounded and cooks and does all the grocery shopping, which is huge.

Wasilewski also provides an outside perspective that helps resolve issues quickly when Sweeting and her daughters disagree.

“He had the ability to see everyone’s work, so that was very helpful. He was the most patient, calm, even-tempered guy – three women in different stages of hormones running around the house. It’s great. It can be a lot,” she said of her husband.

Everything is perfect (house) is perfect

Hearing Sweeting talk about raising a teenage daughter was surreal, because for those of us who grew up watching Full houseit’s impossible not to see her as a young Stephanie Tanner. So, I had to know if her daughters knew their mom was an icon.

“No, because I’m not an ‘idol’ at home. I’m just a mom,” she said with a laugh. “I yelled at them to get their laundry done.”

That doesn’t mean having her kids join her on the shoot Full house restart, fuller housenot very special and meaningful.

“It’s fun to have my kids back in school Full house My family is with me,” Sweetin shared. “It was such a wonderful moment. When we finished the show [in 1995]I was 13 years old at the time, and I never thought that one day my kids would be back on set and I would get a picture of the three of us sitting on the couch.

although Full house Filled with tender parenting moments and lessons, Sweeting has yet to apply any of them in her own family. But there’s a good reason. In fact, she hadn’t seen many episodes until she started co-hosting the show in 2023. Full house Rewatch the podcast titled How rude, Taniritos! With Andrea Barber (aka Kimi Gibler).

“It’s so fun to go back and watch. It’s like a weird time capsule of being 37 years old. I have tons of documentation of my life for the world to see—awkward teeth, bad hair, etc.,” Sweeting shared.

As for the daughters, will they follow in their mother’s footsteps? While Bea enjoys acting and musicals, Sweetin says there’s no rush.

“It takes a certain amount of focus and ability, and you have to give up ‘normal’ kid stuff,” Sweeting explains. “I said, ‘Go enjoy your childhood, enjoy being a kid,’ and the business will always be there.”

Sweeting’s parenting advice

For now, Sweeting is focused on guiding her daughters through the school year and raising them in a way that works best for her and her girls.

“My best advice is don’t worry about keeping up with other moms. Don’t worry if the mom prepares a Pinterest lunch for her kid that includes dinosaur-shaped peanut butter, jelly, and strawberry blossoms. Just show up for your kids and do your best. And for that, they’ll be fine,” she said.

When Sweeting’s children were young, she remembers comparing herself to other moms and being hard on herself until she had an epiphany.

“This is not a competition and you have to keep reminding yourself of that,” she said. “You just want your kids to move in the direction they’re going and not make a mess — that’s parenting. So sometimes you’re like, ‘I’m doing a good job,’ and sometimes you’re like , ‘Well, that might be what gets them into therapy.

But Sweeting stresses that moms need to go easy on themselves. “Parents do a lot of emotional, unpaid labor, and this time of year can be stressful. So, get some sleep, grab your OLLY, and give yourself some rest!