Emma Thompson Picks Her Battles

When it comes to motherhood, Emma Thompson relies on some tried-and-true words of wisdom: Pick your battles.

"With Gaia, I make sure that the boundaries are reasonable," she tells the UK's The Daily Mail of her 10-year-old daughter. "I only fight the battles I really think have to be fought. Some of the battles I will lose on purpose, so that she gets a sense of power over her own existence."

Emma admits this philosophy has had some unexpected consequences.

"One of the battles I have let her win is allowing her to have a pair of high heels," the Nanny McPhee star confesses. "I thought, you know, I am not going to push this. I can't walk in high heels, but actually I would like her to be able to walk in heels because they look nice. And she loves them. I loved them when I was little. If I had been allowed to have high heels I would have been so happy, but no. So she has a little pair of high heels."