Thandie Newton: Don't Force Your Daughters To Be "Girlie"

The lovely Thandie Newton has been recognized for her work on the big screen in films such as W and Crash, but it's her role as a mom to her daughters Ripley, 10, and Nico, 5, that is most important to her. The 37-year-old actress recently talked to Hollybaby.com about being a mother to her "two beautiful girls."

On what she hopes to teach her girls: "I want my girls to feel empowered. That’s the most important thing. I think as a mom it’s important to teach your children that they’re extraordinary, powerful beings. Your job is to keep the path clear so there is nothing they can trip up on."

On her daughters: "They’re not into going to stores and buying dolls. Ripley is not a girlie girl. If I bought her an American Girl doll, the hair would be cut off in a week. I go into her bedroom and find a crew cut left on the floor. Poor Barbie!... Moms shouldn’t force their girls to be too girlie. If they don’t like dolls then let it go. Let them find their own creative outlets. Maybe they don’t like dolls, but love to paint."

On how motherhood has changed her: "It’s amazing how you start again and you re-live your childhood. The universe has given me girls because I needed to live that girlhood again in a fresh way."

Read the rest of Thandie's interview at Hollybaby.com