There are some celeb parents out there who will post about every detail of their child’s life—and then there are celeb moms like Natalie Portman, who would really rather keep their personal life private. And that includes keeping her children’s lives private. Natalie is definitely not your typical celebrity parent, which is what makes her such an interesting person to learn from. Although she grew up in the spotlight after making it clear that she wanted to be an actress, she wants her children to be able to maintain a bit more privacy.

Natalie has been so incredibly successful throughout the years, and although she did not come from a famous family with tons of connections, she worked her way up and made a name for herself. When she decided to become a mother, she was ready to take on a whole new kind of role—one that would be much more difficult than playing any character on screen. But there was no question that she was ready for it, and now, she is doing an amazing job raising her two children Amalia and Aleph with her husband Benjamin Millepied. Here are 20 little-known details about Natalie Portman’s parenting.

20 She Tries To Keep Her Kids Away From The Spotlight

According to Romper, Natalie says that it is important to her that she does not force her children to live under a spotlight. Yes, it’s true that as the children of a celebrity, they don’t always have a choice—they will always be in the public eye to a certain extent. However, she does not parade them around the red carpet, she tries to keep them away from aggressive paparazzi, and above all, she simply lets them be kids. She made a choice to be famous for herself, but her children definitely do not need to follow in her footsteps.

19 She Spends The Weekends Getting Out Into Nature With The Kids

Of course, Natalie does not want her kids to feel like they are living their lives under the glare of a spotlight at all times, but it’s not like she just wants everyone in her family to be a homebody to stay away from the cameras, either. According to Romper, she loves spending time out in nature with her children. She and her husband work very hard most of the time, and when they do get to have free time with the kids on weekends, they always make the most of it. Her kids just love to play outside in nature!

18 Her Life Is Evenly Split Between Work And Family Time

Yes, Natalie is an extremely busy actress, but at this point in her life, she does not have to be working 24/7 and can be more choosy with the projects she wants to take on. This allows her to spend more time with her family. According to Vanity Fair, Natalie says that at this point, her life is basically split evenly between work and family. While it’s true that she does not have much time for anything else, well, that is pretty much reality for most parents, anyway! Clearly, she is spending her time focused on what’s most important.

17 She Says That Motherhood Was Not What She Expected

Honestly, we’re pretty sure that most moms (and most dads) could relate to this. According to Kveller, Natalie says that motherhood is basically nothing like she expected—she says that it is both much more challenging and more rewarding than she could have ever anticipated! It’s true that being a parent is never easy, but there is so much joy that comes along with it as well. This is the lesson that every parent ends up learning: yes, becoming a parent can feel like you’re taking a major risk, but the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward you will reap.

16 Her Jewish Faith Inspires Her Parenting Methods

According to Kveller, Natalie may not consider herself super religious, but she says that her Jewish faith definitely inspires the way that she chooses to go about parenting. Fun fact about Natalie that many people do not know: she was actually born in Israel! Her culture and religion are definitely still an important part of her life, and she wants to pass this on to her children. In the midst of Hollywood, it can be hard to hold on to something as important and personal as faith—kudos to Natalie for holding on to the things that really matter to her.

15 She Believes Routine Is Very Important For Kids

This one will not come as a surprise to any woman who already has kids—according to Vanity Fair, Natalie says that her kids basically need routine and that sticking to a solid routine is pretty much the key to raising healthy, happy kids. It’s true that while kids love spontaneity and adventure sometimes, they do need routine in their lives. For example, a kid who does not have a solid bedtime that their parents are consistent with will generally end up feeling tired and exhausted day after day. Natalie is definitely right on the money with this piece of advice!

14 She Doesn’t Think There’s “One Way” To Be A Good Mom

Being a mother is hard—there is no doubt about it. In fact, there is a reason that people often say that it is the hardest job in the world! According to Romper, Natalie says that this is one of the most important lessons that motherhood has taught her: there is no one perfect way to be a good mom. Motherhood is tough enough as it is—so do we really need to be judging moms just for doing things differently? Every single mother is unique, and every single child is unique—so we need to accept a variety of parenting methods.

13 She Still Prioritizes Her Own Self-Care

It is so important for moms to take some time to themselves—it is just so easy for women who have children to find themselves feeling overworked and exhausted, with no way to simply sit back and relax. According to Mommyish, Natalie says that she still makes time for her own self-care each week—she says that it is essential for her health and well-being. It’s sad that not every mom makes time for herself in this way. Although Natalie is quite busy, she definitely has more flexibility in her schedule and help throughout her day than the average working mother does.

12 She Says That Motherhood Made Her Calmer Under Stress

Yes, it is true that parenting is stressful—anyone who has ever even babysat can tell you that taking care of kids is no picnic! But according to Mommyish, Natalie says that becoming a mom has actually helped her learn how to manage her stress. She says that basically, being a mom meant that she had to learn how to handle pressure with grace. She had to maintain her composure and stay calm for her kids’ sake. Now, she says that no matter what’s going on, she feels like she is able to stick with her “mom” voice and control the situation.

11 She Goes To Cate Blanchett For Parenting Advice

It’s hard to believe that Natalie would need to seek parenting advice from anyone else in Hollywood—after all, we’re talking about a world class actress with a degree from Harvard here. Who in Hollywood could tell her something she didn’t know already? Well, according to Vanity Fair, Natalie has actually gone to Cate Blanchett for parenting advice before. What did Cate tell her? Well, Cate basically told her not to stress, put her head down, and just do what she had to do in order to be a good mother to her kids. It’s basic advice, but it’s true!

10 She Feels That Motherhood Is A Full-Time Job

Look, Natalie works hard—she always has. You don’t get to be a famous actress and a Harvard grad without putting in some seriously hard work! But according to Romper, Natalie says that being a mom is the hardest job she has ever done, and it is absolutely a full-time job—and she is certainly not the only mom who feels that way! In fact, this is a pretty common sentiment amongst mothers everywhere. Oftentimes, motherhood can be even tougher and more time consuming than a full-time job—Natalie can definitely relate to most moms out there on this point.

9 She Won’t Let Her Kids Watch The Star Wars Prequels

Alright, this one might seem a little silly, but Natalie actually takes this rule seriously! According to Vanity Fair, Natalie says that she will not allow her children to watch the Star Wars prequel. Sure, once they get old enough, they will be able to go out and watch them on their own—Natalie is certainly aware of that. But hey, every parent chooses to set some boundaries around the kind of entertainment that their kids can enjoy at home. And those guidelines might be a little more complicated for famous people who happened to star in a beloved franchise!

8 She Will Teach Her Daughter About Feminism

There is no doubt that Natalie is a strong feminist. According to Bustle, Natalie is very passionate about standing up for women’s rights. She says that she has not always been treated fairly as a woman in Hollywood, and she hopes that by the time her daughter is old enough to start working (at whatever cpath she chooses, of course), things will be better. It’s clear that Natalie is going to teach her daughter (and her son, too!) about feminism as they get older. After all, it’s just about the fact that men and women are equal—it’s common sense!

7 Becoming A Mom Gave Her Newfound Appreciation For Her Own Mother

Natalie is far from the only woman who has felt this way—it seems like many mothers out there can relate to this sentiment. According to Vanity Fair, Natalie says that when she eventually became a mother for the first time, it made her feel that much closer to her own mom. Suddenly, she had a whole new appreciation for everything that her mom had done for her. Before becoming a mother herself, she had never been really able to understand just how much love and sacrifice and patience goes into parenting. Now, she personally knows what it’s all about.

6 She Admits That Even She Deals With “Mommy Brain”

It’s hard to believe that a woman as smart and accomplished as Natalie Portman could deal with the dreaded “mommy brain,” but even she admits that she gets totally scatterbrained sometimes! According to Harper’s Bazaar, Natalie says that no matter how organized and put together she seems on the outside, she still has days when she feels like everything is all over the place! Well, she’s only human after all—and don’t we all have days when it just seems like nothing goes right? Motherhood can sometimes just make it even harder to keep everything on track—even if you’re a celeb!

5 She Says Motherhood Has Made Her Less Critical Of Others

Let’s face it, even though we may try our best not to, we all judge others sometimes. It may not be the nicest thing to do, but we’re only human, so it happens. According to Harper’s Bazaar, Natalie says that one of the most welcome changes that motherhood has brought to her life is helping her become less judgmental of other people, particularly other moms. Sometimes, it can be so hard to remember that behind the scenes, people always have struggles that we aren’t aware of—but motherhood has a way of helping women see other moms in a new light.

4 Motherhood Can Make It Challenging To Prepare For Her Roles

So, what are some of the specific challenges that Natalie has faced because of motherhood? Well, according to Romper, she says that after becoming a mom, it became a little bit more difficult to prepare for her upcoming roles. Was it because she had less time to focus on acting? Well, that wasn’t quite the issue—she just had to make sure that she left work at work and didn’t bring those characters home with her, so to speak. She couldn’t walk around the house acting like she was still on set and in character—she had to set some boundaries!

3 She Often Travels With Her Children

Being a famous actress, it’s safe to say that Natalie is on the road a lot. According to Vanity Fair, despite the fact that she definitely loves routine and tries to stick to it as closely as possible, it can still be a challenge to stick with those routines with her kids when they are on the road. When she travels, she usually likes to take her kids with her. While traveling can be difficult for kids, it is also an opportunity for them to learn more about the world around them, and Natalie definitely wants them to be cultured.

2 She Still Does The Cooking For Her Family

It’s easy to assume that celebs just pay someone else to do everything around the house for them, but it really depends on the person. Some celebs prefer to do things for themselves—and Natalie is definitely one of them. According to Romper, Natalie says that cooking for her family is one of her favorite rituals. She says that she cooks every week, whenever possible. It’s so sweet that Natalie still takes the time to put in the effort and make home cooked meals for her family. She definitely does not have to do this, but it brings a family closer.

1 Motherhood Has Made Her Feel More Connected To Other Women

It’s true that not all women want to become mothers, and it’s also true that every woman feels a little bit differently about what motherhood means to her in general. But for many women, motherhood forms a strong bond between them—and Natalie is no exception to this. According to Romper, Natalie says that becoming a mom has made her feel more closely connected to other women. She feels a sense of sisterhood that she just did not feel before. Motherhood just has a way of bringing women together—after all, there is no other experience quite like becoming a mom.

Sources: romper.com, mommyish.com, kveller.com, vanityfair.com, harpersbazaar.com, bustle.com