The Best Parenting Quotes From Award-Winning Actress Angela Bassett

Award-winning actress Angela Bassett has given several lovely and inspiring quotes about motherhood over the years. In honour of her birthday (August 16th - Happy Birthday, Angela!), here are her views on motherhood.

Bassett and her actor husband, Courtney B. Vance of "Law and Order" fame, enjoy doting on their now 13-year-old twins, son Slater and daughter Bronwyn, together. But through the years, Bassett has been quite open about sharing her opinions on how motherhood really works and her advice are like golden words of wisdom from someone who has mothered oh so many children rather than just two!

See for yourself! Many thanks to Huffpost for rounding up these quotes.

Advice For Dealing With Racial Issues When Raising Children:

"Even from the age of 4, from preschool, they’ve had to deal with ― and as crazy as it seems or sounds ― color issues because they were African Americans," she has said. "Whether other kids will play with them or have an issue with that. And it can’t come from their young minds, it’s something that they’ve heard from somewhere."

Bassett's advice here is to let your child experience their feelings because they're natural feelings. You're likely to experience upset and angry feelings over issues like these as well. Talking them out is best. Helping your child get a firm footing of who they are will help them get through situations like this in the future.

Advice For Being Parents To Older Children:

“This is a good period right now. You know, children change," Angela has explained. "They’ll do something different, become something different in 30 days then cling to you, release you, run away from you. But they’re in a good little spot right now." She added, "I wouldn’t mind if this period stuck around for a little while. You ask them to do something ― or you don’t have to ask." Bassett went on to say that after her children grew out of their little kid phase she enjoyed not having to ask them to do the dishes five or six times, just one. Once there was a time when they would do the dishes grudgingly but at least it would get done. But now both Slater and Bronwyn will do the dishes when their parents ask with a good attitude.

Advice For Dealing With Pressure:

“You know, it’s so easy to be hard on yourself. Don’t be so, so hard on yourself, because being hard on yourself is just you trying to be perfect, trying to be the best that you possibly can be," the actress says. "You know, take stock and remember those things that really ignite your passion. That makes you happy." The actress says that it's important to enjoy who you are, take time to enjoy your kids and realize that they're going to do good things as well as make some mistakes but in the end, everything will turn out as it is supposed to.

NEXT: WHO DOES SERENA WILLIAMS TURN TO FOR PARENTING ADVICE?

Advice For Raising Independent Children:

“They want to be with their friends. They have their school friends, they have their sports friends, church friends, and they want to spend time with them," Angela explained. "You know what? I want to spend time with my friends too, so I get it, but I know what they like! So I just try to find a moment, something that we can enjoy together that I know that they would really appreciate."

Bassett took her son Slater to a three-day music festival recently- just the two of them -and they hung out together and she also gave him his independence as well. When they got back, she had to prepare to leave for Germany for six weeks.

But before she left, she decided to treat her daughter, Bronwyn, to a weekend in Paris because she's been wanting to go for three years. Of course, not every parent can offer these kinds of rewards, but the basic idea is quality time.

Advice About Balancing It all:

“It’s hard not to focus all of your attention on your children because they come so helpless, and they come so beautiful, and the smell — they’re really designed to suck you in," Angela explains.

She continued, "They’re really persuasive, and they persuade you to focus all of your attention on them and maybe put your dreams on the back burner at times. But you have to be really adept at balancing your dreams, hopes, and desires and raising them so you don’t lose yourself, or your relationship, in the process.”

Bassett is determined to keep her relationship with her husband intact as well her acting career going strong, her friendships maintained all without sacrificing anything to motherhood or her children.

What do you think about Angela Bassett's parenting advice? Can you apply it to your life? Please let us know down in the comments!