Jennifer Garner thinks it’s important to set a good example for her children.
The 44-year-old actress – who has daughters Violet, 10, and Seraphina seven, and son Samuel, four, with estranged husband Ben Affleck – is always mindful of the fact her kids are watching her, and hopes they will learn how to be good and kind people from their observations.
She told ‘Today Parents’: "I don’t think empathy is something you can drill in someone’s head.
"You have to have faith that while your kids can seem to be selfish and concerned only about the word ‘mine’ sometimes, overall, they are watching you really carefully, and if you care about other people, they will too.
"I try to be the best version of myself and to have faith that they’re watching me as carefully when I do something right as they do when I roll through a stop sign."
The former ‘Alias’ actress also expressed her fears that Violet will soon discover social media as her class at school are now exploring laptops and other devices – and she was the only child who had never owned any.
Jennifer said: "We just had back to school night, and I said afterwards, ‘Do they need a computer?’ They need some kind of device or computer to complete their homework.
"Our daughter doesn’t have any of those things, and she’s like, the only kid in the class who doesn’t, apparently.
"So I found an old laptop this weekend for her, and I am kind of panicked about it. She’s not on social media yet – her school has a no social media policy until sixth grade – but I know it’s coming soon."
The ‘Miracles From Heaven’ star always does her best to spend quality one-on-one time with each of her children every day, but her work sometimes means that can’t happen.
She said: "I try to make bedtime sacred, to have some alone time with each kid every night, when it is possible.
"Except for the nights when it’s not possible. I work, and I have a job that means that sometimes I have to go out at night, and sometimes I need to go out at night just for me."
Jennifer Garner sets example for kids
