Jennifer Garner reveals 'GUILT' over being a 'working mom' while raising the three children she shares with Ben Affleck: 'It makes you panic'

Jennifer Garner opened up about being a working mom and how she deals with the ‘guilt’ that is associated with it in a new interview on Tuesday.

The Peppermint star, 51, admitted that it is easy to get ‘freaked out’ over trying to balance a career and raising a family, as she is an actress/director/producer and the mother to Violet, 17, Seraphina, 14, and Samuel, 11 , whom she shares with her ex Ben Affleck.

‘Working moms get such a bad… we get all freaked out because we’re told constantly “you have 18 summers,'” “you have this much time,” “time is fleeting,” and it makes you panic,’ she revealed to Access Hollywood.

‘So, if you come from a place of expansiveness instead of feeling just like “I can’t be a mom because I’m also working, and I’m supposed to be guilty all the time”, you better just lean into wherever you are any day exactly like right now just be here when your kids show up be there and we’ll have a great time.’

Jennifer said her positive perspective came from her own mother, Patricia Ann Garner.

Working mom: Jennifer Garner opened up about being a working mom and how she deals with the ‘guilt’ that is associated with it in a new interview on Tuesday
Co-parenting: Garner must like having Lopez to lean on when she needs to as it seems Garner feels bad about sometimes having to leave her children to focus on work. Earlier this week the Alias vet said being a working mom makes her feel ‘guilt’ at times. She admitted that it is easy to get ‘freaked out’ over trying to balance a career and raising a family; seen in 2019

‘My mom has always said to me “you’re their mom forever, don’t worry you can do your job. You’re their mom forever.

‘”I wish I had worked, I would have been a better mom. Your kids are going to be so proud of you,”‘ Jennifer explained.

‘She’s always given me that that kind of grounding in that sense,’ she added.

With such stable footing, Jennifer has been able to be a co-parenting champ with her famous ex.

Jennifer and Ben met on the set of Daredevil in 2003 and later married in 2005. They welcomed their big brood before splitting in 2015.

Despite the divorce, Ben has also been doing his best as a working father, telling the Today show in 2019 that he tries ‘very hard’ to be a ‘good dad’ to Violet, Seraphina and Samuel.

‘I’m lucky they got a great mom,’ he added at the time.

Guilt-free parenting: ‘Working moms get such a bad¿ we get all freaked out because we’re told constantly “you have 18 summers,'” “you have this much time,” “time is fleeting,” and it makes you panic,’ Jennifer said
Make it work: Ben and Jennifer have maintained a friendly relationship since their split. And Ben’s new wife Lopez has also seemed to become a hands-on stepmother as she has been seen with Ben and Jen’s three kids. Seen in 2020
His new wife: Ben is now married to Jennifer Lopez; seen in May in LA

‘She helps out a great deal with making sure that we co-parent in as good a way as possible.’

As fans know, Ben would go on to rekindle his romance with Jennifer Lopez, who is coping as a working mom as well, as she shares twins Emme and Max, 15, with her ex Marc Anthony.

Ben and J-Lo initially got together in the early 2000s and quickly became one of Hollywood’s most talked-about couples.

However, their whirlwind romance faced intense media scrutiny, leading to their engagement in 2002 being called off.

In 2021, Bennifer 2.0 took shape and the couple wed months later.