Ryan Reynolds Opened Up About How His Anxiety Helps Him Be a Better Parent

Ryan Reynolds isn’t afraid to be honest about his history of mental health issues; In fact, since he became a father, he is proud of it. In a new conversation with his Deadpool and Wolverine co-star, Hugh Jackman, for People, Reynolds talked about why he believes his experiences with anxiety actually make him a better father.

“Now I love that I have anxiety,” she told Jackman. “I love that I’ve had anxiety, because when I see my kids experiencing some of that, which is probably genetic, I know how to approach it in a compassionate way. I know how to approach it in a way that really allows them to feel seen in that anxiety. And I know that I can’t just fix it and I can communicate all those things to them, so I’m always grateful for that.”

Reynolds and his wife, Blake Lively, share four daughters: James, Inez, Betty and one fourth daughter, born in 2023, whose name has not been shared publicly. James, Inez and Betty were all received shout-outs from close family friend Taylor Swift in songs from her 2020 album. folklore.

Reynolds, Lively and their three oldest children were stained last night in Madrid in the VIP section of Swift’s Eras Tour where the family could be seen dancing and singing.

Reynolds has previously spoken about his struggles with his mental health.

“I’ve really had anxiety my whole life and you know, I feel like I have two parts of my personality,” he confessed in 2022 during an appearance on the CBS show. Sunday morningadding that he used to panic before appearing on talk shows.

“I remember being backstage before the curtain opened,” he said. “And I thought: ‘I’m going to die. “I’m literally going to die here.”

Reynolds has also spoken about his and Lively’s “self-aware” approach to parenting in the past.

“For me, the best time of the day is walking them to school and walking them back,” he said. People last year. “I think as parents we are now much better equipped to handle the rigors of childhood through our children than we were when I was a child. It’s just totally different now. People are much more self-aware. And that’s what we worry about most: self-awareness with our children. Don’t be happy, don’t be anything, just be self-aware and welcome everything.”

And apparently, this includes honest and open conversations about mental health.