So many parents find it hard to balance their work lives and their family, so it’s no surprise that celebrities have just as hard a time deciding on how to split their time. Some opt to give up their career entirely for the foreseeable future just so they can take care of their growing children, while others dramatically reduce the amount of work they’re doing so they can be at home. It’s a tough decision to make, and it’s every parent’s own call – while many can make working hard and parenting work, others feel as though it’s necessary to make some career sacrifices in order to have a happy family and they’re willing to do that if it’s what it takes.
Angelina Jolie
Angelina believes she’ll stop working when her kids become teens: ‘I think I’m going to have to give up the acting as the kids hit the teenage years, anyway, too much to manage at home. I have enjoyed being an actress. I am so grateful to the job and I have had great experiences and I have even be able to tell stories and be a part of stories that mattered and I have done things for fun, but… I will do some films and I am so fortunate to have the job, it’s a really lucky profession to be a part of and I enjoy it. But if it went away tomorrow I would be very happy to be home with the children. I wake up in the morning as a mum and I turn on the news like everybody else and I see what’s happening and I want to be part of the world in a positive way.’
Winona Ryder
Winona admits that she would quit acting in a heartbeat if she had a family because she knows how much work it is: “I think if I had a child, I would. I think I’d just want to be a mum. And I’ve seen from my brother and sister-in-law how much work children are so I think I’d want it to be my priority.”
Tulisa Contostavlos
Tulisa believes that when it’s time to have children, she’ll be ready to step out of the spotlight too: ”I believe my life will begin when I settle down and have kids. I will literally wake up one day and say that I don’t want to be in entertainment anymore and you won’t see me again. I’ve already bought my dream house in the country. I can’t wait!”
Rihanna
When asked if there will be a time when she will give up singing, Rihanna says it will most likely be when she has children in the future – she will stop touring: ”Not just yet, though, that’ll probably be when I’m kids-deep. And have other businesses in place where I don’t have to run on tour all the time. That’s things for the future I think about. It’s definitely in the near future.”
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth has reduced her workload since having her children: “I haven’t…starred in a movie since I had my kids. I just look for interesting supporting—biggish supporting parts, and try to do one a year, and that’s my limit. Some women can do it and that’s fantastic, but I can’t. You make choices as a wife and mother, don’t you? You can’t have it all. I don’t care what it looks like.”
