Jenna Dewan-Tatum and Jessica Alba Discuss the Struggle of Being a Working Mom

It's hard to balance work and family...just askJenna Dewan Tatum and Jessica Alba.
Jenna and husband Channing Tatum are parents to daughter Everly, 4. In addition to her acting career, Jenna recently took on a new role as host of NBC's new series World of Dance. Jessica is the co-founder of the Honest Company. She shares daughters Honor, 8, and Haven, 5, with husband Cash Warren.
The two talked about balancing work with family time in an interview with E! News Friday at a beach party celebrating the launch of their new Havaianas Mommy & Me flip-flops collection, sponsored by the Baby2Baby charity.

"I think feeling like you're missing moments, like, well first off, you feel bad when you realize they are wearing shoes that hurt them because you're like, 'Oh, I didn't even realize that you've been wearing shoes that are too small for you for like 3-4 months, my bad,'" Jessica said. "Some of those milestones or moments, you want to be there for every single one and it's not realistic when you're working, but for me, that's what gets me. Even the everyday little things like picking them up from school are a big deal, so I drop them off at school most mornings and try to get home for bedtime. But the weekends is really when I get to spend the time with them."

 

"Yeah, for me it's always a balancing act and learning and perfecting the balancing act is the toughest part," Jenna said. "For me, with work, it's interesting because it will be really, really busy and then I'll have a little bit of time where it isn't quite as busy, so you have a little bit of time where balancing that is easier. She's pretty good now because she understands that now."

 

"It's like a checks and balances kind of thing where you really put in good quality time so you feel a little bit better about working the next day," she said. "It's about finding that, and constantly sort of not making yourself feel guilty but trying to work that out for yourself, so that your family gets lots of time and quality time together. It's a balancing act always."

 

Jessica said she thinks "it's about quality and not quantity."

 

"Totally," Jenna said. "I say that all the time, because getting that good quality time in there assures the time you have to be away working to just feel better for you and for your kid and your family, just making that a priority."

The two talked about fun things they do with their daughters.
"Well, my kids are obsessed with making slime so that's all they do," Jessica said. "All they want to do is make slime and then they do like pretend tutorials like Youtube because they watch tutorials, that's how they learned to make slime. So Haven will be Honor's assistant and she'll say, 'Um today we're making clear squishy slime' or whatever slime they are making."
"I didn't even know there were that many kinds of slimes to be made. And it's been so hard finding glue! And if you run out of glue you're screwed," she said. "Like good luck finding glue!"
"Oh yeah it's so fun to like get the ingredients and pour them together," Jenna said. "I don't know if I should start this with Everly."
"It's actually really satisfying," Jessica said. "The problem is the color in the house, it gets on the rugs and shirts and couches, everything. Even on our dogs, like I've found slime on our dogs' backs. I'm like, why does the dog have green slime on him?!"
Jenna said she and Everly like to go hiking together and also make fairy houses during their hikes.
"Oh yeah!" Jessica said. "My kids like hiking too. We should do a hike together!"
"Yes!" Jenna replied. "But you don't really hike, you get a little bit of hiking in then she plops down on the ground and makes a house. Then she goes a little bit further and she's like, 'Oh wait Mommy.' It's very distracting but it's super cute! She's kind of my little mini-me. She likes to do and go everywhere with me. She sort of likes to be my buddy and she's at a great age for that."

"Yeah, is she kind of like your roll dog?" Jessica asked. "When I had just one it was way easier. When you have two, they fight and it's like a whole situation. And now they want to be home making slime always, so I'm like, 'Okay, let's get out, let's go do something, go on a hike or swimming.'"
"Yeah, she is," Jenna replied. "I'm aware of this, so this is why I think about having a second kid, I'm like, it's so nice having a little roll dog right now. It's SO nice!"
"I have to take mine out individually and make it seem like the other one isn't having more fun," Alba said
Jenna had told E! News in 2015 that she and Channing "definitely want" to have more children to join big sister Everly, who recently turned 4.

The actresses also discussed their plans for Father's Day this month.
"I think we'll do brunch but I'm not really sure what else," Jessica said.
"Well, Channing is really into dirt biking and street biking right now, which is dangerous, but I'm very into this hobby of his as well," Jenna said. "But he wants us to come and watch and be part of it, so I think we are going to do a dirt biking day and be his cheerleaders. We are literally going to go cheer him on, so that's our Father's Day."