Jennifer Garner Says Her Kids Went Through Some 'Tortured Years' as She Gives Kylie Kelce Advice on Raising Teenagers

Kayla GrantThu, February 26, 2026 at 4:43 PM UTC

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Jennifer Garner; Kylie KelceCredit: Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce/YouTube (2) -

Jennifer Garner joined Kylie Kelce's Not Gonna Lie podcast on Thursday, Feb. 26, where she opened up about her thoughts on raising teenagers

During the conversation, the 13 Going on 30 star shared her best mom advice on raising teenagers to Kelce, encouraging her to give herself grace when the time comes

She also noted that her children went through some "tortured years" while their mom was in the spotlight

Jennifer Garner is sharing her top tips for raising teenagers.

On Thursday, Feb. 26, the mom of three, 53, made an appearance on Kylie Kelce's Not Gonna Lie podcast. During the episode, Garner, who's a mom to Samuel, 13, Seraphina, 17, and Violet, 20, opened up to the podcaster and mom of four, 33, about the realities of raising teenagers.

“Well, the cool thing is teenagers are amazing,” the 13 Going on 30 alum told Kelce. “They're funny. They have all these interests you never could have predicted. They're thoughtful.”

“Everybody has their moments. We have our moments, but you grow up with them,” she continued. “It's not like somebody's gonna hand you a 14-year-old and say, ‘Here, deal with this.’ You will have been through every age. You will have had little foreshadowing of what this is gonna be like. You will have practiced.”

The Last Thing He Told Me actress also shared her advice for Kelce, who shares her four daughters with husband Jason Kelce, for when her children get older.

“Every day as a mom is a new day to say, ‘Okay. That didn't work. Let me try again,’ “ Garner said. “Every day is a fresh start. Every day is an opportunity, and if you can just keep giving yourself that grace, you get there, and you're suddenly just like, ‘Oh, this is fun.’”

During their conversation, Garner revealed that her popular movie 13 Going on 30 created some "tortured years" for her kids, sharing how she navigated that moment in their lives.

“Well, they went through some tortured years where they were turning 13, and [13 Going on 30] was showing up at birthday parties a lot or sleepovers, and the parents thought, ‘Oh, this will be a fun thing.’ And my kids were, first of all, mortified," she said. "And second of all, so upset to see me sad, so upset to see me being in love … and, also, it's just so cringe.”

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She added, “I got a couple of calls from sleepovers, like, I think I have a headache. And I’m like, ‘A headache? You’ve never had a headache, but you need me to get you okay.’”

Jason and Kylie Kelce with their childrenCredit: Kylie Kelce/Instagram

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Elsewhere in the podcast, Garner told Kylie that she loves working with kids on different projects because they help her grow as a parent.

"I love the intimacy of that relationship, whether they're a toddler and I get to become best buddies with a toddler, or whether it's a little kid, a teenager or a young adult. I just I I love them," she shared. "And they help give me perspective on myself as a parent."

"I'm practicing that relationship, even practicing the friction of it, and [finding] ways that I can take that home and do a better job," added Garner.

The Alias star explained that one of the things she's learned over the years is how and when to keep her mouth shut.

"Because, really, your kids get to a point, and I hate to say this to you because you're so far from this, and it's really rude, but they get to a point where you're not supposed to tell them everything. You're supposed to stay quiet," she told Kylie. "I don't know when that happens, but all of a sudden, it's not on you, and you're actually — you're in trouble."

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”