Jessica Biel Struggles to Balance Work and Parenting—'I Don't Do It Very Well All the Time'
I didn't think that a regular mom like me would have much in common with actress Jessica Biel, but it turns out there is one thing I relate to about her life: We're both working moms, and when it comes balancing career and raising kids, there are no easy solutions.
Biel recently spoke to InStyle about her experience as a mom with a busy work schedule—and any parent who has had to make tough choices about work commitments when they'd rather spend time with their kids will be able to relate.
'It really takes a village to raise any kid, let alone in a wild business like this where parents are traveling for long times for work,' she told the magazine.
Biel spoke to the magazine from Montana, where her kids were working on their skills at ski school. She says that if she weren't working, she'd probably be skiing herself, before picking the kids up from their lessons.
She went on to explain how she and her husband, pop star Justin Timberlake, structure their household. 'We try to have one of us working full time, only one,' she says, so that her two kids, 10-year-old Silas and 4-year-old Phineas, have a stable and consistent home life.
But, she adds that sometimes—just like all parents—they don't live up to their own ideals, and in the ups and downs of the entertainment industry, that means sometimes taking work opportunities when they come up.
Biel, though, is in a position of privilege, meaning her children can travel with her when she's filming. She reveals to the magazine that when that happens, not only does her family help out with childcare, but she's also able to bring along a travel teacher and a nanny. Next, Biel plans to bring her kids along to support Timberlake on his Forget Tomorrow World Tour.
When both parents can be home with the kids, Biel says her life looks just like any other parents'—struggling to get out the door for sports practice with all their gear is one challenge she points out.
'I don't do it very well all the time,' she admits.
Still, Biel is trying her best, just like the rest of us. When she's home with her kids, she works hard to be fully present with them, following the advice of a colleague. That means not taking so much as a work call when she's at home and spending time with her children.
That's real dedication to prioritizing your children, right there. But it feels good to know that even with all the resources she has available to her, she hasn't perfected being a working mom either.
It's a learning curve, and all parents—movie stars or not—are learning together.
Biel is set to star in the Mattel movie Matchbox, which will be released in 2026. The limited series The Better Sister, in which she stars alongside Elizabeth Banks, will premiere on Amazon Prime later this month.
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