Ilana Glazer Is Not a Chill Mom—but She's Working on It
Fact checked by Sarah Scott
You'd be forgiven for thinking comedian Ilana Glazer is a chill mom given her most famous role as stoner Ilana Wexler on the popular Comedy Central series Broad City. But the real Ilana, the one with a 4-year-old daughter, is quick to recount the many ways in which she's decidedly not chill: 'When I have expectations of how a trip is supposed to go, how bedtime is supposed to go, how a nap is supposed to go…'
The list goes on, reminding me that Ilana, much like the rest of us, is doing her best. And unlike her free-spirited character, she isn't using as many substances as she once did. 'Although it's nice to have a little break from reality sometimes," she jokes. What she is doing is embracing those things within her control and letting go of the rest.
My childhood best friend and I had our kids around the same time and we're still tight. It's so much easier to be gentle with my close friends than it is when I'm alone in my own head. So, thinking it out loud and then feeling the compassion I give outwardly makes it possible to point that compassion back toward myself.
I learned to slow down and be gentle with myself in the past five years, including during my pregnancy. It's a muscle that needs exercise and breath. I was just texting my husband because the afternoon didn't go as planned. When you have kids, they're not a plan to be executed. They're little magical human beings who need support.
My husband has beautiful instincts to make space for our daughter to have whatever process she's having. And it's so much more delightful than making my kid my little employee, whose job it is to do what I need her to do. I like to plan for things and produce, so it's been a gift to see our combined parenting unfold. It's shown me how much I've been holding on to that I need to let go of.
I want my daughter to make room inside of herself for whatever feelings come up. I want her to gently pay attention to them and, over time, accept them. I've spent a lot of time and money going to therapy to build this practice. At 4 years old, she's embodying this in the most beautiful way by naming her feelings. It's astounding! She's already 30 years ahead of me.
I'm able to separate the private and personal from the public and professional. My career has a lot of function around it, whereas my art is driven from a need, and then my parenting—gosh, what do you even call it—is a pre-need. It's just primal. Not necessarily the conscious ways we raise our kids but the instinct to have a kid. Those moments with my daughter reward my heart in a way that's different from my career and art.
I love Ilana's description of motherhood as primal. It speaks to our deepest desire to care for and protect another person however necessary. Because being a parent is not always neat and organized. Oftentimes, it's raw and messy. And we're here for it all.
Until next time,
Grace
grace.bastidas@parents.com
Read the original article on Parents
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Comedian Ilana Glazer says her 4-year-old daughter taught her a big lesson: 'I learned to slow down'
Ilana Glazer says that parenting her toddler taught her how to let go of control. She says she often has expectations of how things will unfold, but they don't always match reality. "When you have kids, they're not a plan to be executed," the comedian said. Ilana Glazer says that parenting her 4-year-old daughter taught her the power of letting go. In an interview with Parents published on Monday, the comedian spoke about raising a toddler and how the experience brought her unexpected clarity. "I learned to slow down and be gentle with myself in the past five years, including during my pregnancy. It's a muscle that needs exercise and breath," Glazer told Parents. Glazer, best known for her role in Comedy Central's "Broad City," added that parenting rarely sticks to a script. "When you have kids, they're not a plan to be executed. They're little magical human beings who need support," she said. But still, letting go of control is a work in progress. Glazer says she's far from a chill mom, especially "when I have expectations of how a trip is supposed to go, how bedtime is supposed to go, how a nap is supposed to go." Thankfully, she's got plenty of support from her husband, who complements her parenting style. Unlike Glazer, her husband does his best to "make space for our daughter to have whatever process she's having." "And it's so much more delightful than making my kid my little employee, whose job it is to do what I need her to do. I like to plan for things and produce, so it's been a gift to see our combined parenting unfold," Glazer said. "It's shown me how much I've been holding on to that I need to let go of." She added that her daughter is already able to name her feelings — something that Glazer had to go to therapy to learn. "She's already 30 years ahead of me," Glazer added. Glazer is among several high-profile women who have recently opened up about the challenges of raising children, particularly the need to let go of control. In a March appearance on the "Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce" podcast, Kate Hudson said she learned how to apologize to her kids when she's in the wrong. "Sometimes in conflict, you go too far, and you need to say you're sorry, instead of teaching them that you doubled down," Hudson said. "And what you find in going to your kids and saying, 'I could have handled this better' or 'I made a mistake' or 'I'm sorry I didn't trust you' — whatever the scenario — is that connection becomes stronger." During a May episode of the "IMO" podcast, Michelle Obama said she doesn't believe in coddling her kids because it prevents them from learning from their mistakes. "It's like, you know what, I raised you all to have some sense, to have judgment. And at some point, you've got to practice that, which means that I've got to let go," the former first lady said. A representative for Glazer did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside regular hours. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
3 hours ago
- Business Insider
Comedian Ilana Glazer says her 4-year-old daughter taught her a big lesson: 'I learned to slow down'
Ilana Glazer says that parenting her 4-year-old daughter taught her the power of letting go. In an interview with Parents published on Monday, the comedian spoke about raising a toddler and how the experience brought her unexpected clarity. "I learned to slow down and be gentle with myself in the past five years, including during my pregnancy. It's a muscle that needs exercise and breath," Glazer told Parents. Glazer, best known for her role in Comedy Central's " Broad City," added that parenting rarely sticks to a script. "When you have kids, they're not a plan to be executed. They're little magical human beings who need support," she said. But still, letting go of control is a work in progress. Glazer says she's far from a chill mom, especially "when I have expectations of how a trip is supposed to go, how bedtime is supposed to go, how a nap is supposed to go." Thankfully, she's got plenty of support from her husband, who complements her parenting style. Unlike Glazer, her husband does his best to "make space for our daughter to have whatever process she's having." "And it's so much more delightful than making my kid my little employee, whose job it is to do what I need her to do. I like to plan for things and produce, so it's been a gift to see our combined parenting unfold," Glazer said. "It's shown me how much I've been holding on to that I need to let go of." She added that her daughter is already able to name her feelings — something that Glazer had to go to therapy to learn. "She's already 30 years ahead of me," Glazer added. Glazer is among several high-profile women who have recently opened up about the challenges of raising children, particularly the need to let go of control. In a March appearance on the "Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce" podcast, Kate Hudson said she learned how to apologize to her kids when she's in the wrong. "Sometimes in conflict, you go too far, and you need to say you're sorry, instead of teaching them that you doubled down," Hudson said. "And what you find in going to your kids and saying, 'I could have handled this better' or 'I made a mistake' or 'I'm sorry I didn't trust you' — whatever the scenario — is that connection becomes stronger." During a May episode of the "IMO" podcast, Michelle Obama said she doesn't believe in coddling her kids because it prevents them from learning from their mistakes. "It's like, you know what, I raised you all to have some sense, to have judgment. And at some point, you've got to practice that, which means that I've got to let go," the former first lady said.
Hamilton Spectator
8 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Standup comedy star Jim Jefferies takes the stage at Casino Rama this weekend. Here's who will be appearing this month
Casino Rama has lineup of popular acts slated for its entertainment centre for the rest of the month. The casino, located just outside of Orillia, is known for bringing in big name musicians and comedians. The Australian actor and comedian, known for his thought-provoking comedy brings his Son of a Carpenter tour to the casino on June 14. Doors open at 7 p.m., with showtime set for 8 p.m. Jefferies has produced a number of specials for Netflix, the television show 'Legit' and the 'Jim Jefferies show' on Comedy Central. A pioneer of country's modern rock and rap genre, Gilbert will take the stage on The Tattoos Tour on June 21. Doors open at 7 p.m., showtime is 8 p.m. Gilbert is a popular act with more than eight billion streams and seven number 1 hits including 'Bottoms Up,' 'Country Must Be Country Wide,' and 'You Don't Know Her Like I Do.' With more than 41 million albums sold over 50 years, the Oak Ridge Boys are bringing their farewell tour to Rama on June 27. Doors open at 8 p.m., showtime is 9 p.m. Comprised of Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden, and Richard Sterban, the group has five Grammy awards and is an inductee in the Country Music Hall of Fame. The Canadian music legend will be taking the stage on June 28. Doors open at 7 p.m., showtime is 8 p.m. Whether it's part of The Guess Who or as a solo act, Cummings has had a career spanning more than 60 years with 80 platinum and gold records. He's left his mark with a host of hit songs including 'These Eyes,' 'American Woman' and 'No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature.' Boy bands are back on June 29. Doors open at 7 p.m., showtime is 8 p.m. This show will feature some of the top acts from the early 2000s including Chris Kirkpatrick of NSYNC, O-Town, Ryan Cabrera and LFO performing some of their top hits. For more information or tickets visit: .
