Angelina Jolie Is ‘In This Fun Moment’ of ‘Rediscovering’ Herself While Raising Teenagers

Thinking about the past. Angelina Jolie got candid about what it’s like to raise her six kids — whom she shares with ex-husband Brad Pitt — in the public eye. “When your children are little, you feel more ‘mommy,’” the 44-year-old told HELLO! magazine in an interview published on Monday, September 9. “When they are teenagers, you start to remember yourself as a teenager. You see them going to punk clubs, and you wonder why you can’t go. I’m in this fun moment where I’m rediscovering myself.”

The brunette beauty — who is the mom to Maddox, 18, Pax, 15, Zahara, 14, Shiloh, 13, and 11-year-old twins, Vivienne and Knox — definitely has her hands full. However, the California native makes sure that she is bestowing wisdom on her kiddos. “Kindness — to others and themselves,” Angelina said about the values she teaches her tots. “It’s important to be humble — know the freedoms you have and what you’ve been blessed with and make sure you help others. And always remember your place — we’re all human and flawed. We’re tiny pieces in a much bigger world.”

The Maleficent star continued to gush about her brood. “As they grow up, I find my children are strong individuals but still open-minded,” she said. “I try to lead by example and be kind and gracious, as my mother was — and loving and tolerant. But when there’s a fight that needs to be had, get in there. We need to prepare the next generation because there’s so much happening in the world — they’re up against it. I’m working on a program for children with the BBC. We’re counting on our children, so we must give them the right knowledge and support.”

Additionally, Angie brought up how her youngsters make her feel loved and special. “On Mother’s Day, my children make me breakfast and pick me flowers — they treat me like a lady,” she confessed. “When I do take time for myself, I rediscover that softness I speak of … I also realize I have more fight and resilience in me than I knew. But at my core, I’m soft and vulnerable. It’s not my dream to be strong. I want to be allowed to be soft, and I don’t want to be harmed or feel unsupported when I am.”

Recently, the Oscar winner was emotional and tried to hold back her tears after she dropped off her oldest child, Maddox, at college in South Korea in late August. Ultimately, Angie is happy for Maddox’s next endeavor. “She’s so proud of Maddox,” a source told In Touch at the time. “She initially thought he might want to stay in Los Angeles and get into movies and animation. Angie laid out a path for Maddox and a love of Asia, but she never thought he’d continue his studies in South Korea, let alone go to college there and study biochemistry. She couldn’t be more proud of him.”

Sounds like Angie is killing the parenting game!