Anna Faris is mom to the uber-adorbs Jack with ex-husband, Chris Pratt. Jack just recently marked a big milestone, he started school – the Big K: kindergarten. That’s for-real school (and in Los Angeles, a full school day, not half). As rites of passages go, this one is pretty emotional for both the kid and the parents. Only not so much in the Pratt-Faris family. While appearing on The Talk, Anna said the only thing she felt guilty about was how relieved she was to see him off.
Anna Faris may be a loving mother, but she certainly doesn’t mind a few hours away from her son Jack.
While appearing as a guest on The Talk on Tuesday, Faris, 41, revealed that her only child’s first day of school was not an overly-emotional moment for her, unlike many other parents’ experiences.
“I feel really guilty that I wasn’t more anxious,” she admitted. “It feels like all of the other parents were really anxious and the kindergarten teachers are asking, ‘Oh, is everything gonna be okay?’ I felt like, can’t we just drop him off?”
“Chris and I walked him there and we were trying not to transfer any hint of anxiety,” she said before joking, “Not that I was having it, clearly. I was like, ‘I gotta get to work, kid!’”
Added the Overboard actress: “He just ran in and was like, ‘Bye guys!’ It was that funny mom guilt feeling, where I feel like this should emotionally tug at me more than it is.”
But when one of The Talk hosts suggested that perhaps her six-year-old son was prepared for the major milestone, Faris quipped: “Or maybe I wanted to get on with my day!”
I don’t think there is a “correct” way for parents to react to kids leaving for school, we all feel whatever we feel and there is nothing wrong with that. However, my feelings were right in line with Anna’s. Man, I was ready – and so were they. But unlike Anna, I didn’t even have the decency to feel bad about it. I made a to-do list and got positively giddy about not having to consider anyone else’s schedule as I checked through it. As far as Jack goes, Anna spoke last month about how open he is to new experiences. If the kid is relaxed, or better yet, downright excited, it helps a lot. I’m glad it was a positive thing for all involved because Anna told Ellen DeGeneres earlier this year that they had not enjoyed the school selection process. She said they even getting rejected by one when she failed the group interview.
Anna is partnering with Uncle Ben’s Homework Pass Challenge, which encourages families to turn cooking into teachable moments. She said planning and preparing dinner is where she makes up on bonding time with Jack. It is also why the latest round of celebrity body-shaming: Anna Faris edition is ironic. Anna, who is always quirky and promoting her brand of humor along with her show Mom, posted a pic of herself wearing what looks like beige undershorts peeking out from under her black turtleneck. She captioned it with “Having pre-show jitters- so glad Michael Sherman captured it- also I eventually decided to put on pants.” It was a silly moment-in-time, very on brand for Anna and yet, most of the commenters told her to “eat” and that she looked malnourished. Fortunately, Anna didn’t have any more time for that nonsense than she did getting worked up over Jack’s first day of school and deleted the post only 15 minutes later.
Photo credit: WENN Photos and Getty Images
This is basically precisely how I felt when my first started K. I felt totally fine with it, and questioned whether I *should* feel something more or different. We all handle things differently.
My oldest will start school next year and I kinda can’t wait. He already talks about school and wanting to go, so hopefully that excitement is still there in a year!
I feel like she does look underweight. Jmo
My son is in three hour afternoon pre-k, and I was so glad when the school year started because I can’t keep up with the talking. He’s 4, and every thought in his mind needs to be voiced. I’m an introvert, and while there is no person on earth who’s voice I’d rather hear, I get so tired out of the talking.
He goes to school and has so many people to talk to, listen to, play with! There’s only so much I can provide and we were both feeling the strain of his budding social needs not being met. So yeah I was thrilled to see him go into that school building (it helps that he’s not nervous and walked in with a smile). And when he starts full day kindergarten next year I’ll be happy then, too!
(I promise I’m not stalking you, CharliePenn, but so many of your comments resonate with me!) I get this totally; I just need some peace to recharge my batteries sometimes. Best wishes next year with kindergarten!
Same. My five year old started full day kindergarten and it’s been amazing. Having his gone everyday is what we all needed. He had already been going to a daycare/learning center that is much like school all day but we had to cut it down to part time (MWF) the last two years because it’s so dang expensive. My twins turned three last month and having one three year old talk all day is one thing but the two of them together is just ridiculous. I probably hear “mom” thousands of times a day and they constantly want me to look at something or get them something that’s two feet away. I love caring for them but we all need a break. Hoping we can get them into the preschool our older son went to by next year, at least part time.
I was a wreck when my oldest started pre-k but by kindergarten I was fine. I sent him off to college this year and I feel like an outlier among my friends who’ve done the same because I wasn’t a wreck about that. I have moments where I miss seeing his face and antics but mostly I’m excited for him, he’s where he needs to be right now.
“but mostly I’m excited for him, he’s where he needs to be right now.” sums up my feelings towards all of my daughter’s milestones. I was thrilled for her when she walked, even though it was at daycare, I was thrilled when she found her passion (dance) and I will hopefully continue to be thrilled for her when she ventures out in her life.
I bawled like a baby holding hubs hand in a deathgrip lol. After the bus drove away. Was traumatized, had paper towels in my pockets knowing Kleenex would contain my heart snot. We walked home from bus stop and had champagne. Then we slammed ham since we had an empty house for once.
It helped that he adores school. He loves the bus and has already been to a classmates birthday party. As an only child with few street peeps that makes me happy.
Did anyone listen to Anna Farris on the Marc Maron WTF podcast? It was…a train wreck. She could NOT answer a question directly, she basically took over as the interviewer, seemed to me to be on drugs? All in all made me totally rethink her. I highly highly recommend it. Also I need someone else to talk to about it.
Ok, so I had to listen to it 😀
What was her deal? It honestly was making me uncomfortable FOR the interviewer, she would go on these bizarre tangents and he would end up reining her back to the subject and she’d go off again.
It was a weird uncomfortable interview. They kept referencing how much they
“got” each other for some reason…which didn’t make sense to me bc I felt like it was totally awkward and not at all what I was hoping for from a typical WTF interview. Drugs? Maybe? Def off in someway.