Rumer Willis has revealed an enduring life lesson that she learned from her mom Demi Moore, which she is now hoping to emulate with her own daughter.
During a recent appearance on the Glamour & Grit podcast, actress Willis spoke with married couple Sainty and Eric Nelsen about co-parenting her 18-month-old daughter, Louetta, with singer Derek Richard Thomas—her former partner.
Dancing with the Stars alum Willis said: "The biggest lesson that I feel like I ever learned from just my mom, that I've tried to kind of input with Louetta, is that our kids don't learn because we tell them to—they learn by watching us.
"So if I'm talking badly about my body, or if I'm not living in my authenticity and I'm sacrificing just because I'm trying to make something work, that's the pattern that she's going to then see."
Discussing the topic of staying in a relationship for the sake of her child, Willis admitted that she considered taking that route "for a little while."
"But then I thought, isn't it actually better—not only for myself, but for her also—to maybe find another situation where I have romance and I'm lit up, or, like, all of the things, whatever they may be, that you're missing in that relationship?" she continued.
"And then even being able to create a dynamic where they can see you can co-parent in a way that's like, 'Here's your dad, and your dad and I are friends.' Not everybody has that situation of friendship. And it can take time, depending on whatever the situation is."
"I feel incredibly lucky because my parents... they got divorced when I was 10, but I never had to split vacations. I never had to split birthdays," she added.
Ghost star Moore was married to Hollywood actor Bruce Willis for 13 years until 2000. As well as their eldest child Rumer Willis, the screen stars share daughters Tallulah Willis and Scout LaRue Willis. Bruce Willis also has two daughters with his second wife, Emma Heming Willis.
While the Willis daughters were young children when their famous parents split, they continued to have family vacations together with both parents.
Speaking about how she has moved to emulate her parents' example as an adult, the mother-of-one said that her "highest intention" was to create a healthy dynamic with her ex, so they can celebrate Louetta's milestones together.
"As long as your focus is prioritizing your kids and what's for their highest good then everything else is separate... and I'm so grateful that my parents made that choice," she explained.
According the actress, her mom explained that she was able to co-parent well with Bruce Willis because they always put their children first.
"It was always about us coming together and that she was always grateful because my dad is my dad and he will always be that," Rumer Willis said. "And if we can remove our ego from it and... there's a desire to shift it and move it into something different, it can actually be even better."
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