Charlize Theron couldn’t be prouder of the behavior her daughters are exhibiting amid the ongoing protests surrounding police brutality and racial injustice.
In a conversation with PEOPLE for this week’s issue, The Old Guard actress and producer says she has “had to have really tough conversations” with daughters August, who turns 5 this month, and Jackson, 8, “in the last couple of months, just about some of the ugly things going on in our world.”
But even at their young ages, the girls have really stepped up and taken initiative. “They were so wanting to be proactive in, ‘Mom, what do we do? How do we change this?’ ” says Theron, 44. “And just their willingness to make signs and to want to go protest, and they still have their signs in the car.”
“And when they see protesters on the side of the road, they’ll say, ‘Mom, honk. Honk, Mom, honk,’ ” she adds. “There’s a real sense of pride.”
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David Livingston/Getty Charlize Theron
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While Theron and her girls continue to practice social distancing together amid the ongoing novel COVID-19 crisis, they pass the time by “danc(ing) all the time in the house” and playing Roblox — a game August and Jackson are “really in love with” at the moment.
And despite her busy schedule as a mother of two and successful Hollywood star, the Oscar winner tells PEOPLE she’s been able to find some “me time” too.
“You make it happen. And my kids are really nice [about it],” she says. “Sometimes I’ll say, ‘Mommy just needs a moment. Can I just have a moment?’ Then my little one will say, ‘Are you in a timeout?’ And I’ll say, ‘Yes, Mom is in a timeout. I need a second just to reflect on myself.’ “
For more from Charlize Theron, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now.
Noam Galai/Getty Charlize Theron
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The actress opens up about building her family
Unfortunately, Theron’s many talents do not extend to arithmetic education — at least according to Jackson.
“I [thought] I [was doing] a great job until my 8-year-old was like, ‘Mom, I don’t think you’re very good at this. I don’t think you’re a good teacher,’ ” she recalls of homeschooling her older child. “I was like, ‘Oh my God! Why?’ And she goes, ‘Because you’re not really explaining why this problem is solved.’ “
“That’s when I was like, ‘No, because that’s just it — that’s just the answer,’ ” adds the Bombshell star. “And she’s like, ‘You’re not really telling me why.’ I was like, ‘I am telling you why: because this plus this minus this is this!’ “
“I’m a terrible math teacher,” she admits.
The Old Guard is available to stream on Netflix now.
To help combat systemic racism, consider learning from or donating to these organizations:
- Campaign Zero (joincampaignzero.org) which works to end police brutality in America through research-proven strategies.
- ColorofChange.org works to make government more responsive to racial disparities.
- National Cares Mentoring Movement (caresmentoring.org) provides social and academic support to help Black youth succeed in college and beyond.
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