Lisa Kudrow’s Son Thought Jennifer Aniston Was His Mom, and 9 More Things We Love About Her Parenting Style

Lisa Kudrow, who is known for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the sitcom Friends, recently thrilled fans when she posted a photo on Instagram from her son’s graduation ceremony. Their great mother-and-son relationship only shows that, in real life, Kudrow is every bit as cool and fun as her popular onscreen character.

Bright Side loves how Kudrow is rocking motherhood, so we made a list of her parenting approaches based on her previous interviews. Read until the end for a bonus quote from her son, Julian, which will surely tug at your heartstrings.

1. She valued having supportive friends during her pregnancy.

Most of us remember that her character Phoebe became a surrogate mother for triplets on the show. While filming those episodes, Kudrow was actually pregnant with Julian, her child with her husband Michel Stern.

In one interview, the actress expressed her appreciation for the support she received from the cast during her pregnancy. She said “The 6 of us would do a huddle backstage and just say, ‘All right, have a good show, love you, love you, love you, love you.’ And when I was pregnant, then they would say, ‘Have a great show, love you, love you — love you, little Julian!’... So sweet, they included my little fetus in the huddle.”

2. She embraced motherhood and the changes it brought to her life.

Kudrow said that being a mother made her fear for the first time, and there were times when she felt disappointed because she didn’t know what to do. Motherhood also made her more emotional, which she believes was a good thing for her acting career. Anything about her child easily made her cry and having Julian opened new feelings for her to draw from, especially in dramatic scenes.

3. She handled it well when Julian thought Jennifer Aniston was his “mommy.”

In her sit-down interview with Conan O’Brien, Kudrow shared that, as a kid, Julian would fly into Jennifer Aniston’s lap whenever he visited the set. She also revealed that, at home, Julian would see Aniston on TV and call her “mommy.”

O’Brien asked if that moment was scarring for her, and Kudrow responded that she became analytical and questioned if she was lacking a special connection that Julian shared with Aniston. But at the end of the day, she still felt happy for both of them and said she was “always glad for anyone that Julian felt love for, and felt from.”

4. She makes an effort to explain her decisions.

Kudrow believes that one of her best parental qualities is her willingness to explain the logic behind her decisions, instead of just telling her child “Because I said so.” However, she also admits to getting carried away and breaking into “monologues” after he asked one question.

She reveals that she gave Julian important advice about the internet, saying “That stuff’s there forever. You’re gonna look back at this stuff and you’re gonna go, ‘Oh my God, I can do so much better than that now,’ and you might be embarrassed.” And when her son told her she was right, she considered that her proudest mommy moment.

5. She talked with other parents about their kids’ situations.

The actress’s first rule of parenting is getting to know other parents. In her case, she felt that kids were scrutinized by adults too much, to the point that they are not allowed to go through something. And fortunately, she was able to discuss this issue with other mothers.

6. She managed to keep their family life private.

In an article by The Guardian, Kudrow talks about the dangers of social media. “You think you’re controlling the story. But when you put it out there, any individual can perceive it the way they want and they’ve got the same forum you do. Personal relationships, family, marriage, that stuff is meant to have very private parts, and it’s worth protecting,” she said. And for someone who values privacy this much, it’s no surprise that Kudrow rarely posts family photos on her Instagram.

7. She guided Julian when he expressed interest in show business.

When Julian began showing interest in acting, Kudrow supported him on the condition that he stuck to school plays and amateur productions until he was old enough to enter show business. Kudrow said her son still needed more life experiences, and she also feared that having fame and power at a young age might end up a disaster.

8. She raised an independent son.

In a 2018 Jimmy Kimmel interview, Kudrow said she felt like she did a good job injecting Julian with “the right amount of fear and caution.” As a result, he grew up to be an independent and good man.

She also shared the challenge of being a protective mom, and figuring out when to let her kid do his own thing. In terms of parenting roles, Kudrow revealed that she had her own rules and boundaries, but it was mostly her husband who was in charge of the discipline.

9. She promised to be supportive of Julian’s love life.

When asked about Julian having girlfriends, Kudrow answered with “I think I’ll be a cheerleader for his girlfriends, though. I can’t imagine him bringing home someone horrible.” Her confidence in her son’s choices definitely shows how much she trusts him.

10. She’s not shy about expressing how much she loves Julian and how proud she is of him.

She rarely gives us a glimpse of her personal life, but from time to time, Kudrow takes the opportunity to express her happiness and love for Julian — who by now, looks like her carbon copy. She shared a screenshot of her FaceTime with him during his birthday. And she celebrated a milestone in his life by captioning his graduation photo with “Happy proud HAPPY. And a little crying. By me not him.”

Bonus: Julian had a touching message for his mom on the set of Friends: The Reunion.

Kudrow disclosed in her interview with O’Brien that Julian visited the set when they filmed Friends: The Reunion. Afterward, her son approached her and said, “I don’t know if this is awkward or inappropriate. Can I say that I’m really proud of you?” — yet more proof that Kudrow is absolutely nailing the parenting game.

Which of Lisa Kudrow’s parenting points do you relate to the most? What other advice about motherhood would you like to share?