Drew's journey from child star to adult actress to working mother was a bit of a roller coaster ride. Thrust into the spotlight too young, she grew up surrounded by adult temptations and ended up struggling with multiple things. Strong enough to battle her demons and win, Drew healed herself and moved forward.

Today, this warm, genuine and charming woman is the mother of two adorable daughters named Olive and Frankie. She's got their names tattooed on her arm.

Drew's mother, Jaid, was a bit of a party girl when Drew was very young. Jaid was rumored to have taken her daughter along to grown-up parties when Drew was as young as 8 years old. Jaid had a Dina Lohan vibe back in the day and this is probably not such a good thing.

According to The Guardian.co.uk website, Jaid put her daughter in a mental institution at age 13. Drew was forced to stay there for eighteen long months. When her time at the mental institution was nearing its end, doctors on staff recommended that Drew "emancipate" from her mother. Drew took their advice.

Due to her own childhood, it's not surprising that Drew is interested in providing parenting that is more old-fashioned. She doesn't want her daughters exposed to the same things that she was exposed to as a child. With this in mind, the Santa Clarita Diet star's parenting style is all about schedules, routine, and discipline. When I say discipline, I don't mean corporal punishment. Drew is gentle, but interested in setting rules for her kids and making sure that they are followed. In her opinion, rules show that a mother really cares.

Now, let's take a more detailed look at Drew's parenting philosophy...

She Encourages Them to Value Work

Drew is a feminist and she thinks that her daughters should get excited about the concept of working and achieving. This is why Drew is really careful when it comes to how she talks about her own work. She tried to avoid sentences like, "I must go to work". Instead, she sets a good example by saying, "I get to go to work today". I think this is great. Why should kids perceive work as a bad thing?

Drew has certainly worked hard since she was a child. Movie work is very tough, with grueling hours. Although there are rules in place that govern how long child stars can be on set, it's still a hard life for child actors in many ways, because they must try and meet adult expectations. Film sets are not child-centered environments.

Drew started acting at the age of four. These days, Drew is so busy with work and she's able to pick and choose what she does. She has a cosmetics company, Flower Beauty, and its marketing is just so Drew. It's all about blossoms, smiles and loving yourself. Drew has a bit of hippie spirit that comes through in her brand. Drew is also starring in Santa Clarita Diet, for Netflix.

Drew is sometimes portrayed as flaky. Clearly, under the hippie surface, she has a very good head for business, as well as tons of perseverance. She's built an empire based on her own talent, hard work, and passions. She'll want her girls to achieve their dreams through hard work, too.

She Set Up a Work Calendar

Drew has to be away from her girls sometimes, because she does have a career. She's an actress and an entrepreneur. To help her girls understand her work schedule, she maps it out on paper. Then, she goes over her work calendar with Olive, who is now five years old, and Frankie, who is four. She also points out the places that she's going to on the globe.

Drew's relationship with her mother, Jaid, was often tinged with darkness. It was frequently toxic. Drew is doing all that she can to give her daughters conventional childhoods. While Drew chooses to work, she's very open about when she's going away and when she'll be back. Her girls never have to wonder where Mom is.

Although Drew has bonded deeply with Olive and Frankie, she knows how to give them space, too. For example, she refrains from FaceTiming the kids a lot while she's away, because she believes that FaceTiming them takes them out of their own lives. She wants them to enjoy their days and nights while she is gone.

Drew is putting a lot of thought into how she mothers her children. It's admirable. She seems to be doing a great job.

Her Kids Didn't Have to Pick Sides After Her Divorce

Drew's divorce from handsome Will Kopelman hurt her badly. She had dreamed of having the perfect, traditional family and then things fell apart. In the past, she had confessed that she didn't fall in love with Will at first sight. They were friends first, and she respected the fact that he was dependable and had a great family. He ticked a lot of boxes for her, but didn't turn out to be the love of her life. The year following her divorce was a year when she cried an awful lot. She felt a sense of failure.

Drew and Will worked together to support their girls after they split and they succeeded. Today, Drew and Will are friends and do activities together, with their girls. Drew is still close with her ex's family, too, because she adores her ex in-laws. It's awesome that Drew and Will are amicable. It means that Olive and Frankie don't have to "pick a side".

So, who is Drew dating these days? I was curious and did some research. She's been pretty quiet about her dating life since her divorce, perhaps for the sake of her kids. According to the Daily Mail, Drew was spotted with a "mystery man" while attending the 60th birthday party of Ellen Degeneres. There was a paparazzi pic of Drew and her new man and he's attractive, with a clean-cut look. Maybe, in the future, Drew will be more open about her post-divorce love life.

Drew Won't Embarrass Her Kids

Drew's mother wrote a book with a sensual theme when Drew was younger and Drew was mortified by it. With this in mind, she takes care not to embarrass her little girls. She's conscious of the fact that she's famous and knows that the kids will be under major scrutiny, too. She wants to spare the kids any shame, so she's careful about what she does.

Remember when Drew flashed David Letterman while appeared on his show? She'd never do that now. Drew's rebellious days, when she hung out with Courtney Love and dated Love's bandmate, Eric Erlandson, are long over.

I haven't seen pics of Drew with scandal-plagued Courtney Love in years. I think that BFF situation ended ages ago. Drew usually pals around with less notorious women and was spotted at a GOOP "summit" with Gwyneth Paltrow in January of 2018. It really seems like Drew is taking pains to lead a very respectable life. She wants to give her girls stability and be someone that they can be proud of.

When Drew is papped these days, she's not stumbling out of a club. She's usually at some parent-and-child event or running errands. She usually has a smile on her face. At this stage in life, Drew seems to be an excellent role model for Olive and Frankie. She is serious about doing this parenting thing right.

Drew Teaches Her Daughters To Be Honest

While Drew tries to shield her girls from embarrassment, because her own mother, Jaid, often embarrassed her, she won't pretend to be someone that she isn't. If questions about Drew's sometimes-turbulent past come up, Drew has no intention of sugarcoating things. She will be honest, although she'll probably share her confessions about her often wild youth only when her children are mature enough to understand what she's talking about.

I'm a parent and I think you have to truly trust your kids. This means taking their word and respecting their privacy. Trust comes from honesty and respect on both sides. By being honest with her children, Drew will make it easier for them to trust her completely. By encouraging honesty in her kids, she'll make it easier for them to feel trusted by her.

Drew isn't the "little girl lost" anymore. She's empowered. She empowered because she had problems and solved them. This is why she's not going to fib about what those problems were. Besides, it's all out there online. Drew is a different woman now and she seems like a very good woman. She's found happiness despite some terrible obstacles and her girls should be proud of her. I'm sure they adore their mother.

She Sets Strict Schedules for the Kids

Drew believes in structure. She thinks that kids benefit from it and need it. Drew had none as a girl, beyond her filming schedules. Her mother was, to use a euphemism, a very "free spirit". Since Drew wants to do right by her girls, she schedules their days regularly. The girls have their time mapped out and Drew always knows what they will be doing.

Drew is very busy with her career, so the careful scheduling probably helps her to juggle it all. Without a detailed schedule, she might not be able to keep tabs on everything.

Starring in a TV show, running a beauty company and doing a lot of philanthropy, on top of co-parenting two girls, will sometimes be exhausting, even if you're a rich woman with plenty of money for help with housework, laundry and tons of other tasks. Moms need to be there for their kids. According to a 2014 story from Celeb*tchy.com, Drew doesn't even have a babysitter, much less a nanny. That may have changed, but she seems extremely hands-on. When she isn't working, it's all about her girls.

Drew makes them special lunches with cute and loving notes. She takes them to art galleries and parties. She's leaned into motherhood in a big way.

Chore Charts Are in the Mix

I love my son with all of my heart, but I've never even considered getting his name tattooed on my body. Drew is a tattoo person and she did get the girls' names inked onto her arm. While she's clearly bewitched by her cute daughters, she's not letting them live a chore-free life.

Drew establishes order in her home and teaches a good work ethic by posting a chore chart and making sure that her kids follow it.

This is a good thing. Her girls will grow up doing normal chores, rather than watching Drew or the hired help do everything. Without chores, her daughter, who are growing up very rich, may develop an unpleasant sense of entitlement. Drew worked as a child, so she knows that kids can do stuff. They have a lot of intelligence and capability.

She's empowering Olive and Frankie by showing them how to get things done and making sure that they do it. Her chore chart will help to prevent spoiling. Without the chore chart, she might end up raising "Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl" daughters, rather than daughters who are willing to get their hands dirty with hard work.

I like Drew and always have and I think she's on the right track with her parenting. I feel that she's probably an extremely fun Mom, despite the rules.

Family Meals are a Priority

Drew is a foodie and used to be a vegetarian. She loves food, but it doesn't always have to be gourmet. She's talked about her love of Kraft Dinner in the past, but probably doesn't give it to Olive and Frankie too often. What she does believe in is family meals, where everyone gets together and talks while they enjoy a good meal. There are also cute posts on Drew's Instagram of her daughters learning to bake in the kitchen.

In 2002, Drew shared the fact that she's no longer a strict vegetarian. Apparently, she found it too difficult to stay vegetarian when she was routinely sharing meals with a carnivorous partner. So, Drew and her daughters are eating animal products when they gather for meals. Drew doesn't eat a lot of animal products, but she'll have them if she feels like it.

According to Celebrityinside.com, macaroni and cheese is Drew's favorite food of all time. Drew also loves lemon water in the morning, noshes on avocado toast regularly and is really fond of honey.

Drew also went on a Tokyo food tour while she was still married to Will Kopelman. She enjoyed some amazing and traditional Japanese food while exploring Toyko, which sounds amazing.

Drew Is a Disciplinarian

The words, "Drew Barrymore" and "disciplinarian" don't really seem to go together. However, Drew has said that she is the disciplinarian type of Mom. She thinks that strictness is a sign of true caring. She didn't have that strictness from her Mom, and maybe she envied other kids who did live with a lot of old-fashioned rules.

We've talked about Drew's Mom, but what about her Dad? Well, according to USmagazine.com, Drew had a troubled relationship with him, too, but reconciled with her father before he sadly passed away during 2004.

Her father, John, was reportedly a man who was strange and charismatic and Drew admired him from a distance. She feels that both of her parents were basically not meant for parenting.

Drew would definitely have benefited from some parental strictness, but it seems like her parents were too consumed with themselves to give her the time and attention that she needed, or the right kind of concern. Her mother, Jaid, was around but wasn't necessarily a positive influence.

Would Drew be as strong and successful today if she didn't have to overcome the ill effects of her mother and father's lax parenting styles? Maybe not. Sometimes, we bloom when we work through big problems. We grow and become the best versions of ourselves.

Drew Believes in Boundaries

Children need to learn how to establish boundaries. Boundaries are key in terms of building self-respect. Kids who let others disrespect their boundaries may suffer from low self-esteem. This is why Drew is really into teaching and respecting boundaries.

As we grow up, every one of us has to learn what is ok for us and what is not ok. Once we learn, we have to enforce our boundaries. Otherwise, we'll feel walked on. This is why it's great that Drew goes the extra mile to explain what boundaries are and to respect the boundaries of her daughters.

Little girls need to know that they have the power to say, "I don't like this" or, "this makes me feel bad". It's essential.

While Drew has a lot of great things going on as a Mom, she succumbs to guilt and finds this sense of guilt to be the hardest thing about parenting. It's hard to do everything for your kids all of the time, especially when you work a lot. Juggling things is rough and I know this from personal experience, so I understand where she's coming from. You just have to do your best, love your children and forgive yourself when things aren't perfect.

No Makeup Is Permitted

Drew is a woman who owns a thriving cosmetics company, Flower Beauty, which has a fun, feminine and freewheeling image. Despite being a beauty company owner, like Rihanna, she believes that kids shouldn't wear makeup. I know that former Teen Mom star Farrah Abraham got a lot of shade for allowing her very young daughter to wear makeup. I personally don't think that young girls need it, but Moms are entitled to make their own decisions about this.

Drew thinks that the teen years are the right time to start playing with makeup. I remember some awful makeup experiments during my teens, which were terrible mistakes, but so much fun. It is fun to play with makeup as a teen, even if you aren't allowed to actually wear it out of the house.

When Olive and Frankie are old enough, they will have plenty of makeup to play with. Drew's bathroom is a treasure trove of skin care, hair care, and makeup products. She loves to experiment with new products and often posts pics of herself doing so on her Instagram page.

While Drew loves makeup, she's more than willing to go without it, even for photos that millions of people will see and comment on. She loves makeup and loves not wearing it sometimes. Her girls will probably be the same. For now, makeup is not permitted.

No Showbiz For Her Girls

I don't think Drew really enjoyed being a child star, although it must have been fun and exciting at times. Giving good performances in films as a child requires a lot of hard work. Imagine learning all of the lines in a movie like E.T. when you are so young, not to mention hitting marks for the cameras and taking direction from people like Steven Spielberg!

It sounds like an epic amount of pressure for a child. While her childhood career did pave the way for fame and fortune, she also ended up in a mental institution at the tender age of 13.

Drew doesn't want her girls to follow the same pathway. While her daughters have already expressed interest in being in show business, Drew probably won't let them do anything until they are 18, or until she feels that they are mature enough to handle it.

Also, she'll likely watch over them very carefully if they do decide to get involved with Hollywood when they are older. I know that Cindy Crawford is very protective of her model daughter, Kaia, and often accompanies her to modeling jobs. Cindy is always in the background, looking out for her daughter. I think Drew would be like that, too.

She Makes Them Feel Safe

Drew is devoted to letting her two daughters know that they are free to be who they are, because she's there to protect them. She really wants them to feel safe.

When you grow up without rules and your parents often seem as childish as you are, it must be a little freaky. Kids do need a safety net and that safety net is all about emotional support. It's about listening, caring and taking tangible steps to create a safe haven at home. Drew's into being silly with her kids, even though she can be strict. She's committed to giving her kids a home life where they feel totally safe with Mom.

Raising kids in Hollywood when you are a famous parent can be challenging. This is probably why Drew relocated to the Big Apple when she was pregnant for the first time. According to Curbed.com, Drew purchased an amazing NYC apartment, valued at over eight million dollars, in 2014. The apartment has vintage details and nine bedrooms.

Around the same time, she sold off her house in Montecito, California. Drew's NYC nest sounds like a dream home, especially if you love city life, as I do. I'm not sure if Drew is still living there, post-divorce. Will Kopelman is her kids' father and he's a New Yorker, and Drew is rumored to still be there.

I'm sure her home is a place where her daughters feel secure and content.

She Sets Up Family Events

Drew has been papped at Disney World with her daughters. She was giving them the full Disney experience. Drew often seems a lot like a Disney princess anyway. I saw a picture of her posing with a Disney World Cinderella while visiting the amusement park and all I could think was, "Drew fits my vision of what Cinderella should be like better than the Disney World Cinderella does".

Did you see Drew in "Ever After"? That Cinderella-inspired film was wonderful. I watched the Disney version with Lily James and didn't like it nearly so much. Drew's film was a lot deeper and much more emotional. It was actually amazing.

Anyway, Drew takes her kids to fun family events. She's out there giving them experiences that make their childhoods pleasant and special. I've seen her take the kids to events with other celebs, such as Jessica Alba and Rebecca Gayheart, and their kids. She does plenty of family-themed activities with her girls.

Drew is wise beyond her years, but hasn't abandoned childlike wonder. I don't think she ever will. However, she is definitely a grown woman. Drew is 43, if you can believe it! She doesn't look it. She still resembles the child star that she was sometimes.

It seems like her daughter, Frankie, resembles Drew the most, while Olive takes after her father. Frankie has white-blond hair and seems to have Drew's eyes and nose.

She Teaches Them to Love Themselves

Little girls need to love themselves. Sometimes, girls and women struggle with self-love, because females are often conditioned to try and please others. This is a generalization, to be sure, but there is some truth in it.

Even now, in 2018, when so many women work, women in families tend to do most of the housework. They are caretakers. According to a Guardian.co.uk, article, there is still a gender gap for certain things.

The nurturing spirits of women are beautiful, but females often put themselves second, because they are consumed with helping others. Drew Barrymore wants her girls to have healthy self-esteem.

She also wants her children to know that she respects herself.

Drew has had struggles and these struggles were public. People know more about her life than they have a right to, and I know more about her than I should. Drew is very open in interviews. What we get from her directly, we have a right to. The other stuff, such as papped photos with powerful telephoto lenses, we may have a less moral right to.

Since she grew up being scrutinized and often criticized, it's nice to see her so happy and confident these days. I think a lot of people admire Drew now, just like I do. She has never seemed fake.

Routine is a Big Deal

At Drew's house, having a routine is priority one. I understand this parenting rule. Routine helps to create stability. Kids know when they can have playdates, when they need to go to bed and when meals are. They know when activities are coming up and when they can relax. Within the confines of a schedule, they can chill out and be themselves. The routine is part of the safety net that Drew has created for her daughters.

Some kids embrace routine and others rebel. Drew had a wild child phase, but she never really grew up with a routine. It's true that she had to be on film sets, but those sets would keep changing. Aside from "call times" for the movies, I don't think she had a typical child's routine. Mom was taking her out on the town when she wasn't even a 'tween yet, so Drew's desire for order at home is more than understandable. It must give Drew a lot of pleasure to see things running smoothly at home. It's what she never had.

I've talked a lot about Drew's mother and it's mostly been negative. To balance things out, I looked around to see what good things Drew has had to say about her mother. A story at the News.com.au website indicates that Drew reunited with her Mom, after becoming emancipated from her at age 14. She says she has empathy for her Mom, but has a lot of emotions and finds it hard to talk about that relationship. Fair enough.

Drew Tries to Keep Things Traditional

Drew was reportedly crushed by her divorce, because she had so much drive to create the perfect and traditional family. Her divorce didn't fit her idea of what life should be like for her and her children. However, she still makes every effort to give her girls a traditional upbringing.

Drew and Will apparently have very different personalities. He's even more organized than Drew. I remember reading one gossip report that discussed the fact that Drew would sometimes not be prepared for flights in time to please Will. He would get stressed because Drew would be running late. Little things like that often lead to marital disagreements. Marriage is an endless process of forgiveness for the "little things" that may seem annoying. When forgiveness runs out, love usually dies.

Drew does seem sensitive. She said she wept for a year because of the divorce. That's a long time to be sad. However, she picked herself back up and kept going. She never lost sight of her own value. Celebs experience heartbreak just like the rest of us. They aren't immune from the full prism of human emotions. They deserve sympathy just like anyone else does.

By keeping things traditional at home, Drew has at least part of her dream. I hope she finds her perfect match at some point.

Drew Doesn't Have All Of The Parenting Answers

Drew has shared a lot of thoughts about parenting, but she's the first to admit that she doesn't have all of the answers. She couldn't make her marriage work and it was her third marriage. Drew has problems like we all do and she isn't perfect. Drew talks about parenting and everything else under the sun. She's open and honest and quite willing to share parts of her inner world with the public. Drew is figuring out motherhood as she goes along.

Drew says her ex-hubby caught her using a dating app. Drew clearly does want to find the right person. It looks like she had a date for Ellen's most recent birthday party, so maybe she has found a great guy.

Whether she has a new man or is just dating casually, she's mostly about career and parenting right now. Will co-parents with her, so she's not going it alone. They are friends and they both take care of their daughters. She's lucky, as many single mothers don't have this kind of assistance from their "baby daddies". But she's so busy nonetheless!

When her kids get older, it'll probably be easier for her to find true love. In the meantime, she'll keep enjoying her kids and working on her beauty company and film/TV projects. With an estimated net worth of 125 million bucks, Drew Barrymore is a woman with plenty of options.

Drew Thinks Planning is Vital

Drew is into making lots of plans. She thinks it's the secret of parenting well on her own. Sure, her ex-husband is very involved. However, she's still on her own with the kids sometimes. Keeping them busy with plans is one of the ways that she copes.

Drew doesn't want the past to repeat itself. She felt that she didn't actually have parents. This is why she's out there planning stuff for her kids, making schedules, putting together chore charts and all of the rest of it. In the back of her mind, there's probably always this fear that she won't be a present and caring parents. She may overcompensate sometimes, but her heart is definitely in the right place.

Drew's burning desire to be a "good" Mom is driving her to work hard for the sake of her kids. Motherhood changes everyone. Most times, the changes are pretty positive. Party girls like young Drew can turn into the most responsible and loving Moms around.

Drew's daughters usually look happy in photos. That's probably because they are happy. Drew is making sure of it. All kids have their moments and Moms have their moments, too, but, overall, Drew's family seems very stable and happy.

She Encourages Naps

Drew's girls do have tantrums sometimes. They're little kids. Drew had to deal with tantrums at Disney World. Kids can get overstimulated at amusement parks and exhaust themselves. This is why Drew feels that kids need regular, calming naps. Naps aren't a bad idea for tired moms, either.

Drew has a sense of humor and she shared her kid's "tantrum pics" online. She knows that all parents have to deal with this stuff and she's philosophical about it. My son had a wicked tantrum once in a dollar store. He was a calm toddler in general, so that was basically an isolated incident. I can't even remember what triggered the incident. Stuff happens and it passes.

Drew's parenting rules are old-school and I don't think that's bad. I think it's beneficial to the well-being of the kids. Every mother has to make her own rules, based on her own good judgment. Drew had a strange childhood, so she's probably more intense than most about setting rules that promote stability and security. She knows what happens when there are no rules.

I'm glad to see Drew happy. Before I wrote this, I never knew that she was committed to a mental institution due to substance issues when she was only 13. That's really sad, isn't it?

Sources - Theguardian.co.uk, Dailmail.co.uk, People.com, Wikipediacom, Celebitchy.com, Celebrityinside.com, News.com.au