Gwyneth Paltrow Says Being A Teen Girl In Any Decade Is ‘Brutal’

The feminist fight can get lost in a mire of political rhetoric, but for parents raising young daughters like Gwyneth Paltrow and ex-husband Chris Martin, there can be real, tangible fallout from the lack of gender equality. As Gwyneth shares in a new interview, it’s important to be very conscious of issues facing women, even when dealing with a daughter younger than the accepted age of adulthood.

Gwyneth Paltrow Compares Her Teen Years To Apple Martin’s World

Currently, Paltrow’s son is 11-years-old and still a couple of years away from hitting puberty, but as she reveals in speaking to Today, Gwyneth also has to contend with raising 13-year-old Apple Martin. Talking specifically about Apple, the actress turned Goop founder says raising a girl is hard and has always been that way, even though she can draw on her own experience as a teen girl.

Looking back to her own childhood, Ms. Paltrow says that the teen years have always been hard on girls.

“It was brutal,” Gwyneth says, looking back to her own time as a 13-year-old girl.

Paltrow, the daughter of actress Blythe Danner, says she was cursed with an awkward body and feels that she never really grew into it, even after adulthood came upon her. Braces made the situation worse, and Gwyneth recalls shaving the back of her head, though she can’t recall what prompted that decision.

As Far As Teens Go, “Apple Is Great,” Says Proud Mom Gwyneth Paltrow

Some might say that Gwyneth Paltrow is an expert on adulting, going from actress to successful entrepreneur with her Goop company, but as Time reports, she has just as much insight into teen life. According to Gwyneth, teens spend that decade of their lives trying to figure out who they want to be as an adult and determine the best course for arriving at that position. Some manage it better than others.

Apple Martin, for example, does well enough that mom Gwyneth gushes with pride.

“So far, Apple — she’s pretty great,” says Paltrow.

That’s not to say that Apple isn’t beginning to assert her independence. One example of that subtle rebellious streak comes into play when 13-year-old Martin catches mom spying.

“I mean, sometimes she asks me to close her door,” admits Paltrow. “She’s like, ‘Can you close my door?’ And I’m like, ‘Wait, with me on the other side of the door?'”

[Featured Image by D Dipasupil/Getty Images]