Kristen Bell is the kind of person that you would really want to have as a mom friend. Sure, she might be one of the biggest Hollywood actresses in the entertainment industry. Sure, she might be married to another huge star, too. And sure, she might also live a lavish and luxurious lifestyle in the Hollywood Hills. But she’s still someone who keeps things as raw and as unfiltered as it gets. She holds nothing back, especially when it comes to the truth and anything that she might say.

With that being said, there are of course people who love Kristen Bell for being so authentic and of course, plenty of critics out there who feel as though she might be saying a little too much sometimes. But if there is something that Kristen and her husband Dax Shepard have been consistent with, it’s protecting their family and their privacy. They might talk about their family life, but they sure do a lot to protect their children’s identity, especially when it comes to the photos they share online. Of course, they also have different ways of doing this, too. Here are 20 ways that Kristen Bell is doing this celebrity mom thing right. Check out our list below and let us know what you think!!

20 She Protects Their Privacy

Have you noticed that Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard have never shared photos of their two children, Delta and Lincoln online? There’s a good reason for it. They know how intrusive the media and the paparazzi can be. They know how ruthless their critics can be, too – especially those on social media. And while they love to talk about all of the goofiness that goes on inside their homes, you will never see Kristen or Dax take their kids to any Hollywood hotspots or red carpet premieres for that matter. That’s just not their style and it never will be.

19 She Never Shows Their Faces

Sure, Kristen loves to show the many sides to her own character and her own facial expressions. But if there is one thing you will never see – without her permission of course – are photos of her daughters, Lincoln and Delta. Kristen has told The Today Show, “We are fiercely territorial of our family. We’re very conscious of where we take them. I don’t take them to premieres. Yes that seems fun, but that also puts them in a position of getting their picture taken, having too much attention. So, as open as we are, we’ve agreed to a certain amount of openness. And the rest is ours. And it will stay ours.”

18 But Does Talk About Her Challenges As A Mom

If there’s a huge reason why everyone loves Kristen so much, it’s because she doesn’t sugarcoat anything she says. She definitely talks about her challenges as a working mom and is not afraid to tell you: it’s not easy. Sure, she probably gets extra help, but she tries to be as hands-on with her two daughters as possible. She told Redbook, "Every day when you're raising kids, you feel like you could cry or crack up and just scream 'This is ridiculous!' because there's so much nonsense, whether it's what they're saying to you or the fact that there's avocado or poop on every surface."

17 She Admits She’s Not Perfect

When it comes social media these days, celebs love to show us everything on their highlight reel, right? They will show us the good, but omit the bad and the ugly. Not Kristen. She knows she’s not perfect. On how sharing her anxiety helps her feel freer, Kristen has said, “I live for tools to help people, cause I get like, a high off of it. I’ve said before, it’s selfish. I sleep really well at night. It’s a joke if you think everybody’s not feeling this. It’s a joke if you think everyone’s not hiding some secret shame about being anxiety-riddled or depressed at some point. We’re all there, ok? Everybody’s crazy. It’s not a competition.”

16 And Her Marriage Isn’t Perfect Either

Here’s something else that a lot of people can relate to: marriage is no walk in the park. It takes a lot of hard work and Kristen has no problem telling like it is. “It’s all about contempt. Never roll your eyes at someone,” she told Us. “You might as well break up right then, because it's contempt. I’m telling you — I disagree with him on almost everything, but I have intense respect for his critical thinking skills and the fact that we were raised differently. I always see his point. I do not and will not ever have contempt for him.”

15 She's Careful In Front Of The Kids

Kristen also makes sure that even though her children see her and Dax argue, they also see them resolve their issues. “[Dax] said, ‘Kids can see adults fight, particularly their parents, but you ever think about the follow through? When do they see them resolve it? When do they see them make up? And kids mimic us. That’s how they grow,’” she explained (via Us Weekly). “We always make an effort to make them see. So the next morning I’ll say, ‘Hey, you know what Dad, I’m really sorry I was so frustrated yesterday when you were bringing in the groceries. I could have had a nicer tone in my voice.’ And he would say, ‘Thanks for saying that, Mom, I know you were stressed.’ And we let our kids see how to solve conflict and that was his idea. And if we don’t genuinely wake up like that in front of each other, we will write the script to make them see.”

14 She’s Made Mistakes As A Mom

Even though she might look like it at times, Kristen wants the world to know she’s no superwoman. She’s made mistakes and she’s learning along the way, just like the rest of us. In other words, it’s all trial and error. When asked if she’s ever lied to her kids about what time it is, Kristen told the Today Show, “Yes because they can’t tell time yet. I’ve also lied to them about when their birthday is. Well, like, if it’s a Wednesday, and we can’t celebrate and we’re both working late, then guess what? Your birthday is Saturday. They don’t know.”

13 She Makes It Work With Dax

When you are so busy raising your kids, it’s very easy to treat your marriage like it’s not as important anymore. But it is. The effort still has to be made and both Kristen and Dax know this. “We make an effort to cuddle and remain physical with each other,” she said to Us Weekly. “You find you’re often cuddling with your girls, but then you realize you haven’t touched your partner on the back of the neck or put your arm around him in a week. It’s just paying attention to things like that that I think will keep you connected.”

12 She Tries To Stay Grounded

It can be very easy for someone like Kristen to get caught up with the Hollywood world that she is in. After all, they don’t call it ‘La La Land’ for no reason. But Kristen says that she does her best to try and stay grounded. Kristen has said, “I’m purposely very open because I like community and I like the response I get when I’m very open and vulnerable, whether I’m talking about my marriage or how gross my kids are or anxiety and depression. I like hearing responses that it helped somebody. And that will always drive me to continue to overshare.”

11 She Keeps Things Genuine

She might be an actress, but she doesn’t care if you’ve seen how she looks like in the morning or without makeup on. Heck, she’ll even post the photos on social media. She’s genuine – both inside and out. Kristen once said on Instagram, “I have suffered anxiety and depression since I was 18, which was [mumbles] years ago. What I would say to my younger self is don’t be fooled by this game of perfection that humans play. Instagram, magazines and TV shows strive for a certain aesthetic and everything looks so beautiful and people seem like they don’t have any problems, but everyone’s human. Everyone has problems. Everyone feels yucky on the inside sometimes.”

10 She Doesn’t Use Social Media To Promote Her Kids

There are a lot of Hollywood celebrities that use their social media platforms to promote themselves and to give their fans a little insight into how their personal lives behind closed doors might look like, too. But Kristen isn’t one of those kinds of people. She talks about her hopes, her dreams, her fears, and her anxiety, but she also doesn’t use her social media to promote her family or her kids. In fact, you almost will never see her kids on there. That’s where she draws the line. She knows they didn’t ask to be born to famous parents and that’s why she respects their privacy and anonymity.

9 She Sets A Good Example For Her Girls

Kristen is teaching her kids two very important lessons: how to take care of their minds, and how to take care of their bodies. She told Shape Magazine, “It’s important to me to show my children that I care about my health and fitness enough to stay committed. So when I’m in their room with them, I’ll do some squats. When they ask what I’m doing, I’ll say I’m getting my physical fitness in. And because they copy everything I do, the next time they pick up a heavy bag they’ll say, ‘I’m getting my workout in.’ It’s a value I want to instill in my kids at an early age—that paying attention to your body is mandatory. Whether it’s putting my sunscreen on or doing push-ups, it’s not just me taking care of myself but also me helping shape my daughters.”

8 She Knew What To Do When Her Kids Walked In On Her!

Believe it or not, Kristen’s kids walked in on her and Dax doing the you-know-what. And yes, the actress has lived on to tell the tale… to just about the entire world. At least they are not pretending like it never happened, right? It happens to the best of us! When Julie Chen asked what she and Shepard did, the actress said, “Well, we didn’t, like, continue… we sort of just went like, ‘Hey, what’s up? What do you need? What do you need?’… And then we just said, ‘Mommy and daddy are just going to take a nap for a couple of minutes.'”

7 She Doesn’t Pretend To Be Someone She Isn’t

One of the best things about Kristen is that she doesn’t pretend to be someone she isn’t. She’s got her flaws and she wears them loud and proud. In other words, she doesn’t hide them and she certainly isn’t ashamed of them. And why should she be? She told Redbook, “Humans want nothing more than to be accepted, and I’m no different. That doesn’t happen by presenting perfection. I believe in showing your dirty hands and your bumps and bruises and your faults, because that’s what makes people feel connected—and isn’t that kind of the purpose of, you know, being on Earth?”

6 She Admits That Juggling The Home/Work Balance Isn’t Easy

There are a lot of moms that makes juggling the home and work balance look very easy. Sure, Kristen might be one of them but she says that’s not necessarily the case on the inside. Looks can be very deceiving. She told Redbook Magazine, “Being asked ‘How do you do it?’ implies that a) I am doing it, which I am not—I am doing what everybody else is doing, which is trying their best, and b) What is a balance, anyway? A balance teeter-totters. It moves, something gives and other things take, and other days it might be the opposite.”

5 She Tries Not To Compare Herself To Other Moms

With that being said, it has to be very hard to see other moms who have it “all together.” But in reality, they might not. We don’t know everyone and their story. Kristen says she tries not to compare herself to other moms, but it’s not always easy. Kristen is very honest about this. “I’m a human being,” she said (via People Magazine). “But I try to stop [comparing] before it starts. I think that if you compare yourself too often, you can actually get a comparison hangover. Also, everything you’re doing seems okay until you compare yourself to someone else.”

4 She Disconnects

It can be very easy to get caught up in the world we live in, especially when it comes to our cell phones and social media. That’s why Kristen tries very hard to disconnect, especially when she’s with her children. She puts her phone down and gives her full attention to her kids. It’s the only way that she can parent them in a way that’s fair. “So for me, spending their baby years alongside them and not on FaceTime is very important,” Kristen shared to E! Online. “And when I’m at home I put my phone by the door and I’m just with them.”

3 She Knows What Her Limitations Are (Two Kids Only)

While there are some celebrity moms who don’t mind having one baby after another, Kristen is one who knows her limitations are. She wants to give both of her children equal time, that’s why she wants to stop at two. Of course, anything can happen in the future but for now, Kristen isn’t planning on adding a third baby to her family. "No. No, no. We don't want to be outnumbered," she quipped to Us Weekly. "Until, I suppose, I accidentally get pregnant and my third child watches this clip and realizes that he was an accident. Sorry, honey. No, but we're gonna cap it at two."

2 She Doesn’t Listen To Her Critics

This might be very hard, especially if you are a celebrity in the media spotlight, but Kristen doesn’t listen to her critics. In fact, she really pays them no mind. Instead, she tries to live a life that’s full of positive vibes. Toxic people simply aren’t invited to her party! She told Redbook, “I have gotten to a happy place the last five years or so where I have so much sympathy toward people who are unhappy or jerky. Like, ‘Oh, man, we have one ride here—that’s how you are going to spend it? What a bummer.’”

1 She Tries Her Best, Every Day

What makes Kristen so relatable to the everyday mom is that she tries her best, every day. She never gives up on this thing we call life and being the best mother and person she can be. She has said on Instagram, “Never feel embarrassed or ashamed about who you are. There are plenty of things to be embarrassed or ashamed about. If you forget your mom’s birthday, feel embarrassed about that. If you are prone to gossiping, feel ashamed about that, but never feel embarrassed or ashamed about the uniqueness that is you. There are people out there to help and we’re all just human and you can do it.”

Source: redbook, people, us weekly, brainy quotes, shape magazine