When Julia Roberts and husband Daniel Moder’s now-adult kids were growing up, their parents ran a “strict” household. The Pretty Woman star may seem chill — with one of the most famous smiles in the world — but at home, she apparently ran a tight ship.
In a new interview with fellow parent George Clooney, Roberts dished on what her parenting rules were like at when twins Hazel and Phinneaus, 20, and Henry, 18, were younger. Clooney, who shares twins Alexander and Ella, 8, with Amal Clooney, asked Roberts how she handled technology rules with her kids in a new interview for 72 Magazine, per Us Weekly.
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Julia Roberts at Jacquemus x Veuve Dinner held at the Central Park Boathouse during New York Fashion Week on September 09, 2025 in New York, New York.
Lexie Moreland/WWD
“I think they were, for sure, some of the last kids in their peer groups to get phones and stuff like that,” the After the Hunt star replied about her kids. “When they were younger, certainly, Danny and I would have been considered some of the stricter parents. Not like we’re laying down the law, but these are the rules, and they don’t change. Here’s the boundary of your life, and it does not shift.”
She was smart for her cell phone rule. After all, tons of studies have shown the harm of kids and phones. In July, a study of nearly 2 million people found that kids who had smartphones before age 13 were more likely to experience suicidal thoughts, detachment from reality, poorer emotional regulation, and diminished self-worth. Yikes! The fact that she kept her kids away from that until they were a lot older is honorable.
She also revealed one parenting rule that she and Moder had that was set in stone. “You know, you don’t ask me and get an answer and then go ask dad and get a different answer,” Roberts revealed. “That doesn’t happen. It will never happen.”
“I think that is what creates the stability that then allows them to feel secure because you know there is this fixed world of love and safety that exists unconditionally,” Roberts added.
Being a strict parent isn’t always easy — holding boundaries when your kids are crying or you just don’t have the energy is an impossible feat. So it’s impressive that Roberts was able to be so strong when raising her kids.
This isn’t the first time Roberts has opened up about her technology rules. In a 2023 interview with TODAY, she shared some of her family’s guidelines to phones. “For us, we just had sort of simple rules where we had a charging station, where everybody’s phone goes when you get home. There’s no phones at the table, certainly,” Roberts told the outlet.
Now that they are grown, Roberts is still lovingly involved in their lives. “I parent them the same way out of the house that I parented them in the house, which is, you know, ‘Are you getting enough sleep?’ And ‘You sound like you’re sick.’ And ‘Are you drinking tea?’ And ‘Text me when you get home you get home (so) I can see that you’re home safe and sound,” she added. We love that for her!
Before you go, check out these celebrities who have shared their technology rules for their kids.
