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Friends star Courteney Cox wishes she'd been a tougher mom to her daughter, Coco Arquette, when she was growing up.
With Coco (19) heading to university, Courteney (59) has been reflecting on her parenting style, and she has a few regrets, she told Minnie Driver on the Minnie Questions podcast recently.
“I didn’t want to step in even though I knew something was wrong, because she'd get so mad at me,” she said.
There was a point when Coco was convinced her mother didn’t understand her, recalled Courteney.
“I understood and I should’ve trusted myself and stepped in. As she’s grown older, I’ve learned to say no and have boundaries, but I wish I’d been a firmer parent."
“I’ve learnt that boundaries are important because they make her feel safe. But I’m not always the best at it. I get worn out. You’ve got to pick your battles and decide what is important.”
The actress married her Scream co-star, David Arquette, in 1999 and welcomed Coco five years later. She and David were divorced in 2010 but remained friends and co-parented Coco.
“We’ve always made Coco the number one priority. We’re just super lucky with her. She’s got a huge heart and she’s a brilliant girl,” Courteney said.
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Courteney and her late mom, with whom she shares a name, were very close, the actress said, and she's grateful she and Coco now have a similar relationship.
“My mom was my best friend, and I have that with Coco now. She tells me everything.”
The pair even have matching tattoos, which they got in 2022.
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Having been born into Tinseltown, many expected Coco would follow in her parent’s acting footsteps.
She's shown off her singing voice over the years, but she's never given any indication that she wants a career as a performer.
“She’s an incredible singer and you can see the performances are becoming more polished. It’s exciting to see,” David said.
Courteney and David said they'd made a deliberate effort not to make Coco feel she was being forced into a career in the arts.
“As long as she does something she loves, that’s all we wanted,” he added.
Details of Coco’s studies, and where she'll be studying, have been kept under wraps.
For her mom, the realisation that her daughter is now an independent adult, caught her off guard.
“I expected her to need me more than she does, so it’s an adjustment. I miss that girl every minute."
SOURCES: PAGESIX.COM, DAILYMAIL.CO.UK, FACEBOOK.COM, HELLOMAGAZINE.COM, PEOPLE.COM, INSTAGRAM.COM
