Busy Philipps and her husband, Marc Silverstein, have come a long way. In September, E’s Busy Tonight host revealed that for years she felt like a single mom.
“He was not understanding how to be a dad and, in fact, didn’t try,” Philipps revealed to Parents magazine. But now, thanks to “serious discussions and counseling,” the screenwriter is “incredibly participatory” with the couple’s daughters Birdie, 10, and Cricket, 5.
The Cougar Town alum, 39, and Silverstein, 47, have learned to operate as a team when conflicts arise with their kids. If one needs a break, the other steps in.
“I think the key to coparenting with anyone, whether you’re in the same house or separate houses, is being able to tap out if you need to or if you can’t figure out how to effectively parent on a scenario,” Philipps told Us Weekly on Wednesday, November 28. “That’s what we’ve just learned over the last 10 years. You have to be able to, you know, look to the other person and say, ‘I really don’t know what to do here. What do we do?” she explained.
The This Will Only Hurt a Little author opened up to Us while chatting about her partnership with Tiny Prints and Baby2Baby. (A portion of the proceeds from holiday cards will benefit the organization that provides low-income families with diapers, clothing and other basic necessities such as crib sheets.)
This Christmas, Philipps is looking forward to spoiling her family on December 25. “Birdie wants a phone and phone cases and slime stuff. She’s very into slime,” she explained to Us on Wednesday. “We just got back from Disney and she asked for a season pass to Disneyland and I said, ‘Well, girlfriend, that’s fine, but who’s gonna take you?’ I work and Marc works. She hasn’t figured that out yet.”
As for Cricket, she doesn’t discriminate when it comes to gifts. “She just wants everything,” Philipps quipped to Us. “Every toy she sees, she’s like, ‘I want that.’”
For more on Philipps’ busy life as a working mother — and the guilt that comes along with it — pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on stands now.
With reporting by Carly Sloane
