Joan Cusack: 'I Don't Want to Be a Helicopter Parent'

Ron Smits/London Ent/Splash News Online

In the new Lifetime movie Acceptance, Joan Cusack portrays the mom of an overachieving high school student struggling to gain entry to the college of her choice. Her two children in real life — Dylan John, 12, and Miles, 9 — aren’t yet in high school, and Joan says she’s happy that college is far from their minds.

“I have friends that are going through that stuff,” the 46-year-old actress notes to TV Squad. “There are some parents whose kids are in grade school who do think about colleges, and fortunately, I don’t have that particular burden.”

As Dylan and Miles have gotten older Joan has gotten more selective in the roles she accepts, admitting that she is hesitant to stray too far from their “awesome” hometown of Chicago. “And I use that word ‘awesome’ because I have two young boys,” she says with a laugh. “It’s just one of those things where that’s the hard part about being in this business, is not living and working in the same place. So if I could [find a project that is local], it would be ideal.” Noting that “they’re just young for so long,” Joan goes on to add that parenting is “the most meaningful thing” in life.

“I don’t want to be a helicopter parent, but I want to be there and help them grow. I can work…I love working. And I think it’s good for your soul to work, and I want to work. But I also want to be able to be there to help them.”

The boys are Joan’s children with husband Dick Burke. Acceptance premiered on Saturday with an encore showing on Tuesday.

Source: TV Squad

Comments

I love Joan Cusack, she’s such a great actress- she looks so different in that picture though

- Sophie on August 28th, 2009

I agree with Sophie about both comments. Does she have dentures? I’m being totally honest and don’t want to offend her but she honestly looks like when my grandmother would take out her dentures at night… She’s still a great actress no matter what.

- Kait on August 28th, 2009

Joan Cusack is such a funny actress, and seems to be a great mom too. I love that Dylan’s middle name is after her brother, John Cusack.

- kmb on August 28th, 2009

I love that Joan’s raising her kids in Chicago instead of LA or New York, where it’s easier to get caught up in the “Hollywood Scene”. II’m sure her kids will turn out a lot more “normal” than a lot of kids with famous parents. Plus, Chicago’s a great place to raise a family.

- Kristen on August 28th, 2009

I don’t understand why she says “fortunately she doesn’t have the burden of her kids thinking about college”…her oldest son is approaching middle school if not already in 6th grade, and middle school is when you need to start talking to them about college. My daugher is just turning 14 and in the 8th grade. She is in all AP Honors classes and has her game plane down because she wants to go to Duke. This was all new to me because my older two never were into school but this one is, and I wish I had pushed the older ones more.

- Shea on August 28th, 2009

really 6th grade is when you need to start thinking about college, never heard of a 6th grader worried about that! Kids should be kids until at least high school, when I was going through admissions they were not concerned about what I did in middle school!

- Kirsten on August 28th, 2009

Oh please, all Joan means by that comment is that she is happy that her kids aren’t worrying about what college they have to go to.

They are only kids, they should enjoy their childhood and not have to worry about that until they are in high school or until they finish. I think it’s great that she isn’t like some parents who push their kids to go to college when they are still babies.

- someone on January 30th, 2010

kmb, Not only is he named after uncle John he’s also named after his grandfather who’s middle name was John.

- M on March 27th, 2010