Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard’s kids know ‘Daddy is an addict’

Kids can ask some seriously uncomfortable questions, from where babies come from, to whether there’s a God, to why we poop. But Kristen Bell’s kids with husband Dax Shepard aren’t batting an eye at sharing the realities of the world, including the most difficult subjects with kids.

Delta, 8, and Lincoln, 9, were the focus of much of her conversation in Real Simple’s “Game Changers” feature recently, in which Bell explained that “taboo” is her least favorite word—no topics should be off the table when it comes to open dialogue with anyone, especially kids.

“I find at our core that we have made all these rules for ourselves and everyone else,” she says, talking about therapy, in particular, being “taboo.”

“I know it’s shocking but I talk to my kids about drugs, and the fact that their dad is an addict, and he’s in recovery,” she says. “And we talk about sex. All of these hard topics don’t have to be if you give the person on the other end your vulnerability and a little bit of credit.”

Related: Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard have the best perspective on raising siblings

Bell is referencing her husband’s substance abuse addiction. He was sober for 16 years, until a relapse he spoke about publicly in 2021, after taking prescribed opioids following an ATV accident. And the parents were honest with their kids then too—“We explained ‘Well, daddy was on these pills for his surgery, and then daddy was a bad boy, and he started getting his own pills.’ We tell them the whole thing,” he told Chelsea Clinton on her podcast at the time.

They’ve said before that lying to their kids about anything just isn’t an option, which goes for the tough stuff but also for Santa—they know the truth.

It’s not the first time Bell has reminded us to just keep it real in our journey parenting. In October 2020, while we were all in the trenches of pandemic working and parenting, she was reminding us that our kids’ mental health is so much more important than conquering distance learning. She led by example, showing parents that taking a five-minute or couple-day break is totally reasonable, and necessary.

Related: How to have “the talk” about sex with your kids

Fans praised much more than her stunning maroon dress on her Instagram post with her recent coverage. One parent says, “Great interview! That’s how we raise our kids too! We think honesty is key…it has helped me to create very smart, open-minded, creative thinking children who are not afraid to ask questions because they know they’ll get the real answer.” 

Experts recommend talking to kids early and often about drug addiction, especially if there’s a family history of it, as kids in this situation are more likely to have substance abuse issues themselves. Try these tips, from University of Rochester Medical Center, on bringing it up:

• Look for natural teachable moments, such as if you have wine with dinner
• Start from a young age, using developmentally appropriate content and language
• Make your views on the subject clear, with reasoning
• Learn about the main drugs kids try first, including alcohol, marijuana, nicotine and inhalants
• Emphasize the health ramifications of the drugs, so they are aware

And the next time your kids ask one of those eyebrow-raising questions, just channel your inner Kristen and go for it.