SYDNEY — Nicole Kidman has opened up about her approach to motherhood, saying she does not want to be her daughters’ “best friend” — she wants to be the person they can always rely on.
The 59-year-old Oscar-winning actress, who has two daughters, Sunday Rose, 18, and Faith Margaret, 15, said her priority as a parent is to provide guidance, stability and a safe place for her children rather than trying to maintain a friendship with them.
“You’re a mother first,” Kidman said in an interview with Australia’s Daily Telegraph. “You’re a mother, but you’re also a guide, a mentor, a safe haven, the place you can always come home to.”
She added that she regularly tells her children that her role is not to be their best friend, but to be their “rock.”
‘I’m a Mother First’
Kidman’s comments offer a glimpse into how she views the balance between being emotionally close to her children and maintaining the responsibilities of a parent.
Rather than focusing on whether her daughters see her as a friend, Kidman said she wants to provide the kind of dependable support children can return to throughout their lives.
Her description of herself as a “guide” and “mentor” also reflects an approach in which parenting involves helping children make decisions, navigate difficult experiences and eventually become independent adults.
The actress has previously spoken about being close to Sunday and Faith. In a 2025 interview with Allure, she said she would sit on her daughters’ beds and discuss intimate subjects with them, describing herself as their guide.
A Family That Has Grown Up in the Spotlight
Kidman shares Sunday and Faith with her former husband, country musician Keith Urban.
She also has two older adopted children, Bella and Connor, from her previous marriage to actor Tom Cruise.
That means Kidman’s experience as a mother spans children at very different stages of life, from young adulthood to the teenage years.
Her comments about being a “safe haven” come as her younger daughters continue to grow up partly in the public eye because of their parents’ international fame.
Sunday, in particular, has begun developing her own public profile. In March 2026, she spoke about how her mother had influenced her interest in modeling.
Faith Joins Her Mother in Australia
Kidman’s latest comments came as she promoted “Practical Magic 2,” the long-awaited sequel to the 1998 fantasy film in which she stars alongside Sandra Bullock.
Kidman attended a screening of the movie in Sydney on Sept. 4, with Faith accompanying her.
The actress said Sunday was busy working at the time, while Faith was determined that her mother should not make the trip back to Australia alone.
The family moment offered a more personal glimpse of Kidman’s relationship with her daughters amid an otherwise busy promotional schedule.
Kidman and Bullock Return for ‘Practical Magic 2’
Kidman’s parenting comments come as she and Bullock reunite nearly three decades after starring together in the original Practical Magic.
The two actresses return as sisters Gillian and Sally Owens in Practical Magic 2, which is scheduled for release on Sept. 10, 2026.
The sequel explores themes of family, generational relationships and the bonds between mothers and daughters — themes that have taken on added significance for both actresses as they have experienced major changes in their personal lives since the original movie.
In interviews promoting the sequel, Kidman and Bullock have spoken about how much their lives have changed since the 1998 film and why they felt the time was right to revisit the story.
Parenting Over Popularity
Kidman’s comments may resonate with parents who struggle with the pressure to maintain a close friendship with their children.
Her position is straightforward: being a parent sometimes means offering guidance even when children may not want to hear it.
That does not necessarily mean being distant.
Kidman has described having deeply personal conversations with her daughters and being comfortable apologizing to them when she is wrong. Her earlier comments suggested a relationship built around openness and trust while still allowing her to remain the parent.
Her latest remarks simply place that relationship in a different framework.
She does not need to be the person her daughters turn to because she is their friend.
She wants to be the person they know will still be there when they need somewhere safe to go.
A Different Definition of Being Close
For Kidman, being a “rock” does not appear to mean controlling every aspect of her daughters’ lives.
Instead, she described motherhood as a combination of protection, guidance, mentorship and emotional support.
That distinction may become increasingly important as Sunday and Faith move further into adulthood.
Children eventually stop needing parents to make every decision for them. But, as Kidman’s comments suggest, they may continue to need someone who can offer perspective, reassurance and a place to come home to.
For the Hollywood star, that is the role she values most.
Not their best friend — but their mother, their guide and, above all, their rock.
WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.D
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