Andie MacDowell says it is important not to raise ‘little girls too nice’

Andie MacDowell has said there is a danger of raising “little girls too nice”.

The former model and actor shares three children with her ex-husband, Paul Qualley: Margaret (who starred alongside MacDowell in Netflix’s Maid), 27, Rainey, 32, and Justin, 36.

On the subject of raising her children, MacDowell said it is important for girls to have a “sense of space” and make decisions for themselves growing up.

“I wonder about making little girls too nice, you know? I think it’s much more important to teach them boundaries within that politeness,” she said in a new interview with Sunday Time Style magazine.

“I don’t want them to be rude, but I want them also to have a sense of space and their own personal expectations. My girls will tell you this, about my son not being treated differently to them.”

Giving an example of this, MacDowell explained: “I would hear him say to Rainey, ‘Can you go get me something from the kitchen,’ and I’d go, ‘No, she can’t.’

“And Rainey would say, ‘But I’d like to. I want to do it’.”

MacDowell also gave an insight into her own childhood, opening up about how having an alcoholic mother still affects her now.

The actor said that she is still dealing with the effects of “not being seen, not being heard and being ignored”, stating that she is “definitely a co-dependent” as a result.

In sociology, co-dependency describes an imbalanced relationship in which one person is the caretaker of another who feels like they “need” them.

“All the things that happen when you grow up with someone who has disappeared basically because of alcohol, there are going to be effects you carry with you for the rest of your life. You know, I’m still dealing with them,” she said.

MacDowell said that she is “constantly” working on herself through therapy.

“I can’t say I’ve always been guided in the right way to look at myself, but at least I have looked at myself, tried to be a better person and have better relationships, because that’s really the only reason we’re here,” she said.

“The reason we’re really here is relationships. It’s not about success. It’s not about money. It’s not about superficial things. The only reason that we’re really here is to be with other people.”

Also during the interview, MacDowell shared her best advice for other women who want to feel more comfortable with the way they look.

“Don’t look at yourself in a bad light,” MacDowell said. “I just don’t have very many mirrors around. The ones in my bathrooms all have great lighting.”