Why Jodie Sweetin is honest with her daughters about mental health: 'It’s ok to not be ok’

For actress and podcast host Jodie Sweetin, open communication with her daughters is very important, especially when it comes to mental health. "My girls and I talked very openly about mental health," the Fuller House star tells Yahoo Life. "And there's nothing wrong with that."

Sweetin is the mother of two children, Beatrix, 12, and Zoie, 10, both of whom had remote school during the pandemic. "Despite having gotten an undergraduate bachelor's degree that was supposed to be for elementary education, I am in fact, not a great teacher to my own children," says Sweetin. "I'm a really horrible teacher for my own kids. It just doesn't go well — there's no patience on either side."

Sweetin is open about dealing with anxiety and depression throughout the pandemic. "I definitely struggled with depression," she says. "I didn't want to get out of bed. I had nothing to do. What was the point? And I know the kids did too, and I know we're still battling some of that." And Sweetin, who calls the pandemic "a really big year of questioning as a parent" gives her children permission to show their emotions.

Sweetin had a special message for single moms who may be struggling to feel like they have it all together. "I think single moms in particular need to hear that it's OK to not have it together," says Sweetin. "It's OK to just do your best. And if your best was eating cereal for dinner and watching cartoons for the day…then, that's what it looks like. We all need to give ourselves some grace during this time and realize [that] it's not going to be perfect."