Kristen Bell Says Her Ideal Mother’s Day Is Father’s Day (Allow Her to Explain)

Published May 6, 2022

•

2:10pm

Mother's Day is right around the corner, which means many moms can probably expect lots of special attention, whether that takes the form of homemade gifts or breakfast in bed. As a parent to two, Kristen Bell has already experienced her fair share of Mother's Days, and in a new exclusive interview with PureWow, The Good Place actress opened up about how she likes to spend the holiday...and her answer might surprise you.

We caught up with the actress as she discussed her new partnership with the personalized, same-day delivery marketplace, Shipt, as well as all of her hopes and wants for Mother's Day. While discussing the holiday, Bell revealed how she prefers to spend it each year.

“I'm gonna be honest,” the 41-year-old star said. “I like a dad-style Mother's Day.”

She elaborated on what she meant, saying, “My husband [Dax Shepard] invented this...he said one afternoon a few years ago: ‘Man, what a double standard.’” After Bell asked what he meant, Shepard said, “Well, Father's Day, dads are allowed to go, ‘It's my day! I'm gonna go golfing starting at 4 a.m. and then I'm gonna go have lunch and watch the game and then I'm gonna go to dinner with my buddies and I'll see you guys at midnight.’”

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images

Bell then said, “That's Father's Day, right? And Mother's Day...we are expected to want to spend every waking moment on Mother's Day with the people we've birthed and sometimes, that isn't the case.”

Instead, Bell explained that she likes to use the holiday to get some time to herself. “For me, I spend a lot of time with my kids and I wouldn't change it for the world,” she said. “But on Mother's Day, when I think about what I really want as a reward for working this hard to raise these two beautiful people, I would like to get out of the house and be spontaneous.”

The Frozen star revealed that one year, she went to the Rose Bowl Flea Market and spent the entire day just walking around. “It was wonderful and there was no pressure or expectations on me whatsoever,” she said. “That's my dream come true.”

When asked what the perfect Mother's Day present would be, Bell continued in this mindset, saying, “time” is the best gift you can offer any mother. “Time is the one thing that's not replaceable. I could suggest a thousand items— which, I certainly have a list of things that I want—but, the reason Shipt ties in so well is because if you're gonna get access to Shipt for your Mom...it will be giving her back time.”

We hope more moms will be doing Mother's Day the Kristen Bell way from now on.

Want all the latest celebrity news sent right to your inbox? Click here.

Joel Calfee

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Joel is the former Associate Editor for News & Entertainment and has been reporting on all things pop culture for over 5 years. Before working at PureWow, he served as a Features Editor at ROCKET Magazine. When he's not dissecting the latest trends in entertainment (or guiding you on what to watch), he covers all the hottest red carpet looks and fashion movements. When he steps away from the keyboard, you can likely find him at an NYC concert, thrift store or LGBTQ+ bookstore happily perusing the shelves.

read full bio