Sandra Bullock admits she struggles to relax whenever her children leave the house.
The 62-year-old actress says she remains “uber paranoid” about Louis, 16, and Laila, 13, because she knows the world may treat them differently because they are Black.
Bullock opened up about the fear while speaking with Hoda Kotb.
I am uber paranoid, and they will tell you.
Bullock adopted Louis in 2010 and Laila in 2015, and she has spent years trying to protect them while preparing them for the realities of the world outside their home.
Her children often tell her not to worry, but she remains unconvinced.
I am like, ‘It is not fine. It is not fine outside.’ The energy that is floating around our country and our world again.
Bullock explained that being their mother does not automatically protect them when they step outside.
She said strangers do not know that the two teenagers are her children, and that reality weighs heavily on her.
They are my babies, they are my life, but no one knows that when they leave my house.
The actress has tried to prepare Louis and Laila instead of simply passing her fears on to them.
She said she started teaching Louis about racial prejudice when he was young. When he once put on a hoodie, Bullock used the moment to explain why the clothing could carry different meanings in the eyes of other people.
She wants her children to understand the world without allowing her anxiety to control their lives.
Bullock admitted that balance remains difficult.
She has previously described walking past her children’s bedrooms at night just to make sure they were breathing, showing how deeply motherhood affects her.
Now, however, Bullock says she is slowly learning to trust the young people her children have become.
For a mother who once wanted to protect them from everything, that may be one of her hardest lessons yet.