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Jennie Garth is standing in the center of a uniquely challenging parenting dilemma. As the proud mom of three daughters — Luca, 27, Lola, 21, and Fiona, 17— she has to figure out how to help them navigate a world that tries to tear young women down while also forcing them to always do more and give more and be more. Be the listener. Be the nurturer. Be it all, while also remembering that you’re not enough. (Fun, right?!)
And so the Beverly Hills, 90210 star has started turning to lessons she learned from her own mom, who always empowered her to try “whatever her heart desired” while encouraging her to not lose herself in the process.
“[My mom’s] … sort of version of ‘I choose me’ was ‘don’t give away all your stars,'” Garth tells SheKnows‘ Editor-in-Chief Erika Janes exclusively.
“So I’ve always told them that,” she continues. “To save some for yourself, you know? You deserve to love yourself too … It’s just a part of the backbone of our family.”
And what a beautiful backbone it is. It’s a self-care mantra in the vein of “fill your cup,” but with way prettier imagery. (Sorry, cup.) When you think of what you have to give as stars, it’s so much more precious and empowering and something you certainly do want to hold on to.
But, as most women will tell you, it’s not a message that is easily absorbed.
“It’s been like a lifetime of growth for me and really searching,” Garth says. “I love to learn and grow. I feel like if you’re not growing, you’re slowing, and so for me, that has just been sort of my life journey.”
The most recent part of Garth’s life journey was launching an exclusive clothing line with QVC — Me by Jennie Garth — that she designed with her daughter Lola. The inclusive line (that’s already selling out!) has sizes ranging from XXS-3X and is grounded in the phrase, “I choose me” — an iconic line from Garth’s 90210 character, Kelly Taylor.
“‘I choose me’ has very positive messaging and empowers people to choose themselves and take ‘me time’ and really love themselves,” Garth says.
This may sound like a broken record, but such is the life of a 21st-century woman — having to remind themselves and those around them again and again (and again!) that it’s OK to choose yourself and you should hold onto your stars.
And while you’re at it, you should wear clothes you feel good in and be kind to yourself. Garth admits that sometimes she forgets that her daughters are watching her. “I might pick myself apart or be critical of myself. And I try to do that [as little as possible] … the world is so hard out there with social media and scrutiny that women are constantly put under.”
“I wish that I had even been even stronger in representing that it doesn’t matter what anybody else thinks,” she continues. But, she concedes, it was hard given that she grew up in the entertainment industry. She says she didn’t really understand that it doesn’t matter what other people think until her late 40s.
“It matters what I think of me, it matters, my loved ones, think of me,” she says. “And I think [my daughters] could have probably benefited from me learning that little younger.” (Because even after accomplishing something impressive, some level of mom guilt will always be there.)
Not only did Garth design the collection with Lola, but her other daughters — all of whom she shares with ex-husband Peter Facinelli — have supported her along the way. She tells SheKnows that having them alongside her in this project was “amazing.”
“I think [raising three young women] is the most important job I’ve ever had and it’s the thing I’m the most proud of; I’m so proud of my girls.”
