From the outside, Victoria Beckham balances it all with ease. She has a successful fashion career, a loving marriage to husband David Beckham, and four wonderful kids who are almost all grown up. But in reality, she struggles with “juggling” everything just like we do. The former Spice Girl opened up about managing everything in a vulnerable new interview and revealed the one thing she is glad that she has “not compromised” on.
Victoria talked to Nicole Kidman for Vogue Australia and reflected on having dinner with three of her kids to celebrate her and David’s 25th anniversary. “We had the best dinner … We woke up this morning and said, ‘We’re so proud of the kids, they’re such great, kind, sweet, humble, funny, hardworking young adults,’” Victoria — who shares Brooklyn, 25, Romeo, 21, Cruz, 19, and Harper, 13, with David — said. But getting to this point didn’t come easily.
“Getting that balance is very difficult. I struggled with that a lot when the children were younger,” she continued, adding that the family didn’t have “an enormous amount of staff,” although they did have nannies and their parents to help. Still, it was a balancing act. “But you do feel like you’re juggling,” the former Spice Girl continued. “You’re trying to be the best wife, the best mum, the best professional. We didn’t have much of a social life when the children were younger, that is just that one thing too much. Being a wife, mum and fulfilling your dreams in regards to what your passions are, and what you love to do in regards to work, was enough.”
As a mom of three, I completely understand where she’s coming from. It’s so hard (even impossible?) to handle it all, and sometimes it feels like friendships and other things fall to the wayside while in the trenches of parenthood. Honestly, it’s freeing to see that even celebrities have trouble with this — it’s a reminder that truly no one is perfect.
On a more encouraging note, Victoria is coming out the other side of this now. “But then the kids get older and they flee the nest and have their own passions,” she continued. “Now myself and David are in the next chapter. Even Harper, who is 13, has her friendship group, she loves to do her own thing, and we’re super, super close but it definitely feels like that next chapter of our lives together.”
Kidman could relate. She told Victoria, “We’re in the same boat as you — we put so much into the family and a lot of our social life didn’t exist, and now we need to make new friends, get out more, say yes,” the Big Little Lies star, who shares Sunday, 16, and Faith, 13, with husband Keith Urban, said. “When you’re raising kids, [you say] ‘I can’t actually go to that’, or you’re sick and canceling, or you’ve got to work, and the one thing that’s going to fall is going out and creating new groups of friends. Now we’re older — so we’re going, okay, we as a couple have to find our next step in the world and not just based on us doing stuff as a family.”
Victoria also shared the heartfelt message she told her kids during their anniversary dinner — including the one thing she never compromised. “I said to [David] — and the kids — after 25 years, I love your dad so much and I support him and continue to want him to be the best version of himself, and he does that for me. And it’s really important that the children see that. I feel very thankful and grateful that I have not compromised with my career, and I can still do what I love, and I enjoy it. Me and David can go away, just the two of us, and we laugh and we enjoy that time, and I think that’s so rare after so many years. It’s a pinch-me moment every day.”
Seeing that she never compromised her career (and her sense of self), she always loved and supported her husband and kids, and she feels grateful every day is so encouraging. It may be impossible to “have it all,” but Victoria Beckham comes pretty damn close.
Back in April, David shared a sweet video full of moments of Victoria living her best life. “Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife…” he wrote for her 50th birthday. “As you head into this birthday you should look back and be proud of what you have accomplished , achieved & what you have built, Posh spice, business woman & of course marrying an England captain ????”
The former professional soccer player continued. “But your biggest success[es] are your children, you guide them, love them & teach them … They love you beyond words, we all love you so much x Have a special day you deserve it all ???? 50 and fit ???? I AM BEING HONEST ????”
These celebrity parents have admitted to struggling with work-life balance.
