Olivia Wilde has had some serious ups and downs amid the pandemic, she tells People. But the 36-year-old actress and director says she’s grateful for the “extra family time” she’s had with her fiancé Jason Sudeikis and their two kids, Daisy, 3, and Otis, 6.
“Being able to put the kids to bed every night and read to them every night is so special and important,” she says, adding that she has also had the chance to do “lots of cooking again which I haven't done in a long time.”
“Overall, all the extra family time has been the best part,” Wilde tells People. She says she’s doubling down on helping the pair find their best selves.
“For both of my kids, equally, I've tried to be a source of support, to not reinforce the existing societal pressure to conform,” the Booksmart director says. “But it's impossible to eliminate that altogether. What I can do is provide a safe space for them where none of those external pressures are present.”
To help other families and kids, she’ll be reading two children’s books that shed light on diversity and inclusion, in a new online experience through Airbnb.
“Part of what's happening for so many kids not in school is that they're not reading as much, and that is an essential part of childhood development; when you're a kid, books are your portal to other lifestyles and other worlds and I think that it's heartbreaking to think of the fact that kids aren't having a chance to be exposed to as many books because they're not in school,” Wilde says.
She also says that expecting parents to do it all is ridiculous. “It's hard to expect parents while they're trying to keep working from home to serve as teachers as well — to constantly be exposing kids to new books,” she added. “This is such a great initiative from Airbnb because it is a chance to supplement some of the loss of reading time due to schools being closed.”
The “story hour” will take place on Sunday, Oct. 4, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. It will go live for booking on Airbnb's platform on Sept. 29 for $100 per household.
All proceeds will be donated to Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco.