Jessica Simpson says having her two children has “changed my perspective completely” about what matters in life, especially when it comes to worrying about weight.
The star, who is mother to 17-month-old daughter Maxwell Drew and four-month-old son Ace, says her kids have helped her to re-evaluate and go easy on herself.
“My pregnancies (especially my first with Maxwell) were well documented and my struggles with my weight and body image have played out in front of the world,” she wrote in a blog post for Parents.com.
“As hard as that has been, the hardest part is to realise that with all the hurtful and harsh criticism from others, I have been the hardest on myself.”
Jessica famously became a Weight Watchers spokesman following the birth of her first child, signing a $3 million deal with the weight-loss company.
The 33-year-old now says doesn’t want her children to see her worry too much about her weight.
“Raising Maxwell makes me realise that I don’t want her to see me beat myself up for things like food choices or numbers on a scale,” she said.
“Those things don’t determine who we are and instead make us feel terrible about ourselves … I want her to know her value, rather than spending her energy fighting negative voices from within.”
Jessica, who is currently planning her wedding to fiance Eric Johnson, says she is finally at peace with herself.
“Becoming a mum has helped me realise I’m actually proud of myself for a lot of the things I have done in my life,” she said. “Having my kids has made me feel so much more at peace with myself.”
