Hilary Duff Jokes She Was 'Lied' to About Obstacles of Expanding Her Family

12/19/2024 08:00 AM

While Hilary Duff is mom to four kids now, her biggest parenting obstacle came when she welcomed baby No. 3 three years ago.

"People lied to me and said that when you get to three, once you get past two to three is easy," Duff, 37, exclusively reveals in the latest issue of Us Weekly. "Three sent me for a loop. I could not get my feet to touch the ground for a solid year."

Duff and husband Matthew Koma tied the knot in December 2019. The actress was already mom to son Luca, now 12, whom she shares with ex-husband Mike Comrie. Duff and Koma, 37, welcomed their first child together, daughter Banks, in October 2018. They expanded their brood again in 2021 and 2024 with daughters Mae and Townes, respectively.

As Duff has adjusted to being a mother of four, she now has the strength to be adaptable and not feel guilty when things aren't perfect.

Hilary Duff Jokes Matthew Koma Is Like Her 'Really Good Assistant'

"It's taken me having four kids to realize that I can't control everybody's happiness and I can't be constantly the cruise director of everything," she shares. "I try my hardest, but it's been a really nice practice to just say no a little bit more."

That lesson, of course, came with practice. Duff says she assumed that by her third child, they would "just do what the family does" and be "easy." That, however, was not the case with Mae. According to Duff, Mae likes to "run everything" and has a big "personality."

"She is a wild woman, but she has her own ideas," Duff explains, but added that she's "obsessed" with her daughter's spirit.

"And then we obviously liked her enough to go for number four," she quips. "And [it] felt like there was space, and I'm not sure there is, but we're figuring it out."

While Duff has a strong support system by her side, she also utilizes tools like Meta AI to help her stay on top of things — especially during the holiday season.

Everything Hilary Duff Has Said About Her Motherhood Journey Over the Years

"The burden is heavy for the moms. I wake up in the middle of the night like, 'Oh, I have these things I didn't handle, and just driving when you shouldn't be using your phone. And of course, that's when all the wheels are turning. So I'm getting slowly but surely prepared and definitely excited. I love the holiday season so much, but being an adult now and making it magical for so many people is just so much," she says of her partnership with the brand. "So I have been utilizing meta AI and it's been incredible because it's like a thought partner. It's just something that you can rattle your thoughts off with, and it comes with ideas that maybe feel a little stale to me."

For more on Duff watch the video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on stands now.

With reporting by Christina Garibaldi