Michelle Williams has a secret trick to managing children (and it’s pretty brilliant)

As a parent, I think, your ultimate goal when raising children is to develop and nurture a good relationship with them. As they grow, you want them to feel like they can come to you with everything and that they feel like nothing is too big or too scary or too embarrassing to tell you about. It can be tough, though, especially with our hectic lifestyles, to nurture this connection and actually have the time to sit down for daily chats. Actress Michelle Williams, however, has figured out a pretty good trick, it would seem. In an interview with USA Today, the mum to 11-year-old daughter Matilda revealed her tip: “Personally and professionally, and professionally, the great [trick to] working with children and knowing children is listening to them, and responding to who they are. Not your idea of a perfect child, not who you want them to be, but who they really are.”

#MatildaLedger steps out just days before the anniversary of her dad #HeathLedger's death ✨Link in bio for more photos of the 11-year-old today!

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Now, this sounds very simple, but it is still a powerful message. It can be tough for kids to live up to expectations, especially in today's world, so to know that you just love them completely regardless and without any limitations is an important message to get across. And it looks like Michelle's trick is working well for her, and in the interview, she shared the sweet gift Matilda gave her for recently. "For Mother's Day, my daughter gave me a card that said, 'Mom, thanks for letting me be me,' and it was a picture with somebody in high heels on a skateboard. That's my ultimate (goal); that's what I want them to do," the actress explained. How do YOU maintain a good relationship with your children? Let us know in the comments or tweet us at@Herfamilydotie