One of my first TV obsessions was Full House. I wanted to live in San Francisco and join the Tanner family. I thought Uncle Jesse was the coolest and loved how Danny Tanner had a dad joke and heartfelt advice for every situation. And of course, D.J., Stephanie, and Michelle Tanner were the sisters every girl wanted by their side.
So when I had the opportunity to chat with Stephanie Tanner herself—actress, activist, author, podcaster, and mother—Jodie Sweetin, 42, it was certainly a full circle moment for my inner ‘80s child.
“How rude!” is still one of my go-to comebacks and I’m still in awe of Stephanie’s killer dance moves. (In case you missed it, Sweetin just recreated her viral “Motownphilly” dance from season five—33 years later!).
But what was really special, and even surreal, was the opportunity to chat with Sweetin—mom to mom. She’s raising two teenage daughters (Zoie, 16, and Bea, 14) and trying to survive back-to-school craziness just like the rest of us.
“It’s the week of, ‘Mom, I need 12 things!’ ‘When?’ ‘Tomorrow?’ ‘Oh, cool!’” she laughed while we commiserated over the stress of school supply shopping and the post-summer, shock to the system of getting our kids back in the swing of things.
Raising Teenage Girls
Thankfully, some back-to-school stress was alleviated for Sweetin as her youngest seamlessly transitioned to high school.
“Bea actually was so excited for her first day—she wasn’t afraid, not nervous at all,” says Sweetin who has found it fulfilling to watch her daughters start to find themselves. “Zoie is more of an athlete, a risk-taker, and out there while Bea is more of a performer.”
Sweetin’s daughters also attend different high schools, which Sweetin believes keeps her girls’ relationship close.
“They have their own social lives and interests. They’ve found their own groove and have their own lives. I mean, it does make the mornings a little bit more hectic, but thank G-d for the school bus,” she says.
How Sweetin Finds Time For Self-Care
In those hectic moments, Sweetin stays grounded with self-care, even teaming up with OLLY vitamins to bring more awareness around the importance of wellness routines. Sweetin starts her day with at least a five-minute meditation.
“I find it really helps set me up. Just five minutes before doing the first rounds of ‘Hello, are you alive? Wake up!’ before coming back for the inevitable second, third, and fourth round of getting children out of bed,” Sweetin shares.
Once the kids are at school, she gets in “me time” by sitting outside in her hammock for a little sunshine and nature.
“I’ll be like, ‘Oh, listen to that bird!’ It sounds so silly, but we live in such a hectic world, constantly with screens and kids and schedules—if I can unplug just for a few minutes a day and be present, it’s really helpful,” says Sweetin.
The Great Screen Time Debate
In fact, now that school is back in session, Sweetin wants her kids to be more present and ease up on screen time too.
“As soon as my daughters walk in the door, I say, ‘Okay, hand me the phone.’ Even just take a half hour to decompress, get a snack, and mellow out for a little bit before starting homework,” says Sweetin. “I find that transition time really helpful. It’s one less argument while we’re trying to finish chores, homework, dinner . . .when everything’s done, then we talk about when they can have their screen time back.”
But Sweetin admits it’s easier said than done to implement.
“It’s so annoying. I hate it. As parents, we hate it. Nobody wants to stick to these rules,” she says.
The Rules of the Road
Now, there is one parenting rite of passage that Sweetin’s in the thick of, making her work harder to keep that zen going. She’s been teaching Zoie to drive!
“Every time we go to the drug store or the grocery store, it’s, ‘Can I drive? Can I drive?’ OLLY’s Goodbye Stress has been great because they’re mellowing, but they also help you stay alert, which is key when your 16-year-old is driving—you just need to not be crying!” Sweetin laughs.
It’s been mixed emotions for Sweetin as reality hits that she has a daughter old enough to start driving.
“There’s this weird thing that happens when you’re suddenly sitting in the passenger seat. You’re like, ‘They’re driving because they’re that old’ and then you realize, ‘Oh my God, they’re that old? That means I’m that old!’ It happens so quickly,” she says.
Grateful For Her Villiage
To get through the trials and tribulations of raising teenagers, Sweetin is thankful for her support system which includes lifelong girlfriends and her husband of two years, Mescal Wasilewski.
“He’s my best friend and a huge support. He’s so calm and so patient,” Sweetin says with a huge smile. “He just thinks we’re all out of our mind and it’s great. He keeps us grounded—and cooks and does all the grocery shopping, which is huge.”
Wasilewski also provides an outside perspective which is helpful for quickly smoothing things over when Sweetin and her girls don’t see eye to eye.
“He has the ability to see everyone’s piece so it’s very helpful. He’s the most patient, calm, even-tempered person—which is great with three women running around the house at various stages of hormones. It can be a lot,” she says of her husband.
Everything Comes to a Full (House) Circle
It’s surreal hearing Sweetin talk about raising teenage daughters because, for those of us who grew up watching Full House, it’s impossible not to think of her as anything but a young Stephanie Tanner. So, I had to know if her daughters had any clue that their mom was an icon.
“No, because I’m not an ‘icon’ at home. I’m just mom,” she laughs. “I’m yelling at them to get laundry done.”
That’s not to say having her kids join her on the set of the Full House reboot, Fuller House, wasn’t incredibly special and meaningful.
“It was fun having my kids come back to the Full House family with me,” shares Sweetin. “That was a really neat moment. When we ended the show [in 1995], I was 13 years old and I never expected that someday my kids would be coming back to the set and I’d have a picture of the three of us sitting on the couch.”
While Full House was filled with tender parenting moments and lessons, Sweetin hasn’t applied any of them in her own household. But there’s a good reason. She actually had not seen many episodes until 2023 when she started co-hosting a Full House rewatch podcast called How Rude, Tanneritos! with Andrea Barber (aka Kimmie Gibbler).
“It’s so fun to go back and watch. It’s like a weird 37-year-old time capsule. I have a huge amount of my life documented for the world to see—awkward teeth, bad hair and all,” Sweetin shares.
As for her daughters following in mom’s footsteps? While Bea loves performing and musical theater, Sweetin says there’s no rush.
“It takes a certain amount of focus and ability and you have to give up ‘normal’ kid stuff,” Sweetin explains. “I say, ‘Go enjoy childhood, enjoy being a kid’ and the business will always be there.”
Sweetin’s Parenting Advice
For now, Sweetin is focused on guiding her girls through the school year and parenting in a way that suits her and her girls best.
“My best advice is not to worry about keeping up with the other moms. Don’t worry if this mom packed a Pinterest lunch for their kid with Dino-shaped peanut butter and jelly and strawberry blossoms. Just show up for your kids, do your best and they’re going to be okay,” she says.
When Sweetin’s kids were little, she remembers comparing herself to other moms and being hard on herself—until she had an epiphany.
“It’s not a competition and you have to constantly remind yourself of that,” she says. “You’re just trying to keep your kids heading in a forward direction and not making too much of a mess of things—that’s parenting. So some days you’re going to be like, ’I did such a great job’ and some days you’ll think, ‘Well, that’s probably the thing that’ll put them in therapy.’”
But Sweetin emphasizes that moms need to take it easy on themselves. “Parents do a lot of emotional, unpaid labor, and this time of year can be super stressful. So get your sleep, take your OLLY, and give yourself a break!”
