Hollywood’s Best Moms: How Princess Kate, Goldie Hawn and More Fare in Maternal Instincts

From alpha moms to cool moms to monster moms, Tinseltown has them all. Here are some celebs who could easily win Mother of the Year … and others who fall a little short when it comes to maternal instincts!

Jennifer Garner

Jennifer is mom to three teenagers — Violet, 19, Fin, 16, and Samuel, 13, whom she shares with ex-husband Ben Affleck — but she never seems frazzled. The Family Switch actress, 53, said during an appearance on Today, she employs a parenting tactic called “benign neglect,” which encourages children to solve problems by themselves, explore and make their own choices while setting boundaries and prioritizing stability and love. Whatever she’s doing, it’s working!

Goldie Hawn

Raising her son Wyatt with her longtime partner, Kurt Russell, his son, Boston, and her two grown kids, Oliver Hudson and Kate Hudson, Goldie’s keyword has been freedom — allowing them to be themselves and make mistakes and learn from them rather than dictate their decisions. “My mom is the life-force for me and my family,” Kate told People of Goldie, 79, adding that her mom taught her to “be true to yourself.”

Donna Reed

Donna not only played wonderful moms in The Donna Reed Show and It’s a Wonderful Life, but she was also just as great to her four kids with producer Tony Owen: Penny, Anthony, Timothy and Mary Anne. “I saw my parents every day, and we had dinner at night around the table,” Anthony shared with The Daily Nonpareil. “To me, Mom was Donna Owen, schlepping the kids around.” Donna, who died in 1986 of pancreatic cancer at age 64, was a caring person on set and was considered a stabilizing force for young actor Paul Petersen, who played her son on TV.

Princess Kate

She’s from across the pond, but how can we not include her? Not many women are mother to a princess (Charlotte, 10), a prince (Louis, 7) and a prince who will be king (George, 12), but Kate is doing an amazing job keeping her three royals grounded, even while battling cancer. The queen of her castle, Kate, 43, encourages outdoor play, keeping things normal and focusing on her children’s physical and emotional well-being. Her “firm but fair” style, as she describes it, includes open communication at each individual’s level of maturity, according to Daily Express.

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer may be one of the biggest and busiest stars on the planet, but she always makes time for her beloved 17-year-old twins — Max and Emme. She once took off an entire summer, calling it “the best thing I’ve ever done,” to be a regular mom, per People. Of course, Jennifer, 56, wants to present her best self to her children, but she also acknowledges that she’s a human being and not perfect.

Reese Witherspoon

The Legally Blonde star espouses a tough-love approach and practices what she preaches in raising her three kids, Ava Phillippe, 26, Deacon Phillippe, 22, and Tennessee Toth, 13. The Morning Show actress, 49, encouraged her children to get summer jobs to teach them independence and the satisfaction of earning their own money. She prioritizes quality time, open communication and gratitude. It’s important to her that her kids sometimes fail to learn from the experience, according to Parents.

Meghan Markle

Juggling a busy workload and the never-ending fallout from Megxit, the American mom of Archie, 6, and Lilibet, 4, goes out of her way to be present with her children and make them feel loved and seen. The 44-year-old duchess encourages them to find their own path in life, builds their confidence and self-esteem and celebrates their development, per E! News. Of vital importance to Meghan is their safety and freedom.