Angelina Jolie talks Brad Pitt and motherhood to Australian OK! Magazine

Angelina Jolie talked to Australian OK! Magazine in last week’s issue about motherhood and raising her young family. Angelina and partner, Brad Pitt, raise Maddox, 6 in August, Pax, 3 1/2, Zahara, 2 1/2, and Shiloh, 13 months tomorrow. Here are the highlights;

Angelina talks about what people call her (including Maddox), and the kids making fun of her.

My eldest son [Maddox] started to call me Angie for fun, he thinks it’s hysterical! He does [still call me mommy], both daddy and mommy, but when he’s being silly with me it’s Angie. They all [know how to tease me] – they’ve all been making fun of me!

The mother of four talks about how she believes in to be extremely important to raise her children internationally — something she had in common with Mariane Pearl.

I think we both see the importance of raising children internationally and traveling a lot with our kids – we take our kids to work with us all around the world! I mean, my kids are my friends. We both enjoy our children and we laugh with them, and if they’re up too late because we’re having a great time with them that’s OK. I thought Mariane would be this perfect French woman and I thought, ‘She’s going to embarrass me and she’s going to make the perfect lunch and she’s going to have toys that are going to be educational.’ But we met and we both couldn’t figure out how to make pasta! We’re so not perfect, which is really nice.

Continue reading for more on Brad as a producer and father, their parenting approach, Angelina’s complaints, Pax’s adjustment, an ordinary day for the family, if they have help with the kids and moving around with the children.

Source: Australian OK! July 2 2007 issue, pp 34-38.

Thanks to CBB reader Sarah.

Brad as a producer and as a father.

[Working with Brad] went very smoothly. He’s a great producer, but he was also at home being a great dad. He was with the kids every single day while I was shooting A Mighty Heart.

The couple says they make their careers and parenting work because they take turns. Many other famous couples also take this approach.

Yes, we take turns. One of us looks after the kids. That’s the plan. It works for us. But Brad was amazing on this movie. He would handle things if there were certain problems and still be there for he kids. He’s a very strong producer, but he also doesn’t let it get in the way.

Angelina has very little complaints nowadays.

I complain very little these days. As long as my kids are healthy, I have everything.

How is Pax adjusting to life with his new family?

He’s great, he’s amazing. He’s taught us all a great deal. He’s learning English and every day he seems to know more and more. It was a very big change for him… It was, yeah, but we were very prepared for that. We talked to a lot of people. We had a translator for a long time to help explain things to him. We didn’t push ourselves or our family onto him, we let him slowly come to us and be as close to us as he wants to be. Now he’s so loving and affectionate and fun. Our only thing now is keeping him calm because he gets so excited.

An ordinary day for the family of six?

Well, we move about a lot. Brad was shooting in New Orleans so we’ve been at our home there… Then we’re in Prague. But wherever we go it’s a lot of getting the kids ready for school in the morning, which is a little crazy with that many.

They have help with the kids – for their safety.

[We have help] — during the day – if all four kids are with us. It’s for their safety. You know, to make sure one doesn’t run out of the room or anything.

Angelina talks moving around, luggage and loud kids in the morning – but, they love it!

We do, although I’m a bit insane about very minimal luggage. I’m that person that doesn’t let anybody bring too much! Where do you find your energy for Brad and the kids? I just love it. I mean, we woke up so tired this morning and they were so loud in our room, but it’s just the joy of life to me.