On the October 12 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, an audience member asked Drew Barrymore whether mornings as a working mom were “chaotic.” The 51-year-old, who shares Olive, 14, and Frankie, 12, with ex-husband Will Kopelman, answered: “Oh my god, they are a s*** show.”

“It is only getting better now that they are 12 and 14,” she said on The Drew Barrymore Show.

Barrymore woke up Monday to find her daughters getting themselves dressed for school, a welcome change after years of chaotic mornings.

One thing that’s helped is keeping the girls’ shoes and backpacks in a consistent spot in the hallway. Barrymore said she’d encourage her daughters to put them there, but she’d do it herself if they didn’t, so those essentials would be ready to find.

“I didn’t know about systems before, and it helped me exponentially, so whatever works for you, do it,” she said.

She’s spoken before about learning those parenting routines. During a 2023 appearance on the Chicks in the Office podcast, she praised parents who had hygiene, nutrition, schedules and boundaries figured out, adding: “I didn’t know any of that stuff when I had my kids.”

Barrymore also said balancing work and parenting could leave her burned out. She described talking with her kids and trying to show them how working on themselves could help their happiness and friendships.

“We all need tools to navigate the world, and asking for help is everything,” she said.