Demi Lovato and Drew Barrymore speak about early stardom and parent-child dynamic

Demi Lovato recently opened up about the parent-child dynamic to Drew Barrymore on their show 4D with Demi Lovato. The Grammy-winning singer also spoke about how being a teenage star changed it. The duo also spoke about boundaries in a parent-child relationship, being the breadwinner of the family at a young age and more on the latest episode of Demi's talk show. 

Demi Lovato on being the family's breadwinner at a young age

Demi Lovato spoke about childhood stardom and how it changed the family dynamic between them and their parents. The Get Back singer got candid about their early stardom and mentioned how they realised at a young age that they are the breadwinner of the family and their parents did not have a manual on how to raise a star kid. When they were 17, Demi was grounded by their parents and they said "Pay the bills". Now that they recall the incident they cringe about that attitude. The reason they gave for such behaviour back then was they felt that when the world puts one on a pedestal, one thinks that one can do nothing wrong. As they have gotten older, they have seen that their parents are just big kids themselves. 

Drew Barrymore's thoughts on the parent-child dynamic

Drew Barrymore also weighed on this idea and brought an interesting angle to it. The actor said that it is not about being put on a pedestal but about how the parent-child dynamic is reversed. She said that it is not a surprise that one does not take orders from an authority figure because one's status has been reduced to simply finance and responsibilities only. Drew Barrymore, who is a parent of two toddlers, said that when it comes to that a parent tries to compensate with love and tries to avoid argument as well. 

She also recounted the strenuous relationship with her mother. For 20 to 30 years, she felt toxic inside and that she tried to separate herself from her mother to gain some autonomy, some structure and boundaries in her life. She had to relearn the parent-child dynamic with her mother after she realised that they are friends and not a parent and a child. She further added that she maintains the parent-child dynamic with her daughters. 

IMAGE: Demi Lovato and Drew Barrymore's Instagram