Bethenny Frankel Describes Hardest Part of Parenting 'Emotional' Preteen

Bethenny Frankel exclusively told Us Weekly about bonding with her 10-year-old daughter, Bryn, in the kitchen during quarantine — watch

Parenting a preteen! Bethenny Frankel is experiencing a new stage of motherhood with a 10-year-old at home.

“They go through emotional things at school, but being home [amid quarantine], they’re all slightly anxiety-ridden, but they don’t really know it because they’re not familiar with the term that we use,” the Real Housewives of New York City star, 50, exclusively told Us Weekly on Monday, March 29, while promoting Scotch Brands’ Ship It Forward Small Business Grant. “You feel that they don’t understand their friends as much.”

The New York native, who shares daughter Bryn with her ex-husband Jason Hoppy added that while she previously felt “guilt” for not spending enough time with her little one, the coronavirus pandemic has changed that.

Bethenny Frankel Describes Hardest Part of Parenting Emotional Preteen Bryn Hoppy — Bethenny Frankel and Bryn Hoppy Courtesy of Bethenny Frankel/Instagram

“You felt guilty if you were not spending every second with your kid and now, you’re home with your kids all day,” the Bravo personality explained. “I hear from parents that they get frustrated. You bicker more with your partners, with your kids, with your friends. You take things more seriously. We value time differently. I mean, everything’s different.”

The reality star used to “worry” constantly about raising her daughter the right way but found that her stress didn’t “make a difference.”

Frankel told Us, “There is no perfect child or perfect parent. You have to go with your gut, just like in business. You don’t need to crowdsource parenting tips. Moms can be judgmental. And I don’t believe in giving or taking unsolicited advice.”

For now, the I Suck at Relationships So You Don’t Have To author is focusing on making the most of her “amazing” time at home with Bryn, especially in the kitchen. “She bought these sort of chef kids’ knives. She started making her own food. She’s made Parmesan avocado crisps,” Frankel said, noting that the preteen has also mastered pasta sauce and cookies.

“It’s funny because she’ll be on a break from school and want to hang out,” the former Bethenny host told Us. “She didn’t really know I work. So now she’s on a break or lunch and it’s like, ‘Oh, wait, what are we doing?’ I’m like, ‘You’re usually at school.’ So I end up spending more time with her because we do some art or doing something at lunch. It’s been definitely different.”

Part of the Skinnygirl creator’s work has involved partnering with Scotch Brand for its Ship It Forward Small Business Grant, running from March 29 to April 16. “We don’t complain or explain,” Frankel said of the initiative. “We basically get in and say, ‘Where is the catastrophe? Where is the disaster? Where does the aid need to go?’ We let people know exactly where every single cent of theirs is going. And that has tended to be very successful and gives people a really good return on their philanthropic investment, which is so important.”

With reporting by Christina Garibaldi