Julie Bowen Opens Up About Parenting Her Three Teen Boys

Modern Family star Julie Bowen has embraced her role as a mom of three, but she’s not afraid to laugh at the challenges of raising teenage boys. In a candid chat with Hoda & Jenna, she dishes on everything from their sleep habits to their questionable hairstyles.

Life With Three Teen Boys: Julie Bowen’s Parenting Journey

Julie Bowen, the 54-year-old actress known for her role in Modern Family, recently joined Today With Hoda & Jenna to give fans a peek into her life as the mom of three teenage boys. She shares 17-year-old Oliver and 15-year-old twins John and Gustave with her ex-husband Scott Phillips, whom she was married to from 2004 to 2018. Despite the challenges of parenting teens, Julie keeps it light-hearted, sharing hilarious anecdotes about her boys’ quirks and habits.

When Your Kids Sleep Through the Day

When asked by cohosts Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb whether her kids are big sleepers, Julie laughed and said, “Oh, they sleep all day! Luckily, they’ve grown at different rates, so their heavy sleep cycles don’t overlap too much.” Jenna, who is also a twin, chimed in, recalling her own teenage years with her sister Barbara Bush, explaining that they too were known for their long naps. It seems like teenage sleep patterns are universal, no matter the family!

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Connecting Through Snapchat

Given the distance between Julie’s East Coast work and her kids’ home in L.A., Snapchat has become her primary way of staying connected. “The only way I communicate with them is through Snapchat,” she admitted. “And let me tell you, the poses they strike in those photos? Priceless.” Julie then hilariously reenacted some of her boys’ signature Snapchat poses, drawing laughter from Hoda and Jenna.

The Haircuts Are… Unique

One topic that really got the trio laughing was the boys’ hairstyles. “Oh, they’ve all got these ridiculous haircuts,” Julie said, clearly amused. “There’s the ‘flo hawk,’ the ‘jiffy pop,’ and my personal favorite, the ‘alpaca.’” She added with a laugh, “Bless their hearts, I love them, but seriously, the haircuts are something else.” Hoda and Jenna couldn’t stop laughing as Julie described each style in detail, painting a vivid picture of her boys’ fashion choices.

Parenting Teens: The Tough Conversations

When the conversation turned to whether her sons talk to her about serious topics, Julie admitted that while they don’t discuss girls, she’s taken a proactive approach. “I’ve strategically placed books around the house—books about sex, drugs, and other important topics,” she confessed. “I hope they stumble upon them and learn a thing or two.”

The Car Conversations

Hoda mentioned a theory that kids often open up more when they’re in the car, and Julie agreed, adding that she enforces a "no phones" rule during car rides. “They can listen to whatever music they want, but sometimes I feel like my eyes are bleeding,” she joked. Despite her best efforts, Julie admitted that sometimes it feels like she’s been ghosted by her own kids. “It’s like I’m in the desert, right? I’m like, ‘Hey, I’m right here in the kitchen,’ but they never show up. It’s almost as desperate as those high school crushes.”

What About Her Work?

When asked whether her sons enjoy watching her projects, Julie laughed and said, “Not really.” But she added that they do get excited about her new ventures. “They’re really looking forward to Hysteria! and Happy Gilmore 2. They love Adam Sandler, though they’ve never seen the first Happy Gilmore. I don’t get it, but hey, whatever gets them excited!”