The Important Lesson Jessica Simpson Is Learning From Her Daughter

Motherhood is a big chunk of Jessica Simpson's life, private and public. Simpson first confirmed she was pregnant with her first child in October 2011 after months of public speculation, Us Weekly reported. Simpson and now-husband Eric Johnson welcomed a daughter named Maxwell Drew on May 1, 2012, according to People. That same month, the fashion designer announced her very first maternity line, Women's Wear Daily detailed.

Simpson and Johnson didn't wait long to expand their family, welcoming their son, Ace Knute, in June 2013, People reported. In March 2019, Simpson gave her children a baby sister, Birdie May, per CNN. Simpson enjoyed every step of her journey into motherhood. "Being a mother is the best opportunity and challenge I've ever been blessed with in life," she told Us Weekly in May 2018.

But motherhood, especially pregnancy, also took a toll on her self-confidence. Simpson gained considerable weight during gestation, leading to intense media scrutiny. "It's ridiculous and unfair," she told Redbook in 2014. "I think any woman who is pregnant and creating a life is pretty much entitled to eat whatever she wants as long as she's healthy." While Simpson tried to stay strong in the face of criticism, the constant body shaming got to her. But being a mother to two girls changed how she sees herself, and that is partly thanks to Maxwell's own wisdom. 

Maxwell Drew is one bundle of self-confidence. "My oldest daughter ... teaches me a lot about self-love, to be honest," Jessica Simpson told People in April. "She is so cute and so adorable and so confident and just owns it." Maxwell isn't afraid to be inventive with her fashion choices and doesn't care what others think. "Her intuition is unreal. She truly loves herself," Simpson gushed.

Besides, seeing her daughter grow up to feel confident in her own skin has shown the pop star and businesswoman a thing or two about the importance of setting the right example for young girls. "I think that when she sees me happy and confident, that's all that really matters to your children is that they see you loving yourself, and [then] it's easy for them to love themselves," she added.

Simpson began to pay attention to how her actions might impact her child when she was still pregnant with Maxwell and the press kept on commenting on her body, she told Women's Health in 2013. The hardest part, however, was realizing she was also punishing herself for failing to fulfill society's unjust expectations. Simpson started trying to change her mindset right away. "Raising Maxwell makes me realize that I don't want her to see me beat myself up for things like food choices or numbers on a scale," she said. "I don't want her to learn anything like that from me."