Jennifer Garner Shares Hopes for Her Kids Futures

has talked about the three children she shares with ex-husband .

The Alias actress told the Better Homes and Gardens' July/August 2026 issue that she hopes they inherit one particular personality trait.

The 54-year-old hopes the kids - Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17 (who now goes by Finn), and Samuel, 13 - will laugh things off when the going gets tough.

'I hope they value humor. Laughing your way through it, loving people through it, finding what's funny,' Garner told the publication.

She added, 'And I hope they take music and books with them.'

She also shared with the magazine that she likes to play the role of mommy during her downtime.

'If I'm really home all day, I am cooking for people,' she offered. 'Because that's what everyone wants.'

Garner, who bakes her own bread, added, 'There's something very healing for me about them waking up to cinnamon bread or bagels. This morning I had French toast waiting for them and music playing.'

The 13 Going On 30 star also likes it when her children's friends come over. Fun nights 'include getting in the pool with the kids at night and chatting and looking at a crescent moon.' 

She also said the home she helped design in Los Angeles is just right for her family.

'My house is very sit-able and cozy,' she explained. 'I built this house, and each area is like its own little conversation area. I can have a big gathering, but even those [spaces] have a little window seat or a way to tuck away. It's interesting to see how groups migrate from one spot to another.' 

But when she's making movies, the vibe changes.

'When I'm working, I can almost feel like a visitor in the house,' she noted.

'I'm gone before [the kids] are awake. I give them a kiss when I come home. I might have dinner with them, and then I'm like, "I'm so sorry, I have to learn lines and go to bed,"' she shared.

Garner also revealed how she spent Mother's Day with her kids.

The star asked for one thing: she wanted to read to her teenagers from their favorite childhood books.

'They're like, "Mom." And I'm like, "I know, but I think I need that. You have to let me,"' she said.

She also shared that she .

'We miss her a lot. When Violet calls or FaceTimes, we’re all crowded around the phone,' she said.

Her new role is in The Five Star Weekend. The actress stars as Hollis Shaw, a 'chef-fluencer' who has a fun weekend with four of her friends.

'I feel like the projects that are meant for me are the ones that come my way,' she said.

'So it's usually pretty clear what I should lean into and what is not going to be best suited for me.' 

Playing Hollis 'was the most clear, loud, screaming Yes you could imagine.'