Busy Philipps’ Biggest Fear Is That Her Daughters ‘Will Be Sexually Assaulted’

Never has there been such an apt first name as Busy Philipps‘. The Freaks and Geeks alum certainly has her hands full these days, between juggling a flourishing acting career and parenting duties for two kids.

But as much influence as she has over their lives, there’s one big thing the actress admits she’s afraid of not being able to control when it comes to her daughters Birdie Leigh, 7½, and Cricket Pearl, 3.

“My greatest fear and worry is that one of my daughters will be sexually assaulted in her life,” Philipps, 37, shares candidly in an interview for Mini Magazine‘s Summer 2016 issue. “I know the statistics and I will try to help by starting conversations early about sex and protecting themselves, but it scares me to no end.”

Adds the mom of two and wife to screenwriter and producer Marc Silverstein, “I really hope that meaningful steps will be taken on campuses and I hope consent becomes a part of sex ed in schools.”

The steps the former Cougar Town star is taking to ensure her daughters and their peers are educated is not surprising, considering how motherhood has changed her — namely, how overwhelmed with love she felt when Birdie was born.

“I figured [motherhood] would be like any other kind of love that I had experienced in my life, but it isn’t. It’s not something you can be prepared for,” Philipps says. “It’s all encompassing and so massive that you feel like you might break at times.

“I called my mom sobbing when Birdie was a few months old and said, ‘I’m sorry,’ ” she continues. “‘All this time, I had no idea how much you loved me …'”

And her daughters are always on Philipps’ mind, even when they’re nowhere near her, but she has accepted that it’s just reality when you’re a parent.

“Part of my brain is always taken up by how to protect them, keep them alive, be a good mom. Seriously, I was in a SoulCycle class and all I could think was, ‘Is the upper lock to the gate and pool locked?’” she says. “That’s just your brain when you’re a mom.”

Philipps, who’s also known for playing Joey Potter‘s college roommate and eventual best friend Audrey Liddell on the last two seasons of Dawson’s Creek, is refreshingly honest about the fact that she has a lot of help — from both Silverstein and their nanny, Iliana.

“Nothing would be possible without Iliana and her family and their support,” Philipps notes humbly. “I mean that.”

But despite tag-teaming with her husband and having help, the actress makes it clear that she expects her girls to pitch in where they can during the family’s routine.

“[Cricket] picks out her outfit for the day and I help her get dressed,” Philipps says, adding that Birdie “does best with her dad in the morning” while getting ready for school.

“I’m a big believer in letting kids have as much responsibility as you can give them in terms of helping around the house and getting themselves dressed.”

Since becoming a mom, Philipps has learned to step back and reflect on herself, and knows deep down that no one parent has it all figured out 100 percent.

“Obviously, no one is perfect! I’m not perfect!” she confesses, noting that “it’s not all Instagram worthy!” in her household and that she works on her own emotions in regards to her kids’ tantrums during therapy sessions.

“I have my own grown-up versions of temper tantrums too,” she continues. “I have a hard time not getting hurt when my kids have meltdowns.”

Philipps also finds time in her head to consider what she wants for her daughters in the long term.

“I want them to care deeply about people and the world we live in and what they choose to do for a living and their own families,” she explains. “I really try to show them how important it is to care and make sure people know that you do.”

The actress notes that her older daughter is very outgoing and “will literally talk to anyone,” while Cricket is more of a “zany, free spirit.” But as different as they are, they both appreciate a good book — with Birdie being partial to one author in particular.

“We are currently on the last book in the Ramona series by Beverly Cleary,” the proud mom says. “I don’t know how she did it, but Beverly Cleary so perfectly captured what it’s like to be a little girl trying to do her best growing up.”

This article originally appeared on People.com