Dax Shepard has identified the primary "stressor" in his marriage to Kristen Bell as their two daughters navigating puberty. Shepard shared on the Wednesday episode of his podcast, "Armchair Expert," that while he and Bell have managed their relationship effectively for nearly two decades, the complexities of raising teenagers have introduced new dynamics.
"It throws the whole dynamic into a new zone that you have to figure out," Shepard explained to guests Erin and Sara Foster. He described the period when children are very young as challenging due to the significant decisions parents make, leading to a fear of making mistakes. Shepard noted a "sweet spot" between the ages of six and puberty where parenting feels more manageable.
However, he admitted that he and Bell, who have been together since 2007, sometimes "butt heads" over parenting decisions that create stress. "And then there’s more stress," Shepard said. "I like to think if we didn’t have kids, it would be pretty smooth sailing."
Despite these challenges, Shepard emphasized that their disagreements do not involve yelling or swearing. He acknowledged that his own vocal nature can contribute to marital issues, and that they sometimes postpone difficult conversations, waiting for a time when the children are not present.
"We’ll kick something down the road for a week," Shepard said. "We’ll go to bed for a week where it’s like, ‘We’re gonna have to talk about this eventually.’" He added that they often wait for opportune moments, "When will there be enough free air in the f–king room without the kids to mount this?"
Shepard and Bell, who married in 2013, have been candid about their personal lives and parenting styles. Bell has previously spoken about crying weekly while balancing her marriage and motherhood in the public eye, aiming to help other parents through her openness.
Among their discussed parenting approaches, Bell has mentioned giving their daughters non-alcoholic beer, allowing curse words under certain conditions, and using the children to gather information about Shepard when she is away. Shepard also stated last year that they intentionally raise their daughters to be "entitled" and "disrespectful" in order to encourage them to advocate for themselves as they grow older.