Trisha Yearwood has become very close to Garth Brooks‘ three daughters since she married the country superstar in 2005, but in a new interview, she admits that she initially had no idea how to be a parent. Yearwood tells People that Brooks gave her some great advice to help her find her way.
Brooks’ daughters — Taylor, August and Allie — are 28, 27 and 24 now, but they were still young when Brooks and their mother, Sandy Mahl, divorced in 2001. Brooks and Yearwood married four years later, and Yearwood had never had any experience with children at the time.
“I had a dog before I married Garth but no children of my own. I never even really babysat!” Yearwood shares. “So I didn’t know what to do with three young girls. Garth was such a wonderful mentor to me as to how to be a parent, and he told me, ‘You’ll find your way with each of them. Don’t try to be their best friend, and don’t try to be their mom.'”
The acclaimed country singer, author and TV personality adds that the girls gave her “a lot of grace” as she figured out how to be a parent.
“They let me learn my way and allowed me to be that third parent in their lives,” she states. “They were a gift that I didn’t know I needed. I didn’t know how much children brought into your life until I got a chance to be a part of their lives.”