Leighton Meester reflects on difficult time growing up as child of convicts

Leighton Meester and Adam Brody are keen on having their kids acknowledge their privilege.

In a new interview with E! News, the Gossip Girl alum, who shares two kids, daughter Arlo, 8, and son, 4, with husband Adam Brody, reflected on the polarity between her childhood and her children’s.

"We live in such a bubble," she expressed.

And while the pair is “really happy” and “grateful” for their kids to have everything they were devoid of in their childhood, Meester noted they want them to “understand that not everyone grows up like that.”

Ruminating on her own childhood, the actress revealed her parents relied on “food stamps and welfare” for their meals, noting they had scarce resources to make ends meet during the time.

"And especially towards the end of the month, but sometimes throughout the month, we either couldn't go grocery shopping or put food back on the shelves before checkout. We really had to do what we could to make ends meet,” she shared.

Now that Meester has made a name for herself in the industry, the Heart Strings singer doesn’t let a day go by without saying her gratitude. “When we sit around the table, we always talk about what we're grateful for and what the best part of our day was and just give thanks to our food,” she told the outlet.

"She knows sort of in a child-friendly way, that there are different ways that people are growing up," Meester said, referring to Arlo. "So I hope that she can take that in, but mostly just to be grateful for everything that she has."