Angelina Jolie Interview: Her Role as Mama
Reader's Digest 6/ 07

Adopting a Toddler
RD: Tell us a little about Pax. Why did you decide to adopt a toddler?
Jolie: As kids get older, it's harder for them to be adopted. I wasn't prepared a few years ago, but I felt now our home was stable, and I could balance that.

RD: Is adopting a toddler different?
Jolie: Pax is almost three and a half and has never made a real decision for himself because everybody does everything in a group in the orphanage. There were all these things he'd never had. The first time I gave him a bath, he was suddenly laughing, out of his mind. He took five baths in one day. We'd be talking and he'd take his clothes off and run into the bathroom.

RD: How did he come to adjust to you?
Jolie: The first two days, he cried a lot. I hired a translator, and he would explain what was going on. The first night, I slept alone with him. I was expecting him to wake up and scream, but he woke and just stared at me. I handed him a stuffed animal, and we walked around the room pointing at things. By day three, he didn't want me to put him down. I think he got used to the reality that somebody loves you and that's what a mommy is.

RD: How do you introduce a new child into this family without sibling rivalry?
Jolie: We had a long talk with Mad about the fact that his brother is going to be scared and that Mommy is going to have to give him attention. And we've tried to figure out a lot of private time for each of them. When everybody goes to bed, we give Mad time. When everybody is at school, we give Shiloh time. In between, Z and Pax each get special time. And on Sundays we have a big family sleep, when the boys get in bed with us and we watch a movie. It started with Mad, then Pax, and now Z is desperate to move into the bed. We're talking about having to build a bigger bed!

RD: How has Brad been with this?
Jolie: He couldn't go with us to Vietnam to get Pax because he was working. But they got together very quickly. I think Pax, after seeing how much Zahara and Mad and Shi love Brad, understands that he's his daddy. Everybody seems to be safe in his arms. He makes everybody laugh. He helps everybody.

RD: Do you want more children?
Jolie: Yeah, yeah. More biological, more adopted.