Tori Spelling on Halloween Cover of Parenting Magazine

Tori Spelling seems as if she has it all — the gorgeous husband, the two adorable kids — Liam, 4, and Stella, 3, with another one on the way — a reconciled relationship with her mother, and a legion of fans hanging on her every move. The actress and new store owner may have all of that, but like every mom, she has her flaws. As the cover story on the October issue of Parenting, Tori spills the beans on 17 secrets about life in her home, including the fact that she "screw[s] up as a mommy every single day." Life in the Spelling-McDermott household looks eerily similar to many non-Hollywood moms' lives, and Tori appears to take comfort in that. She said:

On being confident: "I wasn't truly comfortable with myself until I was about 30. I feel like I missed out on some really great opportunities in my 20s because I didn’t feel good about myself. I spent so much time and energy wondering if I wasn't worthy, and trying to find people to validate me, instead of validating myself. When I think of what my greatest wish for my kids is, it's for them to know who they are, and be proud and confident, before 30."

On appreciating her mom, Candy Spelling: "I have a whole new appreciation for my own mom these days . . . my mom is a really great grandmother — she’s super present in the kids' lives. [Parenthood] bonds you on a whole different level."

On the one mistake she hopes her kids don't make: "There's something I did when I was young that I hope my kids won’t do. I held everything in emotionally. I was scared to cry, or if people asked me what was wrong, I'd say 'nothing.'"

On the one thing she's not getting enough of: "Dean and I aren't getting enough alone time. It's something that we're working on. A father's instinct is for alone time. A mother's instinct is to just take care of the kids. We really try to make date nights, even if it's just watching a movie after the kids go to bed."

Source: John Russo for Parenting magazine