{"id":3051,"date":"2023-03-23T20:28:41","date_gmt":"2023-03-23T20:28:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/strongermarriages\/?p=3051"},"modified":"2024-02-01T22:51:54","modified_gmt":"2024-02-01T22:51:54","slug":"danica-mckellar-shares-the-family-values-she-instills-in-her-son","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/strongermarriages\/2023\/03\/danica-mckellar-shares-the-family-values-she-instills-in-her-son.html","title":{"rendered":"‘Wonder Years’ Star Danica McKellar Leaves Hollywood For New Life in Tennessee"},"content":{"rendered":"
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danicamckellar \/ Instagram.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Actress Danica McKellar became a household name for her role as Winnie Cooper on the beloved sitcom “The Wonder Years.” The ABC series was a hit when it premiered in 1988. The show, which ran for six seasons, also made child stars of its young actors, including series lead Fred Savage and McKellar.<\/p>\n

Now, the 48-year-old actress shares how she stayed grounded despite being famous at 13 years old, attributing her humbleness to her parent’s influence. In an interview with Fox News Digital, the actress explained, “I’m very fortunate to have two parents who never overemphasized the importance of Hollywood or my acting career.” She continued, “It was just a fun, cool thing that I did. But family, health, and education all came first. Always. Never a question about that.”<\/p>\n

McKellar also shared a story about missing an Emmy’s ceremony because she had a pre-planned trip to Oregon with her family. She noted that this story exemplified her parent’s priorities and values and how they molded her upbringing. McKellar said she created core memories from that trip. She also shared how she was a regular child at home with chores, which also helped keep her grounded.<\/p>\n

After “The Wonder Years” ended, McKellar enrolled in UCLA, where she discovered her love for mathematics. She graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s in mathematics and eventually got her PH.D. in mathematics. Her passion for math is one of the reasons why McKellar decided to homeschool her son, Draco, who she shares with ex-husband Mike Verta.<\/p>\n

McKellar remembered that Draco was 4 at the time, and she decided to try homeschooling: “And then as my friends would tell me stories about stuff going at their schools, I was like, ‘What? No! That sounds awful.'” The actress\u00a0explained that Draco socializes with other children by playing on sports teams and having frequent playdates.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Danica McKellar (@danicamckellar)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n