Celebrity Celebrity Family Celebrity Parenting Charlize Theron Explains Why Reverse Psychology Is a Tool She 'Believes in' as a Parent The actress is mom to daughters Jackson, 11, and August, 7 By Hannah Sacks Hannah Sacks Hannah Sacks is a writer/reporter for the Parents team at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since May 2023. Her work has previously appeared in The Toy Insider, The Toy Book, The Pop Insider, and Saratoga Living. People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 16, 2024 12:04PM EDT Charlize Theron and her two daughters. Photo: Charlize Theron/ Instagram When it comes to parenting her two daughters, Charlize Theron relies on a classic method. Chatting with Entertainment Tonight at the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project's 4th Annual Block Party over the weekend, the actress, 48, shared that she uses reverse psychology on her daughters Jackson, 11, and August, 7, to help them learn the right values. "I think the thing that I've learned as a parent is like, as soon as you tell them to do something, they don't do it," Theron shares. "So reverse psychology is what I believe in." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Charlize Theron and daughter Jackson. Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty Charlize Theron and Her Daughters Conquer N.Y.C. in Cute Vacation Photos: 'We Did It All' Noting that she's been teaching her daughters the importance of helping others, Theron says that she hopes her girls learn by watching her example. "This is something that I fell in love with before my children came into my life. It's part of me now," she says. "It's been 17 years. They have really seen me be a part of this and work towards making this as successful as possible. And so hopefully [they learn] through that." "But also, I hope that they will find their own interests," she adds. In April, the Bombshell actress shared snaps from her family vacation to New York City with her daughters on Instagram. Charlize Theron and daughter August. ANDREA RENAULT/AFP via Getty Images The first picture in the carousel showed Theron sipping on a soft drink while taking a selfie with August. Other photos included in the post showcased her daughters visiting the 9/11 memorial, attempting to pose for a picture holding up the Statue of Liberty and attending MJ: The Musical on Broadway. "We came, we saw, we did it all. NYC you were a treat! ❤️," she captioned her post. Earlier that month, Theron brought her daughter August to sit front row with her at the Dior pre-fall show at the Brooklyn Museum. Wearing a black long-sleeved T-shirt and a Dior gold necklace, the proud mom sat next to her daughter, who looked stylish in a blue letterman jacket and black purse. August smiled as she posed beside her mom, holding hands with Theron as the two walked to their seats in another photo.