‘Maybe 40 per cent’: Ben Affleck reveals how his kids rated his parenting compared to Jennifer Garner

Hollywood actor Ben Affleck has offered a candid and humorous glimpse into his life as a father, admitting that he struggles to match the parenting standards set by his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner. While Affleck believes he deserves credit for his efforts, his three children apparently have a much lower opinion of his performance. The actor also opened up about shared custody, his desire to spend more time with his children and why their rapidly changing lives influence his professional choices.

Ben Affleck reveals his children’s verdict on his parenting

Affleck, 54, shares three children with Garner, also 54: Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17, and Samuel, 14. According to People Magazine, the actor joked that he considers himself around 75 per cent as good a parent as his former wife. However, his children reportedly offered a far less generous assessment, suggesting that his score was closer to 40 per cent.

Affleck appeared to take their response in good humour, acknowledging that he was already putting in considerable effort. He described Garner as a spectacular mother who often makes him feel that he is falling short, before joking that he was “maxing out” at a B+.

Why Ben Affleck wants to spend more time with his children

Beyond the jokes about his parenting score, Affleck has spoken about making time for his children a priority despite his demanding acting career. In an interview with Variety published on Tuesday, the Gone Girl star explained that his routine often involves working hard before returning home to pick up the children from school. He said they sometimes have dinner together if they agree to spend the evening with him.

Affleck also described how the shared custody arrangement works, with the children spending one week with him and the next with Garner. The actor made it clear that he does not want to miss important years of his children's lives because of work commitments. As he explained, he is divorced and shares custody, making the time he spends with them particularly valuable.

‘Their life is flying by’: Actor explains his career decisions

Affleck said the speed at which his children are growing up has influenced the projects he chooses to take on. He explained that he does not want professional commitments to require him to spend extended periods away from home. Speaking to Variety, he reflected on how his children's lives are moving quickly and why he wants to remain present during these years. He specifically mentioned not wanting to be away working in locations such as Shreveport or New Mexico when his children are at home.

His comments underline the balancing act facing a working actor who shares custody and wants to remain closely involved in his children's everyday lives.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner’s relationship timeline

Affleck and Garner first met while filming Pearl Harbor in 2000 and reconnected while working on Daredevil in 2003. They married in 2005 and separated in 2015, with their divorce finalised in 2018. Despite the end of their marriage, the former couple continue to share parenting responsibilities for their three children.

In 2020, Affleck described the divorce as the biggest regret of his life and called it a painful experience, even when both partners agree that separation is the best decision and remain on good terms.

Ben Affleck’s latest film

Affleck was last seen in Animals, a 2026 American crime thriller that he directed and co-wrote with Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray. The film features Affleck alongside Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Adriana Paz, Luis Gerardo Méndez and Steven Yeun. The movie centres around the Los Angeles mayoral election's final days, candidate Mark Kimball risks his family's savings to fund an aggressive campaign. His already strained marriage faces another crisis when a kidnapper demands $7 million for a child believed to be his son, Denny. However, the situation takes a disturbing turn when the family discovers the wrong boy has been abducted. As his political future, marriage and family reputation is at stake, Mark decides to negotiate with the kidnappers. A desperate rescue mission threatens to expose dangerous secrets that could compromise everything he wants to protect.