Recalling her early years, the actor said she was not a "stable youth" and never thought she could be anyone's mother.
"It wasn't hard to love. It wasn't hard to dedicate myself to someone and something greater than my life. What was hard was knowing that from now on I needed to be the one to make sure everything was okay. To manage it and make it work," she said.
Being a parent, Jolie said taught her to always be ready for her children and put aside anything that she was doing.
"So now, in the midst of this pandemic, I think of all the mothers and fathers with children at home. All hoping they can do everything right, answer all needs, and stay calm and positive. One thing that has helped me is to know that's impossible.
"It is a lovely thing to discover that your children don't want you perfect. They just want you honest. And doing your best. In fact, the more room they have
to be great where you are weak, the stronger they may become. They love you. They want to help you. So in the end, it's the team you build. And in a way, they are raising you up too.
You grow together," she added.