Drew Barrymore believes being a former child star will help her raise her children.

The 38-year-old actress - who is pregnant with her second child and also has 14-month-old daughter Olive with husband Will Kopelman - thinks her own experiences growing up in the spotlight have been a ''blessing'' and given her a strong foundation to deal with public interest in her children.

She explained: ''Even though I grew up in a different time, when every step you took wasn't recorded, I still went through things in my youth that were totally out there and very much exposed. I didn't know it at the time, but it was a blessing. It prepared me for this world we live in today.

''Even though I'm not fond of every move I make being discussed and recorded, I know it comes with the territory because I have been doing this forever. You have to stay grounded and you have to bring a positive energy to it for your child.''

The 'Charlie's Angels' star - who began her acting career when she was just 11 months old - has previously admitted to being a drug addict as a teenager, but she feels having creative outlets such as acting ''saved'' her.

She added: ''You learn to take the things you have to deal with in order to have the things that mean a lot to you, like the films, the creative environments, the people. These are all things that saved me and gave me a great life. You can't just fall apart because things aren't going exactly the way you want them to.''