Many busy working mums are probably grateful when their child gains a bit of independence but Kate Beckinsale has said she misses the time when now eight year old daughter Lily was completely dependent on her.

Kate said recently: “Lily has always been my first priority. I’ve never been comfortable leaving her with a nanny or babysitter when it comes to picking her up from school or not being there to put her to bed at night. Those are important moments for children.”

“I tend to avoid films if it means I have to shoot in countries like Bulgaria or Moldova for six months. And if I ever did sign up to a film which would mean being away, I would want to have Lily and [husband Len Wiseman] with me as much as possible. I’d be an absolute nervous wreck without them.”

“I miss the time when Lily was completely dependent on me and I was with her virtually every moment of the day.”

“She’s so precious to me and I loved holding her in my arms all the time. I also loved bringing her to the film sets in her pram and being able to look after her during breaks. I enjoyed that immensely.”

“Now, when she’s not on the set or in school, I worry about her.”

Despite Kate separating from Lily’s dad Michael Sheen and marrying Len, Michael is still very much in all their lives and Kate realises she’s lucky there aren’t an “awkward feelings” between the two men: “From the beginning, all of us put Lily first and that made it very easy. Now she loves the idea of having two fathers. She thinks it’s normal and is very proud. She doesn’t mind telling her friends that she has two daddies.”

“I think it’s so sad when adults can’t find it in themselves to get along for the sake of a child. So I’m very proud that Michael and Len haven’t let any potential awkwardness affect our little family.”