Camila Alves McConaughey says parenting is ‘more challenging’ after son Levi turned 14: ‘You need more energy’

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Camila Alves McConaughey and her husband Matthew McConaughey are embarking on a new stage as doting parents.

Their eldest son, Levi, turned 14 this month. The couple also shares two other children: daughter Vida, 12, and son Livingston, 9.

"You know, it’s interesting because when you have little ones, you are physically exhausted, right?" the children’s book author told Us Weekly on Tuesday. "And I feel like when you get to the teenagers… it’s almost like you need more energy. You need more brain power because it becomes all very about the mind, right? It’s like a teenager [is] trying to find their identity and find how they’re going to navigate their lives. So I think that… for me, it’s more challenging in a good way."

The 40-year-old told the outlet that parenting toddlers can easily make one feel "physically tired," but crossing over to teenage territory means suddenly having tough conversations about the new changes they are experiencing.

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Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves McConaughey are proud parents to three children. (Photo by Rick Kern/WireImage)

"When it comes to more of … the ability to really guide, like, a young man or a young woman, it takes a different kind of brain to pass, you know, brain power [and] to guide [or] to navigate through that," Alves McConaughey explained. "But it’s beautiful. It’s inspiring. It also makes you look at a lot of things that you are doing as an adult as well, you know, when you get to that stage… It’s a beautiful stage."

Back in April, Alves McConaughey spoke to Fox News Digital about raising her family in the Lone Star state. Her husband, 52, was born in Uvalde, Texas.

"It’s been great," she said at the time. "It really embodies our belief system, especially the ones I grew up with, like going to church every Sunday, saying ‘yes ma’am’ or ‘no, sir.’ I grew up saying those things coming from a family of farmers. For me, being from Brazil and then coming to Texas, I discovered a lot of similarities in terms of what families practice here, especially going to church on Sundays, and being very into the outdoors. It’s been a great transition."

"We lived in Malibu for many years and having the paparazzi outside our door every day - every single day - when that becomes your normal, you don’t realize how much that’s actually affecting the things you do until you actually leave and get out of it," she continued. "The kids get to have a private way of growing up. So from that perspective, it was very important."

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Camila Alves McConaughey and Matthew McConaughey tied the knot in 2012. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

Alves McConaughey noted that between juggling high-profile careers and parenting, date night is a must. The pair first said "I do" in 2012.

"Usually our date nights are very chill," she said. "It’s all about being creative. I think a lot of times, couples with families have so much going on that they think date night has to be this big romantic thing or going on this big trip together. Sometimes it’s as simple as a staycation. Or, ‘I’m sending the kids over to a family member, so we can stay home and have a drink together.’"

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Camila Alves McConaughey is raising her family in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images)

"I have this thing — we have a tree on our property," she shared. "I sometimes say to Matt, ‘Let’s meet today before dinner and watch the sunset under the tree.' We’ll just sit under the tree and have a drink together. It’s about sharing those simple little moments together in between everything that’s going on. It’s about those little moments to keep reconnecting."