Charlize Theron credits her mom as 'co-parent' to her 2 children

By Andrea Tuccillo

In her latest film "Tully," out next month, Charlize Theron plays an overwhelmed mom-of-three who's gifted a night nanny by her brother.

Theron herself is a single mother of two adopted children -- 6-year-old son Jackson and 2-year-old daughter August -- and said that while she doesn’t have a “staff of 40” like people may think, she’s still learned when to ask for help.

“I knew that I would have to have my mom help me if I was going to do this as a single parent,” she told pal Chelsea Handler in latest issue of Elle magazine. “To not acknowledge her co-parenting my children would be a lie.”

Theron, 42, admitted that in the beginning, she wanted to do it all, but with her second child she “realized I am happier and my kids are happier if I ask for more help.” In addition to her mom, her support system includes a nanny, as well as family and friends.

Theron, who grew up around racial inequality in South Africa, also said she’s very vocal about the issue with her own children, who are black.

“They need to know where they come from and be proud of that. But they’re going to have to know that it’s a different climate for them than it is for me, and how unfair that is,” she said. “If I can do something about that, of course I’m going to.”

The May issue of Elle hits stands April 24. "Tully" hits theaters on May 4.