Drew Barrymore likes to think of herself as a "walking cautionary tale" for child stars.

The 49-year-old actress was just seven years old when she found fame starring in 'ET: The Extra Terrestrial' but endured a string of personal problems in the years that followed and hopes that her stint in a rehabilitation clinic at the age of 13 will serve as a conversation starter about "boundaries" for children in Hollywood.

She told People: "When I look at it now, I don't see sadness or tragedy. I love that I was a walking cautionary tale because then when we talk about how we raise our kids in a world where they're all out there in social media, we all have to be almost parents in the mindset of what the Hollywood parents were like, which is: Do I want to protect my child, or what are the boundaries? What should I be teaching them? We're all rowing in that boat!"

The talk show host - who released a memoir in 1990 titled 'Little Girl Lost' - now has Olive, 11, and 10-year-old Frankie with ex-husband Will Kopelman and admitted that she "may never figure it all out" but is "honoured" to be able to steer the conversation as a parent herself.

She said: "I actually feel like this gives me such a beautiful little merit badge, like a scout's honor to get into that conversation and know how to navigate that as a parent myself.

"I may feel lost again at different moments, because you never figure it all out and it never all comes together at some point, but you just keep finding things. And if you hold onto those findings, then you have this collection of wisdom."