The 53-year-old who shares 15-year-old twins Emme and Max with ex-husband Marc Anthony said her children have reached the age where they’re being “judged” by others.

“They have just started letting me know how people treat them. So when they walk into the room, that’s what people are thinking about. They’re not seeing them for who they are. And I think that has to be a really hard thing for them,” she said.

“So I would love to have been able to protect them from that.”

While Lopez is just one of many who brought her children up with the glitz and glam of Hollywood, more recently, some celebrities are being extra cautious about protecting the identity of their little ones.

While Lopez would love to protect her children “from everything,” she recognizes not only is it unrealistic, but experiencing pain is a part of growing up.

“You don’t ever want them to feel a moment of pain in their lives, but that’s not realistic,” she said. “You realize as you get older, OK, the pain is necessary. The pain is actually good. The pain kind of makes you feel a little bit like a warrior when you get through it.”