Melissa Joan Hart says working young taught her 'good work ethic' but 'stunted my growth in other ways'
Melissa Joan Hart said becoming a child star gave her discipline and independence, but it limited her social development.
Melissa Joan Hart appreciates how being a child star set her up for life at a young age.
However, the actress - who shot to fame aged 15 after landing the lead role of Clarissa Darling in the Nickelodeon 1990s teen sitcom, Clarissa Explains It All - did not like how growing up on TV sets held her back socially.
Melissa, 49, told People: "I think it gave me a good work ethic. I think it helped me kind of grow up quickly, learn some things about myself in the world, take care of myself and but also, in that way, it kind of stunted my growth in other ways, socially."
However, Melissa has zero regrets because her parents - producer Paula Hart, 69, and 73-year-old actor William Hart - ensured that she did not miss out on childhood and was brought up with a sense of normalcy.
The star - who cemented her 1990s teen icon status by starring as the lead character Sabrina Spellman in the ABC fantasy sitcom, Sabrina the Teenage Witch - said: "I pretty much had a normal childhood, even though I was acting since I was four. So I don't regret anything.
"I think my family did a really good job … I was in Girl Scouts, and we would go on family ski trips and things like that. So there was a lot of normal mixed up with this weird, crazy world."
Melissa - who was educated via on-set tutoring, which she insisted was never isolating - added: "I went to my boyfriend's prom. It wasn’t my prom, but I did get to go to a prom to witness that. So I had some moments."
The star - who graduated on-set at Nickelodeon - revealed that her three sons, Mason, 20, Braydon, 17, and Tucker, 13, whom she has with her 49-year-old husband, musician Mark Wilkerson, have not followed in their mom's showbiz footsteps.
Melissa revealed that Mason is a pilot, and Braydon is thinking about joining the trades after he has completed college.
She added: "If they ever showed any entrance interest, it was for the wrong reasons. It was for money and fame. It wasn’t because they love the craft."
