Ethan Hawke was ''staggered'' by how much his life changed when he had children.

The 44-year-old actor has a total of four children, Maya, 15, and Levon, 12, with ex-wife Uma Thurman, and Clementine, six, and Indiana, three, with his current spouse Ryan and admits he found it ''fascinating'' to realise how differently he needed to ''structure'' things once he had kids and thinks parenthood has made him more reflective.

He said: ''Children make you so much more reflective about everything in your life. When I had my older children, I was completely staggered by the magnitude of the experience.

''Maybe you can never be fully prepared to be a father, but I felt like it was fascinating to come to terms with the responsibilities and to structure your world very differently.''

Even as his kids get older, the 'Boyhood' star still finds parenting an ''adventure'' but he hopes he is a better dad now.

In an interview with Sorted magazine, he said: ''It's still an adventure. I know I'm a much wiser and less self-doubting individual today than I was in my 30s.

''I had a tough time dealing with everything and I'm so much happier now.

''I hope that will help me be a better father and better man for all my children. It's still a journey no matter what age your kids are. You never stop being their father.''