Celebrity Parents Kate Hudson Reacts to Being 'Only a Couple Years Older' Than Son Ryder When She Became a Mom (Exclusive) The actress shares her 20-year-old son with ex-husband Chris Robinson By Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE Magazine. He began working with the brand as an Editorial Intern in early 2020, before later transitioning to a freelance role, and then staff positions soon after. Nicholas writes and edits anywhere between 7 to 9 stories per day on average for PEOPLE, spanning across each vertical the brand covers. People Editorial Guidelines Published on February 28, 2024 10:36AM EST Kate Hudson and son Ryder. Photo: Kate Hudson/Instagram Kate Hudson can't believe how fast time is flying by. The actress, 44, tells PEOPLE in an exclusive conversation how she is in disbelief that her oldest child, son Ryder, is no longer a teenager, and how she was only "a couple years older" than him when she became a mom. "That's been the wild discovery for me," the Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery star says. "I just can't believe that I was only a couple years older than him when I decided to have a child." "The fact that we've been able to get through it together like this, and really, honestly, grow up together, has been incredible," Hudson adds of herself and son Ryder, 20, whom she shares with ex-husband Chris Robinson. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Kate Hudson with her three kids. Kate Hudson/ Instagram Kate Hudson Pays Tribute to 'Beautiful Boy' Ryder as He Turns 20: ‘I Love You Beyond' Looking back, Hudson says she's amazed it's been two decades since she welcomed her first child. (She also shares daughter Rani Rose, 5, with fiancé Danny Fujikawa and son Bingham "Bing" Hawn, 12, with ex-fiancé Matt Bellamy.) "I guess while raising him, [I was] just in it and present, and then they fly the nest, and they're sort of cooked — and they're adults!" she says. "You look back going, 'Wow, I can't believe [it].' " And while Hudson — who recently partnered with Rakuten — says Ryder is "so wonderful," "in a great place" and "enjoying his life," there is one thing that does bother her about him now being an adult. "I wish he lived a little closer," she admits. "But I just love seeing him explore his adulthood. He's an adult, you know? He's out in the world and doing his thing. ... We're very close and I'm very proud." Kate Hudson and her three kids. Kate Hudson/Instagram Kate Hudson on the Importance of Dinner with Her Kids: 'I Am Really Busy, but My Day Is Done at 5' (Exclusive) Hudson celebrated Ryder's 20th birthday last month, sharing a photo on Instagram of a birthday cake featuring numerical candles for “20," plus white frosting with dark chocolate sprinkles. “I’m gonna have to let this one digest for a bit..: 😭 My beautiful boy, happy 20th,” the proud mom wrote in her caption. “I love you beyond @mr.ryderrobinson ✨.”