January Jones: 'There's been no stigma as a single mother'

Actress January Jones would laugh off any negative criticism she could receive as a single mother.

The star became a single mom when she gave birth to son Xander four years ago, and has always kept the identity of his father a secret from the media.

January continues to juggle motherhood with her acting career, starring in TV series The Last Man on Earth following the end of Mad Men last year (15), and she firmly believes women can do it all, even when they are on their own.

"The thing about being a single mother is that I’ve never done it any other way," she explained to Britain's You magazine. "We women beat ourselves up a lot, but I don’t listen to any of that. We should be supportive, not judgmental. Luckily, the friends I surround myself with are strong, so I’ve never had to deal with being criticized or having someone feel sorry for me. I’ve never experienced any negative stigma. I think I’d laugh it off anyway."

The 38-year-old grew up with her parents and two sisters in South Dakota and credits her early years with instilling in her the core values which have helped her raise Xander while continuing to act.

"Being a mother is hard, no matter what your family dynamic is," she added. "But I think it’s really healthy for a child to see mothers working, and also for women to have something personally and mentally to focus on other than a child. My mom was - and still is - a working mother, and I respect her so much for that."

When she isn't working, January loves nothing more than spending time with her little boy, taking him on days out and indulging in his passions.

"The best thing about having a child is that I get to do all those kid things again, too," she smiled. "Xander’s really interested in science, dinosaurs and Lego - very boyish stuff. But he also loves, loves, loves movies and music. We go to the movies a lot so he can remember the lines. I think he’s got ambitions to be a rock star - apparently he’s going to play guitar, piano, drums and sing!"