Life under lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic has brought about a new tradition for David Foster and his daughters Sara, Erin and Jordan: family Sundays.
Each week since lockdown began in mid-March, the family has congregated in the backyard of Erin's Los Angeles home to talk life, debate politics, share a glass of wine — and plenty of laughs.
"Her backyard has become our playground,” says David, 70, in this week's issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.
Though the family is now (literally!) closer than ever, they've had their fair share of pain to work through from their past. When Sara, 39, Erin, 37, and Jordan, 34, were kids, David divorced their mother, his second wife Rebecca Foster, in 1986 and moved in with his third wife Linda Thompson shortly after.
"I missed a lot because I didn't raise them," says David, now re-married for the fifth time, to singer-actress Katharine McPhee, 36. "The geography was really tough. That was my own doing and a regret that I have, but it was what it was and there was no changing it. So I did the best I could, which was quite imperfect at times. Plus I worked so much. I mean, I've made a pound of music in my life."
According to the girls' mom, David "lived in the studio" during their childhood.
"He was working to provide for us," Sara says. "As an adult, you realize it's impossible to be a perfect parent, and you don't realize that until you have your own kids."
Jordan makes clear though that they felt that their dad was "there always" growing up — especially to teach them invaluable life lessons. Once, Erin got caught smoking a cigarette and David made her write a report about it.
"I had to give the report to all my teachers," Erin says. "I had to go to the local doctor's office and learn about how bad it was for me. I've had a couple of drunk cigarettes in my day, but I never became a smoker."
Sara says he also instilled in them the message: "I'm rich, you're poor."
"If I knew at 19 while I was living in Paris, going on castings for these like s— catalogs, that there was a trust fund waiting for me in two years, I would not have been doing that," she says. "Absolutely not. So I appreciate that sort of value system that was put in play early on because I work hard, and I love what we do. I'm so grateful for that work ethic."
While their family story might seem made for reality TV, Erin says they "won't be involved in any of that stuff."
Adds Sara: "The goal is to stay off reality TV."
With the documentary, Erin says she and her family are proud to expose their vulnerable sides.
"We've never been in the business of wanting to appear perfect and pretend that there aren't cracks because that's unrealistic for anybody," she says. "It's really easy to think that someone else's family is perfect or someone else's life is perfect. None of our lives are perfect. Our family's not perfect. But that doesn't mean that it's not great."
For more from David Foster and his daughters on their unique family journey, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.
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