“They should be doing their homework, or outside riding horses.  “They should be learning and growing at their own pace – and learning things at the right time, rather than when it’s convenient for others.”  Karen in a publicity shot for the movie (REX FEATURES)  Speaking of the perils of being a child star, she added: “It’s just not normal for a child to have that kind of focus on them and then trot off into life thinking that everyone’s going to pamper them and treat them as if they’re ‘special’.  “The fact is that if you’re living in a Justin Bieberesque type world surrounded by a bunch of yes people, the odds are you’re going to struggle in later life.  “That’s why I’ve never really wanted any of my children to become child actors like me.”  Dotrice, who appears in the 50th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray of the film, said she had been “lucky” to be blessed with “normal parents” who helped her cope with the limelight, and praised Walt Disney personally for being "super" to her family.  “He [Disney] transplanted us all to LA for the duration of the film shoot, put us up in a lovely house in the Hollywood Hills with an indoor heated swimming pool, and at weekends gave us use of his private plane," she said.  But, she added: “I’ve seen a lot of my peers go through terrible times and have to deal with all sorts of demons.”  The former actress, a mother-of-three, claimed she had “never regretted” giving up her film career, after refusing to appear topless for a different film as a teenager.  The story behind how Mary Poppins made it from the P L Travers novel to a Disney movie will be brought to life in the new film Saving Mr Banks, out now.
Karen Dotrice, the actress who played Jane in the Mary Poppins film, discloses   her regrets at ever taking the role, as she argues children should be &ldquo;doing   their homework and outside riding horses&rdquo;