14 Celebrity Parents Who Think Outside the Box When Raising Their Children

It is often said that every family is different, as they all have their own rules and methods for coping with day-to-day life in their own way. In the case of celebrities, they are no exception, as being a parent while living with media exposure can have an impact on how they choose to approach raising their children.

Bright Side wants to share some unique and notable rules that certain famous parents have decided to apply to accompany the growth of their children.

1. In Madonna’s house you don’t watch television.

The legendary pop singer has had the good fortune to raise numerous children throughout her life, and the upbringing of all of them had one very particular thing in common: no television in the house. According to Madonna, this is because she wanted to prevent her children from growing up with that noise around them to allow them to express themselves in other things.

2. Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively prohibit the use of words that promote sexism.

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are one of the nicest couples in Hollywood. Much of the good energy they transmit on camera they try to apply in the upbringing of their daughters, to whom they try to instill values away from certain sexist practices. In that sense, they have said that they have forbidden the word “bossy” since, according to the actress, “there would never be a negative connotation for a man who is a boss,” so why add a negative connotation about a woman who is bossy?

3. Drew Barrymore does not compliment her children on their appearance.

Famous actress Drew Barrymore has an unconventional but fairly original method when it comes to giving compliments to her children. Instead of complimenting them on their appearance with phrases like, “You look so pretty,” she prefers to substitute these by simply complimenting them on the actions or achievements they accomplish during their day “so that children can associate that behavior with an action rather than something external.”

4. Jennifer Garner gives her children one day a year of “yes to everything.”

Do you remember the movie Yes Man in which Jim Carrey said yes to everything to improve his life? Actress Jennifer Garner applies that method once a year by setting aside a day that she must say yes to everything her children ask for. According to what she said in an interview, her children look forward to this day all year long, even more than Christmas.

5. Reese Witherspoon has her kids write thank you letters.

The Oscar-winning actress from Walk the Line has a very simple, yet effective, method for getting her children to show affection toward others. It consists of having them craft congratulatory or thank you letters or drawings on every gift they give to other children, since according to her “it means a lot when children are grateful.”

6. Will Smith allows his children a “circle of safety” to say whatever they want to say.

Will Smith is characterized as one of the most charismatic and charming people in the world of Hollywood. One parenting technique he applied to his children was to create a “circle of safety.” The actor from the Men in Black saga stated that the purpose is so that “they can tell us everything they did [in the safety circle] and stay out of trouble.”

7. Jessica Alba has strict sleeping and eating rules.

Has your mother ever punished you by sending you to sit in the corner for bad behavior? Well, Jessica Alba uses that method with her children when they misbehave or don’t obey her orders, besides being very strict with the children’s sleeping and eating schedules.

8. Sarah Jessica Parker makes sure her children really want things before they get them.

The Sex and the City star stated in an interview that, together with her husband Matthew Broderick, they have a very particular way of managing the things they give their children. It consists of making them feel a real sense of longing for the things they want, since, according to the actress, “I think it’s good to long for something so that, when you get it, it has a lot of meaning.”

9. Penélope Cruz treats her children as if they were not children.

Penélope Cruz, like several famous actresses, uses the RIE method for raising her children. It consists of treating children as if they were adults’ peers, stripping them of elements characteristic of childhood (toys, rattles, pacifiers, among others) in addition to talking and dealing with them as equals.

10. Mayim Bialik does not force her children to be nice.

The actress who is popular for her comedic roles in Blossom and The Big Bang Theory not only stands out for her television roles but also has a PhD in neuroscience, applying much of her theory to parenting. Among her many methods is to not force her children to be kind or grateful, but letting them incorporate those habits themselves by observing their parents. According to Mayim, this serves to “teach them how a society works without us having to force it on them.”

11. Angelina Jolie raises her children on her own.

The famous actress has talked more than once about the decision she made to educate her children at home instead of sending them to school. According to Angelina, this is because “we live in a different time and the education system has not caught up with our children and our way of life.” Instead, she looks for them to explore their interests on their own, commenting that, “I’d rather them go to a museum, learn to play guitar and read a book they love.”

12. Pamela Anderson does not forbid her children to do anything.

The actress remembered for her role in Baywatch has talked more than once about how lax she was with the upbringing of her children, to the point of allowing them to have adult habits while they were minors. According to Pamela, this was because she “really believes in her children,” and that “they are making the right decisions and that you can’t deny what life offers you.”

13. Beyoncé and Jay-Z hire trusted coaches for their daughter.

The famous singing couple revealed that in order to boost their daughter Blue’s confidence and self-esteem, they have hired several trusted coaches to help her with activities like dancing, singing, sculpting, and reading.

14. Megan Fox allows her sons to wear dresses.

The actress who is famous for the Transformers saga has more than once publicly shown one of her children wearing princess costumes or skirts and dresses. Despite the criticism and comments she received, Megan defended her child claiming that “I’m trying to teach him to be self-confident, no matter what anyone says.”

What methods do you use to care for your children? How did your parents care for you?