Ben Affleck Gets Honest About Strict Parenting Style With Son And Fun Competition With Daughter

Being a celebrity parent is one thing many of us may never experience — but the responsibility of parenthood carries the same weight, and Ben Affleck has a unique approach to parenting that embraces the differences in his children. He offers us a glimpse into his close relationship with his kids and his method of navigating parenting in the spotlight.

It’s fun and competitive in Ben Affleck’s dad-land.

The father of three, Violet (19), Fin (16), and Samuel (13), whom he shares with his first ex-wife Jennifer Garner, revealed that he is in a Spanish language competition with his oldest daughter.

“My daughter is a student of Spanish and often competes with me. She’ll tell me hers is better than mine, and I’m glad I had the chance to be on national television and just claim victory,” The 52-year-old dad joked while being interviewed on the Today show.

He said that he learnt the language when he was young. He studied Spanish at the University of Vermont, while his daughter, Violet, is currently a freshman at Yale University.

He is strict when it comes to how money is spent.

While he’s all for supporting the growth of his children, in a recent clip that went viral, Ben proved that he is not exempt from drawing lines when necessary.

In the clip, Samuel shows interest in a pair of Dior Air Jordan 1s at a sneaker convention that cost $6000, but his father’s response shut down his hope of getting them that day. “That’s a lot of lawns you gotta mow there,” Affleck chimed in.

He defended his response later on saying, “Listen, you love your kids — you want to give them everything and do anything for them,” Affleck said, but he also made it clear that he will not do them the disservice of not setting boundaries with them.

Ben’s kids know the reality of hard work.

Firm on his stance, he noted that his two oldest kids have jobs. In addition to studying, Violet is working while trying to secure a summer internship and Fin is currently working in a shop.

For Samuel, being the youngest, his dad might just be trying to teach him the value of money. “I’m like, ’Well, if you want that, you can work 1,000 hours at minimum wage — and if you work 1,000 hours, you might not want to spend it on a pair of shoes,’” the co-star of Good Will Hunting insisted.

His children are the heart of his life.

While he loves acting and directing, he admits that he treasures every little moment with his children.

“The one regret I have about all the movies that I’ve directed is the amount of time it’s taken me away from my kids. I love making art. I loved making The Town. But I was away from my kids for long periods of time. There’s little chunks that I missed, and that doesn’t feel good,” he told GQ in an exclusive interview.

To be home after his kids get off the bus is what he really aims for at the end of the day, “And that means more to me than any of it. That makes me happier.”

Balancing family and a career in the spotlight might seem challenging, but Selena Gomez seems to have hit the jackpot as Benny Blanco shot the works to surprise her.