Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem Shared Tips on Raising Children That Might Be Eye-Opening for Some Parents

Being a parent may be one of the greatest desires for some people. And while it fills their lives with joy and love, it is a task that comes with a lot of responsibility. Since children don’t come with an instruction manual at birth, parents have to work hard to ensure that their upbringing is healthy and appropriate. Of course, every strategy depends on what each family feels is best for their children.

At Bright Side, we want to show you which measures are taken by the Bardem-Cruz family to raise and protect their children, and they may inspire you.

Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem’s love life is like a Hollywood romance story, but with Spanish actors and in real life. They met and started working together on the set of the movie, Jamón, Jamón, but it wasn’t until 2008 that they reunited.

They both grew professionally, positioning themselves in the film industry and becoming the most recognized Spanish actors worldwide.

Thanks to the acclaimed film director, Woody Allen, they met again on the set of Vicky Cristina Barcelona in 2008 to star together in the film. Fate smiled down on them and they did not ignore their feelings, which they let flow, confirming their love for each other.

In 2010, they celebrated their wedding privately in the Bahamas. Later came the birth of their first son, Leo, and then their daughter, Luna. And although both lead their private lives away from the spotlight, over the years, the couple has consolidated their love. With 10 years of marriage, 13 years of dating, and a lifetime of getting to know each other, Cruz and Bardem are an example of what it means to truly fall in love.

In addition to sharing their passion for cinema, their children, Leo (10) and Luna (8), are the strongest bond between the couple.

And like any responsible parents, the Spanish couple’s goal is to protect their little ones at all costs. In an interview for CBS Sunday Morning, Penélope Cruz confessed that she is a very strict mother to her children when it comes to technological media. “I have a strange relationship with social networks, I use them very little and very carefully. There is something that does not make sense and it is affecting especially the younger generations. I feel very bad for those who are now teenagers.”

According to Cruz, it’s as if the world is doing some kind of experiment on them. “Oh, let’s see what happens if you expose a 12-year-old to that much technology.”

Cruz also emphasized the lack of protection for a child to be involved in any form of social networking and her concern for children’s still-developing brains. “How it affects the way they see themselves or anything to do with bullying.”

Although Cruz has almost 6 million followers on Instagram, her content is dedicated exclusively to the professional field, and the position with her children has already been decided. She tries to educate them on the rational use of electronic devices, prohibiting them from having social media accounts until they turn 16 or a cell phone until they are “older.” These measures lead her to call herself “very tough on technology.” She added, “I believe this is protecting mental health, but I seem to be part of a minority.”

She also explained that she does allow her children to watch cartoons or movies from time to time. “How can I not let them watch movies? They have given me incredible moments of happiness since I was a little girl.”

However, for both Cruz and Bardem, their absolute priority is their children, and neither of them has been swayed by the opinions of third parties, remaining very firm in the upbringing of their little ones.

For his part, Bardem commented that until he became a father, he didn’t know what unconditional love was. “Being away more than 2 weeks almost breaks my heart. My body starts to feel physical symptoms.”

His idea has always been to be a present father, something he couldn’t enjoy as a child, so he tries to be everything he would have liked his dad to be.

How do you handle the use of social media with your children? Do you consider your parenting to be conservative or a bit more liberal?