It comes as no surprise that keeping a good marriage in Hollywood is hard, never mind having a family and raising kids.

But some famous parents seem to have found a solution that works for them and their children, with some celebrities opting for a tough-love approach within their kids’ education, in order to keep them grounded.



Bored Panda takes a look at celebrities who have shared some of their parenting tips, with many opening up about being strict.

#1 Julia Fox

Julia Fox, a.k.a. Josh Safdie’s muse, is known for her frank opinions and sharing relatable content. But last year, she divided the opinions of the public after sharing a theory on TikTok that the concept of “childhood” was created as an excuse to trick parents into buying things their children don’t necessarily need, such as toys.

She said: “It’s not really teaching your kid anything, you just end up raising a kid that’s, like, helpless and doesn’t know what to do.”

The model went on to open up about her experience raising her one-year-old son Valentino, whom she shares with ex-husband Peter Artemiev.

The 33-year-old revealed that Valentino wasn’t all that concerned about his toys, but instead was more interested in the day-to-day tasks that she does. 

Julia showed a mini cleaning set that she acquired for her son.

She explained: “I suggest everyone buy their kid a little mini mop, a mini broom, and start teaching them those life skills really young.

“So that when they enter the real world, they don’t have to outsource for everything, and they know how to do things for themselves.”

Image credits: juliafox

#2 Arnold Schwarzenegger

Austrian-American actor Arnold Schwarzenegger shares four children with his ex-wife journalist Maria Shriver, as well as a son with Mildred Baena, the family’s former housekeeper.

In addition to his political career, it is safe to say that Arnold’s hands are full, and he has no time to waste.

In an interview for People, while promoting his new book last month, the 76-year-old recalled a moment when his eldest daughter, Katherine, brought over her three-year-old daughter, Lyla.

“Katherine comes over with Lyla, and she says, ‘Lyla, I told you already not to put the shoes there,’” he explained.

The dad-of-five continued: “‘Keep your shoes on, or you put them away, but you don’t leave them there by the stand in front of the fireplace because you know what Daddy did?

“‘When I left my shoes there twice? The third time, he burned them in front of me and I cried.’”

The Terminator actor affirmed that the story was “absolutely” true, and even shared another tough-love approach story with his eldest son, Patrick.

Arnold recalled that when Patrick was nine, he threw his mattress outside after he had failed to make the bed as ordered.

He explained: “I opened up the door to the balcony, picked up the mattress, and threw it down with the bedsheets, the pillows, everything. 

“I said, ‘Don’t ever make someone come in and clean your room, clean your shower, or make your bed.

“I said, ‘Because I taught you how to make the bed.'”

Image credits: patrickschwarzenegger

#3 Sarah Michelle Gellar And Freddie Prinze Jr

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. met while they were filming the 1997 teen horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer, but didn’t start dating until 2000.

By the time the actors filmed Scooby-Doo, where they played each other’s respective love interests as Fred and Daphne, the iconic pair were married.

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer star and Freddie went on to welcome two children together.

In a 2021 interview with US Weekly, Freddie gave some insights into how he and Sarah parented their kids.

He said: “We are strict as hell. Look, I don’t believe in whooping kids. I’ve never whooped mine. My mom whooped me. They were, like, preventative whooping, so I know how to be strict.”

The actor went on to reveal that his wife also knew how to be strict as she had “100 rules” for their daughter and son.

Freddie explained: “They know they can’t break [those rules]. Friendships come and go. I tell my kids all the time that family is forever. So, we have rules, and they’ve got to follow [them].”

In 2020, Sarah told US Weekly that as parents, their “expectations are a little higher than most.”

She said: “I think [our children] know what the rules are. We have [family dinner] as many nights as we can. We have no phones at the table. We sit, we all have dinner together.”

Image credits: sarahmgellar

#4 Kristen Bell And Dax Shepard

Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard have been married for 10 years, and share two daughters together, Lincoln and Delta.

The actors shed light on how they kept their children grounded.

In a 2020 interview with Self, the Frozen star said: “It’s very important to me that they share a bedroom.

“I think their lives will be easier than most other people’s on the planet, and to develop a good character, it’s important to always be going through something.

“I like the fact that they will have to figure out how to share a bedroom, figure out how to share your closet, figure out how to share your space.

“If that’s the worst thing about your life, that you have to share a bedroom with your sister, you’re going to be OK.”

The mom-of-two also revealed that she had implemented strict screen-time rules, which she eased up a little on the weekends.

Kristen explained: “They’re not allowed to play with our phones or have any screens, really.

“They are allowed to watch TV on the weekends, and we’re pretty liberal with it, which I’ve been considering paying more attention to.

“But since they’re not allowed at all during the week, they will wake up at 6:30 on a Saturday morning, and they will watch TV until noon.

“I will also sleep until 9:45, which is really nice, and then get stuff done.

“But I will say, I notice how hard it is to pull them away from the TV at noon.”

Image credits: kristenanniebell

#5 Penelope Cruz

Spanish actress Penelope Cruz married fellow Spanish actor Javier Bardem in 2010.

The actors welcomed a son, Leo Encinas Cruz, and a daughter, Luna Encinas Cruz.

As a result, Penelope became an advocate of breastfeeding in public.

In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning in 2021, the Vicky Cristina Barcelona actress admitted that she didn’t allow her children to have cellphones or use social media.

She said: “I really see that that is protecting mental health, but I seem to be part of a minority.

“I feel really bad for the ones that are teenagers now.

“It’s almost [as] if the world was doing some kind of experiment on them.

“‘Oh, let’s see what happens if you expose a 12-year-old to that much technology.’”

Penelope added: “There is no protection for them, for brains that are still developing and how that affects the way they see themselves, how everything related to bullying, so many things that are not the childhood that we had.”

The 49-year-old movie star also shared that she let her kids watch movies and cartoons sometimes, but that they would not be allowed to have phones until they “are much older”.

Additionally, Penelope revealed that her kids would not have access to social media until they hit at least 16.

Image credits: penelopecruzoficial

#6 Daniel Craig And Rachel Weisz

James Bond star Daniel Craig shares one daughter with wife British actress Rachel Weisz, as well as being the stepfather to Rachel’s son from a previous relationship.

The 55-year-old actor also has an older daughter from his previous marriage to Scottish actress Fiona Loudon.

Despite Daniel’s fame and fortune, his kids won’t be receiving a large sum of money when the actor passes away.

In an interview with Saga Magazine in 2020, the 55-year-old said: “My philosophy is to get rid of it or give it away before you go. 

“I don’t want to leave great sums to the next generation.”

He later told Candis magazine: “Isn’t there an old adage that if you die a rich person, you’ve failed? 

“I think Andrew Carnegie gave away what in today’s money would be about 11 billion dollars, which shows how rich he was because I’ll bet he kept some of it, too.”

Image credits: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

#7 Reese Witherspoon

Legally Blonde actress Reese Witherspoon shares her eldest children, Ava and Deacon, with ex-husband and Cruel Intentions co-star Ryan Phillippe, as well as her youngest, Tennessee, with ex-husband Jim Toth.

In a new interview on the “Good Inside with Dr. Becky” podcast, the mom-of-three revealed that she wanted to see children live with failure.

Reese said: “I see this a lot with parents – I don’t know when we stopped letting our kids fail.

“Like I learned so much from the paper I didn’t turn in or the demerits I got, so I got detention. 

“I was suspended from school and my parents didn’t say, ‘Uh, she didn’t deserve that,’ and take me out of school.

“They actually let me sit in it and feel uncomfortable.

“So, I think learning from failure is actually a valuable tool that you can’t take away from kids, right?

“You rob them if you don’t let them sit in the discomfort of the experience.”

The Oscar winner recalled teaching her daughter a lesson when she had lost a basketball game.

She said: “‘Yeah, I know. I know that probably feels really bad,'” but then added, “‘You know what also? Maybe you’re not good at basketball?'”

Despite her daughter being slightly upset at the moment, Reese continued: “It’s actually really important to learn what you’re not good at.”

Image credits: reesewitherspoon

#8 Ryan Reynolds And Blake Lively

In a new interview, actor Ryan Reynolds revealed how he and actress Blake Lively were raising their four kids, which include daughters James, eight; Inez, seven; and Betty, four.

The couple have yet to reveal the gender and the name of their fourth child, who they welcomed in February.

The Deadpool actor told People: “I think it’s more about talking to them about everything.

“It’s genuine when I say I take a huge interest in their days and how things are going.”

The 46-year-old also acknowledged that he, along with Blake, took the concept of “self-awareness” for their children very seriously, as they have been actively keeping them out of the spotlight.

Ryan further explained: “I think as parents, we are so much better equipped to handle the rigors of childhood through our kids now than when I was a kid. 

“It’s just totally different now. People are much more self-aware. 

“And that’s the thing we sort of hang our hat on the most is self-awareness with our kids. Not be happy, not be anything, just be self-aware and welcome everything in.”

Image credits: blakelively

#9 Ashton Kutcher And Mila Kunis

Actors and former That ‘70s Show co-stars Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis married in 2015 before welcoming their two children, daughter Wyatt and son Dmitri.

To keep their children’s attitude down to earth, Mila confessed in a 2020 interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert how she was keeping their privilege in check. 

The actress said: “I like to remind them that Mommy and Daddy have money, but they’re broke all the time.

“That is not their bedroom, it is my bedroom that I’m letting them use, so they better take good care of it.

“I say this in jest, but really they don’t have things … they’re raised on hand-me-downs from girlfriends’ kids’ clothing; we garden.”

Mila went on to emphasize how lucky her kids were to be born to famous parents and wanted to establish their gratefulness. 

She added: “Our kids are super-fortunate.

“Regardless, they were born at the right time to the right people, and I love them, but they’re not going to be entitled a**holes.”

Image credits: aplusk

#10 Candace Cameron Bure

Full House star Candace Cameron Bure shares three kids with her husband Valeri Bure: Natasha, Lev, and Maksim, who are now all in their early 20s.

But when they were teenagers, Candace’s children received a strict education.

The actress opened up to L.A. Parent about her parenting style.

She said: “I hope my kids would say that I’m a loving mom.

“They would also describe me as strict. We set firm boundaries, but there is always love and grace.

“I’m the mom that needs to meet the parents before my kids can go to a new friend’s house.

“I want to know who they’re with, where they’re going.

“Even now that they’re driving, I want them to text me when they arrive and when they’re heading home.”

Candace went on to explain that her family “work hard to keep our communication open and talk through any situation” and they are “always willing to listen.”

She added: “But I don’t always say yes.

“My goal as a parent is not to make my kids happy but to guide them to be respectful, curious, responsible, resilient, kind, giving, and thoughtful adults.”

Image credits: candacecbure

Source: boredpanda.com