Whether you’re a millionaire actor or a 9-5 sales clerk, being a parent is the most fulfilling thing a human can experience- but raising them isn’t easy.
As well all know, kids can be challenging to control, which is why parents often instill unique parenting methods that they believe is in their offspring’s best interest and celebrities are no different. From the novel and interesting to the downright strange, these parenting methods have all been implemented by Hollywood’s leading stars.
Here are some strange examples.
1. Alanis Morissette
Breastfeeding is nothing to be ashamed of because it’s one of the most natural things in the world, but indie-rocker Alanis Morissette admitted that she breastfed her son Ever until he was around five or six years old!
Making the weird confession, the singer said, “I’ll stop whenever he wants.” Something tells us Alanis doesn’t want her children to grow up!
2. Angelina Jolie
We all know Angelina Jolie loves her six children- just like any other mother- but there aren’t many mothers in the world we would be happy to fork out over $10m a year on them!
At least half of these costs are thought to be attributed to private jet transportation, while an estimated $900,000 goes on a nanny for each of the six children! If that wasn’t crazy enough, Jolie was thought to be very open with her children when it came to getting jiggy with her former husband, Brad Pitt, telling them that “Mom and Dad are going off to kiss”.
3. Mayim Bialik
The Big Bang Theory actress is certainly a parent who likes to keep things in the family when it comes to parenting. As well as letting her two children share the same bed with her husband, she also makes sure they are never left alone with a non-family member!
She’s going to have some severe attachment issues when they get older!
4. Gwyneth Paltrow
Bathing with your children when they’re little is cute and to be expected, but you need to know when to draw the line and respect their boundaries, something the blonde bombshell hasn’t seemed to manage!
Yes, Paltrow reportedly still bathes with her school-aged children, but isn’t it time she learned to take them on her own again?! What’s more bizarre is that she doesn’t let her kids enjoy any carbohydrates… Talk about being a Buzz Killington, Gwyneth!
5. Nikki Reed
When Nikki Reed and her smoulderingly handsome Vampire Diaries co-star Ian Somerhalder had their first child, they went to extreme measures to ensure the first month of parenthood went to plan.
The measure? They ceased all contact with the outside world by banning visitors and discarding their mobile phones. And there was me thinking parents needed all the help they could get…
6. Will & Jada Smith
No child likes to be talked down on and treated their age because most children yearn to have the independence of adults, which may explain the reasoning behind the Smith’s liberal approach to parenting.
The stuff of dreams for any young child with strict parents, Hollywood superstars Will and Jada Smith let their children pretty much do what they want, and that included not pressuring them into cleaning their room because, in the words of Jada, “You would never tell a full-grown adult to clean their room.” Good or bad parenting? Judging by Jaden Smith’s recent musical releases, we’ll have to go with the latter.
7. Candace Cameron
The actress and View panelist caused some controversy when she discussed the books that influenced her parenting techniques. Cameron cited the Bible and To Train Up a Child by Michael & Debi Pearl, the latter of which has been criticized due to it being responsible for the deaths of three children because of the corporal punishment methods it advocated when disciplining children.
Dear oh dear, Cameron…
8. Kourtney Kardashian
While Kourtney Kardashian was right to ban microwave meals from her child’s diet, one thing that makes little sense is her not letting her child play with plastic toys.
Apparently, they contain harmful “toxins,” but considering billions of children play with them and are fine, we think this is a bit of a lame excuse. Maybe she just doesn’t want to have loads of toys scattered across her marble flooring..
9. Madonna
Madonna makes headlines for her wacky antics, but her rules for parenting are just as odd. For starters, she had them follow a rigorous macrobiotic diet (no sweets), and banned newspapers, TV and magazines (kind of ironic, when you consider those mediums made her a multi-millionaire).
If that wasn’t strange enough, then don’t worry: It gets weirder! The hitmaker is also known to ban her children wearing synthetic clothing fibers. What’s more, they can only drink Kabbalah-blessed water. Talk about going overboard!
10. Christina Aguilera
There’s nothing worse for children when they see their parents naked, but Christina Aguilera doesn’t seem to consider that if her “naked Sundays” with her husband are any indication. The star believes “It’s only weird if you shame it” but we think it’s weird full stop.
Other weird parenting methods Aguilera has adopted include sucking boogies out of their children’s noses with a nasal device called a NoseFrida.