Yahoo Lifestyle 15 Famous Parents Who Were Criticized For Their "Controversial" Parenting Styles
Every parent raises their children differently and oftentimes when people stray away from "traditional" methods of parenting, they get a negative reaction from people. Celebrity parents are more than familiar with this. Here are some famous people who have received backlash after publicly sharing their "alternative" parenting techniques:
1.In 2013, Will Smith shared that he and Jada Pinkett Smith don't believe in punishing their kids.
“The way that we deal with our kids is, they are responsible for their lives. Our concept is, as young as possible, give them as much control over their lives as possible and the concept of punishment, our experience has been—it has a little too much of a negative quality," Smith said.
He continued "So when they do things—and you know, Jaden, he's done things—you can do anything you want as long as you can explain to me why that was the right thing to do for your life."
2.In 2022, Coco Austin was criticized after sharing a video on Instagram of her 6-year-old daughter bathing in the kitchen sink.
After receiving a bunch of comments saying that her daughter was too old to be bathed in the sink, Austin responded by saying, "People, you gotta know by now that I’m an unconventional mother," her tweet continued. "I do what works and is easier on me. Some may want to take some pointers rather than rag on me!"
3.Julia Fox stirred controversy with her comments on raising children. She shared a theory on TikTok that the concept of "childhood" was invented as a way to get parents to buy things their kids don't need like 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." She said that her 19-month-old son Valentino isn't interested in his toys at all and is more interested in the day-to-day tasks that she does. She even displayed the mini cleaning set that she got for her son.
"I suggest everyone buy their kid a little mini mop, a mini broom, and start teaching them those life skills really young," Julia added, "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."
4.In a 2015 blog post, Pamela Anderson wrote that she wanted her two teenage sons to "practice safe sex, drink and experiment with drugs in moderation, find true love."
When asked about her parenting style, she said, “I really believe in my kids. My kids have had a great foundation, they have seen the world." She added, “They’ve made great choices. They are really smart people, I am not afraid of my kids surfing the Internet. I think they are making proper decisions and you can’t be in denial of what life has to offer. I don’t know how much of a role model their parents are, but we’ve had a lot of fun.”
5.Kristen Bell shared that in 2018, her youngest daughter decided to stop sleeping, so she and her husband Dax Shepard would lock their then three-year-old daughter, Delta, in her room until she'd tire herself out.
Kristen admitted, “I’m sorry, I know that’s controversial, but we…stand outside and say, ‘We love you, we will talk to you in the morning, but now, it’s time for sleep.’ And after about 10 minutes, she’ll wind herself down."
She clarified that they would unlock the door after the child went to sleep.
6.In March 2021, Alicia Silverstone posted a video on her website, The Kind Life, where she pre-chewed food and her 10-month-old son Bear ate it directly out of her mouth. She received backlash from people worrying if the practice was hygienic.
Alicia explained, "It's a part of the weaning process, so while I'm still breast-feeding it's just a way to introduce him to food when he doesn't have teeth…and he can't chew."
She said she started doing this when he was five months old. "I'd be eating and he would come at me with his little mouth open and be on my mouth trying to get the food out of my mouth."
7.In 2017, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher shared they started a tradition where they don't give their kids gifts at Christmas.
Mila explained how in the past their children have been spoiled by gifts from their grandparents which is what led them to start this new tradition.
Mila said, "Last year [2016] when we celebrated Christmas, Wyatt was two and it was too much. We didn't give her anything — it was the grandparents. The kid no longer appreciates the one gift. They don't even know what they're expecting; they're just expecting stuff.”
She added, “We've told our parents, ‘We're begging you — if you have to give her something, pick one gift. Otherwise, we'd like to take a charitable donation, to the Children's Hospital or a pet [or] whatever you want.’ That's our new tradition.”
8.In 2021, Ashton and Mila received backlash after revealing on Dax Shepard and Monica Padman's podcast that they bathe their kids with soap only when they see dirt on them, but not daily.
Mila said she didn't have hot water as a child so she didn't shower often growing up but "when I had children, I also didn’t wash them every day. I wasn’t the parent that bathed my newborns — ever."
Ashton added, "Now here's the thing: If you can see the dirt on them, clean them. Otherwise, there’s no point."
Experts have agreed with Ashton and Mila about how often to bathe young kids. The New York Times spoke to Dr. Kelly M. Cordoro, MD, a professor of dermatology and pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, who practices at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital; she said, "Over-bathing an infant may dry out the skin, making it itchy and rashy."
9.Lisa Whelchel promotes using hot sauce to discipline children and she admitted to doing so on her own. When her children didn't respond to other disciplinary actions, she put a dab of hot sauce on her finger and then put her finger on the child's tongue.
"It does sting and the memory stays with them so that the next time they may actually have some self-control and stop before they lie or bite or something like that," Lisa explained. She added that she would never do it if would cause lasting damage.
10.In her book, The Kind Mama, Alicia Silverstone wrote that she started potty training her son Bear at just six months old.
Alicia used a tactic called elimination communication which is a method where parents use cues from their babies to know when they have to poop and then help them use the toilet.
“Just like your baby tells you it needs to eat or it’s tired, they tell you when they need to go to the bathroom,” Silverstone explained.
“They give you cues, but we’re ignoring those cues. If you pay attention, they actually have a pause button and will give you enough time to get to a place that makes it comfortable for them to go. It’s amazing.”
11.In 2014 Mayim Bialik has said she refuses to give her kids medications or antibiotics when they're sick.
"Between our two boys, ages six and three-and-a-half, we have dealt with just about every ailment, sickness, and flu out there. However, neither of our sons has ever been on antibiotics, nor do we give them Tylenol, Motrin, antihistamines, or cough syrup. She continued, "I've learned from talking to other moms that almost everything you have right now in your home and your heart is enough to deal with most everything. I'm not arguing to be negligent."
In 2015, she did clarify in a tweet that she is not an anti-vaxxer and that her kids are vaccinated.
dispelling rumors abt my stance on vaccines. i'm not anti. my kids are vaccinated. so much anger and hysteria. i hope this clears things up.
12.On CBS Sunday Morning in 2021, Penélope Cruz shared that she doesn't allow her two kids (eight and 10 years old at the time) to have cell phones or use social media.
“I really see that that is protecting mental health, but I seem to be part of a minority,” Penélope said. “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.’”
She continued, “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."
Penélope said that she lets her kids watch movies and cartoons sometimes, but they will not be able to have phones until they are much older and that they will not be allowed on social media until they are at least 16.
13.In a 2018 radio interview, Kelly Clarkson admitted that she spanked her kids who were three and one years old at the time.
"My parents spanked me, and I did fine in life, and I feel fine about it, and I do that as well," Clarkson said. "That's a tricky thing, when you're out in public because then people are like, they think that's wrong or something, but I find nothing wrong with a spanking."
Clarkson said she would warn her then three-year-old daughter, River Rose, with spankings. "I'm like, 'Hi, I'm going to spank you on your bottom if you don't stop right now, this is ridiculous,' and honestly it's really helped. She doesn't do that kind of stuff as often."
14.Madonna once told Newsweek about how strict she is about her children keeping their rooms tidy.
Madonna said that when she would find dirty clothes on Lourdes' floor, she would take all of her clothes and Lourdes would have to earn them back by being tidy. She said, “wears the same outfit every day to school until she learns her lesson.”
15.And lastly, in a 2012 interview with Instyle, Gwyneth Paltrow shared that she only allows her kids to watch Spanish or French-language TV shows. "When I'm in France, I go to [Boulevard] Beaumarchais and buy all their cartoons," she said.
