How some of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities discipline their kids

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Getty Images | Andrew H. Walker

How early should kids start doing chores? How many cookies after dinner are too many? To spank or not to spank?

Parenting is full of decisions and doubt about whether you’re doing the right thing. And the scrutiny can feel even worse when you’re a celebrity. Like families in any other neighborhood, Hollywood households and parenting techniques vary widely, from super-strict to loosey-goosey. Here the approaches favored by some of Tinseltown’s most famous moms and dads.

1. Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady

The crazy-successful model and her Super Bowl champ husband make sure their children are just as healthy as their famous parents. Bündchen told People her kids aren’t used to sugary treats, so Halloween didn’t exactly go as planned. “I let them try one (piece), but they really only had one bite and then they didn’t want it anymore,” she said. “So I told them if they didn’t like it I was going to give it away to other kids and they actually let me give their candy away.”

gisele bundchen photo
Getty Images | Andrew H. Walker

2. Chip and Joanna Gaines

The HGTV stars told People their kids don’t get smartphones until college! Dad Chip says he’s the stricter parent, reminding himself of a drill sergeant at times. But when it comes time for his daughters to get asked out, Chip says he thinks he’ll be pretty cool with it. “I want my kids to date, I want them to go out,” he said. “I just remember great experiences as a kid, you know? Driving your car for the first time, picking up a young lady on a date for the first time. All those were little milestones to some extent.”

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3. Jessica Alba

The actress says she made sure to teach her daughters manners and how to do chores early in life, instilling a good work ethic. “[Older daughter Honor] makes her bed and she cleans her plate and she has nice manners. Things like that. She doesn’t get paid for that,” Alba told Yahoo!, though she said she might pay them for doing chores once they get a little older.

jessica alba photo
Getty Images | Pascal Le Segretain

4. Nick and Vanessa Lachey

The former 98 Degrees singer Nick and actress Vanessa told People they consider themselves “moderately” strict, although Nick says they definitely won’t ever become helicopter parents. “I believe things that are important to us, we’re strict about. For example, manners,” Vanessa says.

lachey photo
Getty Images | Alberto E. Rodriguez

5. John Legend and Chrissy Teigen

The crooner believes he has an important responsibility to raise daughter Luna to be a strong woman. Legend told CNN it’s an important time to raise girls in our society, as gender roles continue to evolve. It starts by making sure both Mom (wife Chrissy Teigen) and Dad are present. “[There are] a lot of people that still think it’s a woman’s job to do the child rearing,” he said. “I think it’s something we should share.”

john legend photo
Getty Images | Christopher Polk

6. Jada Pinkett and Will Smith

Actress Pinkett Smith says she and hubby Will Smith aren’t the strictest parents around. She caused a stir when she told Style magazine she doesn’t have rules, according to Hollywood Life. “We don’t have rules. We come up with agreements. Kids are little people, and we’re in life to guide them. Trying to rule someone is always an illusion, and it’s no different with children,” she told the magazine.

jada pinkett smith photo
Getty Images | Jason Merritt

7. Madonna

The Material Girl has said many times she considers herself a very strict mom. When her kids were younger, she surprised many of us by saying she doesn’t allow TV and she’ll take away clothes that aren’t put away. She also refused to give daughter Lourdes a cell phone until she was 16.

madonna photo
Getty Images | Angela Weiss

8. Candace Cameron Bure

“Fuller House” star Bure speaks about her religious beliefs often, and they even play into her decision to spank her children. She wrote in a blog post for Christian Women Online, “I discipline my children by spanking when the situation calls for it. Once a toddler is walking around and getting into things, a slap on the hand is one way they respond to correction. It shouldn’t hurt as much as be a surprise, and discomfort to them. This prepares them that the word NO comes with a consequence.” Bure shared that she believes this type of discipline is “done in love” and a parent’s responsibility.

candice cameron bure photo
Getty Images | Frederick M. Brown

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About the Author
Haley Otman
Haley Otman is a news and features writer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she roots for the University of Michigan Wolverines. A former broadcast news producer, Haley has 10 years of writing experience and has worked in both journalism and public relations.

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