Why Jada Pinkett Smith's family doesn't do punishments

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Jada Pinkett Smith believes she has good reason to take an unconventional approach to parenting. The actress, who is still raising 16-year-old son Jaden and 13-year-old daughter Willow with husband Will Smith, has opened up about their no-punishments policy.

"I think we have to have more trust in our children. People have always got on us about not punishing the kids, and let me just talk to you about that for a minute," she said while speaking to Health magazine for their October issue.

"We raised three kids before Willow and Jaden, and especially on my goddaughter, I put so many boundaries on her, 'No, you can't do that, you can't do this.' And everything I tried to control, every freaking thing I was trying to avoid, happened.

"I learned a lot from that experience and realized that while Willow and Jaden are still with me and have a safety net, I want to give them the opportunity to make mistakes and learn how to put boundaries on themselves. So by the time they're out of the house, they fly.''

As usual, the more I hear about the reasons behind the Smith family's choices the more I'm on board.

I grew up in a strict household with high expectations and many rules set in stone -- a fair portion of which I broke. I always believed that I was a good kid at heart, but wanted to make my own decisions in life. Often, doing so forced me into being sneaky, which I hated. Every once in a while I got caught and was punished, but quite often I got away with it.

My husband, on the other hand, was pretty much given free reign as long as his grades were good. He still did a bit of dumb teenager stuff, but for the most part was smart and responsible despite never having a curfew and not being constantly watched over.

As a parent, being overbearing and strict seems to be my natural instinct, but I'm mighty interested in other ideas.

Join the conversation

How were you raised? Do you think it worked? Will you do the same with your kids?

Photos: PR Photos

A look at how Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's kids have grown over the years:

Rumor has it baby three for Kourtney Kardashian is a...

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Gossip rags seem to feel it's time to reveal the sex of Kourtney Kardashain and Scott Disick's third child! For better or worse, rumor has it we now know if the reality television duo are expecting a little brother or sister for Mason and Penelope.

"They just found out," a source revealed to InTouch Weekly on Wednesday while spilling the pink baby beans. "Kourtney is so thrilled; she had wanted a girl from the very start."

Additionally, the Daily Mail reports an insider shared Kourtney's longtime beau, Scott Disick, was really hoping for "a boy because he's surrounded by girls all the time. He just needs time. He'll be fine."

As for the future of the Keeping Up With the Kardashians empire?

"One day Kim's baby North, Penelope and the new baby will all be teenagers hanging out together," the source added. "They're hoping it'll be a whole new Kardashian franchise."

A few years ago I might have laughed at such a comment, but I can't deny (no matter how much I may or may not want to) that those Kardashian folks have some serious staying power.

I'm also willing to admit to having had a gender preference. Not during my first pregnancy, but once I had a boy I wanted a second one. I loved the idea of having brothers (and I imagine I would have like the idea of having sisters too), and fervently hoped my second child would be a boy.

Long story short, I got my wish and haven't looked back. To this day I'm thrilled to have two boys.

If I was going for baby three, though? That'd be a whole new conundrum to ponder. In my situation, I imagine I'd put in a request of a girl (if such a thing were possible), and if I were in Kourtney's shoes I think I'd be thrilled to have another girl too. Mason, her firstborn, gets to be the only boy and oldest, while the girls get to have a sisterly upbringing.

Join the conversation

Did you wish for a boy or a girl? Under what arrangement?

Photo: REX USA/D. DaSilva/Rex

More celebrity parents weigh in on finding out the sex of their baby before birth:

Emily Deschanel's 3-year-old son is 99 percent vegan

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Emily Deschanel is gearing up for a vegan birthday bash. The actress, who became mom to son Henry Hornsby in 2011, has opened up their family's almost completely vegan lifestyle.

"We're going to have some vegan tacos for his party. It will be a lot of fun," the Bones star and wife of David Hornsby told People. She added Henry is "99 percent vegan. My husband’s not 100 percent vegan so sometimes he eats some eggs with him, but I try to make sure [they're] coming from my friend's eggs. But most of the time he’s 99 percent vegan."

Opening up about how she's teaching their 3-year-old sweetie to care for animals, Emily Deschanel continued, "I just took him to Farm Sanctuary a couple of weeks ago, where he got to spend time with pigs, cows, sheep, goats and chickens."

The 37-year-old sister of actress Zooey Deschanel added they let Henry see the animals "have their own personalities and they are individual creatures. They feel emotions and pain just like a dog or a cat."

My kids were also fond of visiting zoos and farms when they were young, but have absolutely no qualms about eating meat. The know animals, love animals (I caught my big kid sneaking our new kitten down to his bed to snuggle last night), and yet have absolutely no shame in being fans of bacon.

I, on the other hand, feel some guilt. I often wonder if we ought to go at least the vegetarian route, and if I made a mistake not doing so from the start with our two boys.

Tell us

How do your kids feel about eating meat (if your family does)? Do you remember how they reacted when they realized what was really on their plate?

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Mayim Bialik has a big problem with Ariana Grande

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

If you listened to the radio this past summer, you probably know who Ariana Grande is. The permanently pony-tailed pop star had a few massive hits - 'Problem,' 'Break Free' and 'Bang Bang' were all on heavy rotation.

It seems not everyone's an Ariana Grande fan, though. Big Bang Theory actress Mayim Bialik says she wasn't too happy when she saw the Nickelodeon star's image plastered on a giant billboard while out with her sons Miles, 9, and Frederick, 6.

"There is [a billboard] for Ariana Grande, and I will go ahead and admit I have no idea who she is or what she does," Mayim writes at Kveller.com. "Based on the billboard, she sells lingerie. Or stiletto heels. Or plastic surgery, because every woman over 22 wishes she has that body, I'm sure. Why is she in her underwear on this billboard though? And if she has a talent (is she a singer?), then why does she have to sell herself in lingerie? I mean, I know that society is patriarchal and women are expected to be sexy and sexually available no matter what we do in society, but I guess now I need to explain that to my sons?"

Ariana can take solace in the fact that she's not Mayim's only target - the mom-of-two also takes aim at Levi's ads and lingerie giant Victoria's Secret ("The secret is that when there is no camera around, Victoria probably likes a cozy robe, a cup of tea, and Jean-Paul Sartre’s autobiography," she writes. "OK, maybe that’s just me, but still.")

I think Mayim's tone is a little disingenuous - if she really has "no idea" who Ariana is, a quick Google search would quickly enlighten her - but I do get some of her "crochety old lady" concerns. I admit that I also cringe when I see my 8-year-old daughter staring wide-eyed at the larger-than-life, half naked VS videos that play on a constant loop at the mall.

That being said, this particular rant seems a bit misplaced. I mean, Jennifer Aniston goes topless to shill bottled water. Scott Foley clenches his abs to sell luxury towels. A 15-storey poster of David Beckham in his undies was erected in New York City. When it comes to pushing sex appeal, Ariana Grande seems far from the worst offender.

In fact, just last month a New York Daily News article about the 21-year-old praised her image, saying, "You won’t find her swinging naked on a wrecking ball. She’s unlikely to make a signature move of grinding her hips. And her album covers could never be mistaken for the cover of Booty Call magazine."

We all know that in Hollywood, sex sells. I absolutely think it's sometimes taken to extremes, but I'm also wary of condemning an adult woman for wanting to look or feel or be sexy. I'm sure we all have our bathrobe and Earl Grey nights, but there's nothing wrong with wanting to throw on a pair of stilettos either.

Comment

Do you agree with Mayim Bialik on this one?

Should celebrities be role models, anyways? Hear what they have to say.

Photos: PR Photos

Jennifer Garner just can't bring the jazz like Ben Affleck can

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Jennifer Garner isn't afraid to admit sometimes her best efforts as a parent fall short. The actress, who has three children with husband Ben Affleck, has opened up to InStyle about their very different roles and trying to balance work and home life.

The mother of Violet, Seraphina and Samuel on her and Ben's evolving relationship:

"When we had our first, we had only been together a year. We were babies. It happened so fast, I hardly even remember what we were like before the kids got here. Now we're just starting to go away for a night here and there. You go through phases. You can't expect to be courted all the time, and I don’t want to court him right now — I don’t have the energy! But we’re definitely in a very mindful place where we're making an effort to be together, do things at the same time, and be loving."

Jennifer Garner on being the 'bad cop' with the kids:

"For better or worse, I tend to be the one who says, 'This is what needs to happen.' I know who wants what lunch, and I've done all the school paperwork and filled out the emergency cards. Ben doesn't even know that stuff exists. He is in charge of laughter. No matter how much I tickle them or toss them or chase them around, it's not the same. If I'm the slow, steady drumbeat, he's the jazz."

On being mom and wife first, Hollywood star second:

"I'm still wiping a bottom, making three meals a day, dealing with sass—and also trying to work. I don't always do it all well. At bedtime last night my middle child said, 'I feel like you never have time to play with me.' I thought, 'My mom never played with me. I'm trying!' But you know what? She's right. So my goal is to play dolls with her all afternoon. I guess I would say for this stage of my life, I'm in the thick of it."

That honesty right there makes it pretty easy to see why BabyCenter users voted Jennifer Garner their very favorite celebrity mom!

Although I only have two kids compared to the Affleck's three, so much of what Jennifer said rings true for me. I too look back now and think my husband and I were just babies when we had babies (married at 21, two kids at 24), and I'm also the one that fills out the school forms and keeps things running.

Am I in the thick of it, though? That is one point that's causing me to ponder a bit. The Affleck kids are 8, 5, and 2 while my boys are 9 and 8 -- in day-to-day life that's a pretty big difference. I haven't wiped anyone else's butt in years or gone to 'mommy and me' story time. I guess I'm past the thick of it in that sense, though it doesn't feel like I'm anywhere near out of the woods.

Join the conversation

Do you feel you're in the thick of it right now? Why or why not?

Photo: REX USA/Rex

More insights on motherhood from our famous counterparts:

Jeff Goldblum, 61, is picking out wild baby names

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Jeff Goldblum is all kinds of excited about becoming a first-time father.

The 61-year-old actor, who is engaged to 31-year-old actress Emilie Livingston, opened up about their plans to start a family during a recent visit to Late Night with Seth Meyers.

"I'm looking for names for babies, possible babies," the Jurassic Park star explained. "Well, [becoming a dad] may [happen]... It probably jinxes it to talk about it, but I like thinking of names and Goldblum is such a kind of particular, challenging name, sound-wise."

Elaborating about possible baby name contenders, Jeff Goldblum continued, "I have two names... Coda... Coda Goldblum, it's a musical term... The other one -- you won't like this either -- is Mingus...(after) Charles Mingus, who was a wonderful jazz player."

Take a look at the audience's reaction to his name picks and Seth Meyers' advice:

Although Jeff Goldblum and I obviously don't have too much in common, I can commiserate on have a last name that influences your first name pick possibilities. I'm quite fond of being a McGinnis, but when we were deciding on our kids' names there were many that just seem unpronounceable when paired with that particular jumble of sounds. We ruled out most M, G and S names right off the bat in favor of alternate sounds.

Funnily, I actually like the name Coda! I think it'd work well for either a McGinnis or a Goldblum.

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Did your last name influence your baby name picks? How so?

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Liv Tyler is pregnant!

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

Some unexpected baby news out of Hollywood this week: Liv Tyler is pregnant!

Though the 37-year-old actress has so far remained mum, multiple sources, including PEOPLE and E! Online, are reporting that Liv is expecting a baby with her boyfriend of four months, soccer agent Dave Gardner. This will be the second child for the Empire Records star, who also has 9-year-old son Milo with her ex-husband Royston Langdon.

If Liv wants advice on jumping back into diaper duty after life with a bigger kid, she can turn to her famous BFF Kate Hudson, whose boys Bingham and Ryder and 7 years apart.

One thing that bonds the two stunning stars is that they are both children of celebrities themselves: Liv's parents are model Bebe Buell and Aerosmith rocker Steven Tyler, while Kate was raised by mom Goldie Hawn and step dad Kurt Russell. Having grown up surrounded by the rich and famous, Liv has admitted that she's concerned about raising her kids the same way.

“I do have my worries for Milo,” she's said. “I mean, we live in Manhattan in a huge house, and we have a staff, and we have a very different life. He would be happiest if we lived in the country somewhere, just the two of us."

I guess I should admit that I have a little Hollywood girl crush on Liv Tyler. She always seems so sweet and lovely, and so thoughtful in the way she tries to raise her son outside of the spotlight. No doubt she'll take the same approach with the baby on the way.

I can't imagine having a baby so early in a relationship, but that's probably because I fall at the other extreme end of that spectrum: My husband and I were together for 12 years before we welcomed our first daughter!

Congratulations to them!

Comment

How long were you and your partner together when you had baby #1?

Liv and Kate aren't the only famous friends - check out these surprising celebrity BFFs...

Photo: Henry Lamb/Photowire/BEImages