They may all have enough cash to give their kids whatever they want (ponies, castles – even their own islands?) but that doesn’t mean they want their children to be handed everything on a platter, which is why they have decided not to let their children have everything they want, in the hopes that they will stay grounded, focused and work hard in life. Some treat their kids still, but will say no on occasion to teach them that they can’t have everything, while others want their children to learn to give back to those in need.
Angelina Jolie
Angelina, who has 6 kids with Brad Pitt, believes that spoiling kids can distort reality for them and she wants them to know there is more to life: “We wake up as a mommy and daddy who want to make sure we’re raising our kids with the right values, who want them to see all sides of the world – who want them to be responsible but who also want them to be able to enjoy their lives and the privileges that they have, and not to be ashamed of them but embrace them. If they can have better schooling, then (we) give them everything we can possibly give them. (We) never spoil them and never let them forget how fortunate they are, and always make sure they keep one foot in the other side of the world, knowing that they should give back.”
Victoria Beckham
Victoria and husband David do treat their kids, but sometimes they will say no: “We both say no to the kids and they don’t get everything they want. It’s nice to treat them but at the same time you don’t want to end up with spoilt little sods, and it could be very easy, especially living here (in Los Angeles). We’re very strict with them. We treat them now and then but they’re not the kind of kids who have everything they want when they want. I wouldn’t do that. It’s just not good for them. I want them to know you have to work hard for things and if they don’t say please or thank you they don’t get anything.”
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker doesn’t want to give her kids everything because she wants them to learn how to work: “I don’t want my children to feel they have a sense of entitlement. I want them to work hard and be challenged. That’s hard to do when you have everything you need and want, so I am working on those values all the time.”
Ewan McGregor
Ewan believes giving a child everything can ruin them because they don’t learn how to earn it: “Giving kids whatever they want is disastrous parenting, there’s no sense of something earned. What they care about is what all kids care about: their friends, feeling safe, feeling loved, and being free to express who they are.”
Elton John
Elton John, who recently welcomed a son, says he wants to give his son a normal childhood that has value: “I so value my own childhood now, and the sense of wonder and personal discovery that I enjoyed, that we want to give Zachary – as much as we possibly can – the same thing. A solid old-fashioned childhood, if you like. I know it’ll be hard with my life, but we want him to have that same normality and for things in life to have real value. So we don’t intend to spoil him – we’re going to try to give him a fun, carefree time of innocence, freedom, love and stability.”
