How the other half parent
Elon Musk goes well beyond the scope of “decent dad”. In fact, he’s so invested in his five children that he started his very own super exclusive school, Ad Astra, in order to foster the geniuses of the future. The emphasis is critical thinking and problemsolving rather than rote learning and grade competition.
Bill and Melinda Gates were always hot on giving back, insisting that their three children save one-third of their allowance from a young age, to donate to charity.
Cheryl Sandberg favours the daily edit, a round-table dinner discussion in which she and her two children all share their best and worst moments of the day.
Kourtney Kardashian goes for attachment parenting, including co-sleeping, with Mason and Penelope. Angelina Jolie did the same; at one point, she and Brad Pitt had a custom-made bed that could fit all six kids.
Alicia Silverstone slightly freaked people out with her adoption of pre-mastication. This is when you chew up food and then spit it into your baby’s mouth, like a bird. It’s an ancient technique that probably made sense in Stone Age times. Less so now when we have cutlery.
Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos, left, favour play and experimentation for their four kids, including with knives and power tools at relatively young ages. Apparently MacKenzie has said: “I’d much rather have a kid with nine fingers than a resourceless kid”.
For Richard Branson, it’s about doing what they do. Asked about parenting advice in 2017, he said, “If they’re going to have a joint, do it with them. Don’t let them sneak off and do it on their own,” later qualifying that he regards drugs as a health problem, not a criminal one.
Actor Kristen Bell, who started couples therapy with now-husband Dax Shepard even before they got married, caused a spot of controversy when she admitted to locking daughter Delta in her bedroom at night, to stop the relentless antics so many parents will be familiar with. “I’m sorry, I know that’s controversial,” Bell said. “But we lock it when she gets in there, and 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. And then, before we go to bed, obviously, we unlock it.”