When it comes to being a celebrity, things need to be done a little differently in the parenting department. Their methods are not what regular people would call conventional: Whether it's Angelina Jolie giving her daughter the freedom to be a boy or Lucy Liu deciding to raise her child on her own willingly.

In many ways, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are the leaders in celebrity-style parenting. Although they think their methods are the best for their children, even Jada's mother has said that their parenting methods were a little crazy. This all good, but what would they do when their son, Jaden, turns their methods on them?

Jaden Looking For His Independence

Jada and her daughter Willow host Red Table Talk, an online talk web series on Facebook. It commonly features guests and follows a subject while exploring the opinions of various generations. But one episode became a bit emotive when Jada brought up a conversation she had with Jaden.

Jada mentioned that a 15-year-old Jaden wanted to draw up an emancipation contract with his parents. Ultimately, he wanted autonomy from them and to be his own adult. Jada was pretty devastated by the request, calling it one of the most heartbreaking moments in her life.

Jada Is Shocked But Composed

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes this kind of emancipation as a child being freed from the care, responsibility, and control of their parents. Although shocked, Jada took it in her stride, trying to understand Jaden's point of view.

According to his father, Will, emancipation was meant to be a 15th birthday gift, while Jada said that she understood his reasons for wanting to be his own person. Plus, this isn't the first celebrity emancipation to take place. At the age of 15, Macauley Culkin also got emancipated from his parents during their divorce.

Mommy's Baby Boy

Jada's reaction to Jaden's announcement was partly because he was only 15 years old. But it could also be that over the years, they had formed a powerful mother-son bond. Of course, like any parenting situation, the bond between firstborn and mother is always strong.

Just looking at their social media posts and interaction at that time. You can tell that they had a special bond. Even when it comes to making public appearances, which most kids try to avoid, Jaden, and Willow, actually enjoyed doing them. Especially with their mother.

It's Not That Jaden Was Being Treated badly

It was also clear that his need for emancipation wasn't about how his parents were treating him. Because if you ever wanted to see the picture of being happy together, you have to look no further than the Smith family. Their photos really do speak a thousand words.

Jada understood her son's request since he had grown up in the celebrity bubble all his life. She knew that if he was to grow, he had to experience the world, no matter how much she wanted to protect him. The emancipation was just a means for him to experience the real world.

A Coachella Family Affair

The Smith household is filled with performers. Everyone has been involved in the music industry as a rapper or singer, and everyone has done acting, even willow with her small part in I Am Legend. This is why when Jaden performed at the 2019 Coachella festival, he could easily turn it into a family affair.

The performance was part of his promotional work for his second album, Erys, and he invited his sister Willow to join him on stage. She herself had a big hit with the song Whip My Hair, and his dad would also hit the stage. Will himself is a grammy-winning rapper with hits like Willenium and Miami.

Full Support of The Parents

While Willow and Jaden have made a name in the industries their parents excelled in; it's not because Will and Jada forced them to do it. As a matter of fact, Will, says that they pretty much allow Willow and Jaden to follow whichever path they feel suits them.

Of course, seeing their parents' work, it was a natural transition for them to make into the family business since the performing bug had bitten them at a young age. The only difference is that they have the catch net of their parents, while for Will and Jada, their survival depended on them succeeding in the entertainment industry.

Not His First Rodeo

While Will and Jada have Jaden and Willow as kids, Will has a child from his previous marriage. That’s right; the fresh prince had been married before, in the early '90s to Sheree Zampino, and they had a son named Trey Smith. So he had previous experience with parenting.

As a matter of fact, Will’s 1998 version of Just the Two Of Us is dedicated to Trey with the child starring in the video. Will married Sheree Zampino in 1992, at the height of his Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air fame. That same year, Trey was born, but the couple’s marriage didn’t last, and they divorced in 1995.

The Punisher... Doesn't Exist In This House

Being a parent has become more complicated with the ways the law has changed. Add to that the new rules that come with the modern parenting revolution and the constant barrage of research uncovering how parenting should be done. Having kids suddenly becomes a minefield.

But Jada and Will decided to make a straightforward choice in their parenting method. While their peers and even Jada’s mother lament their non-traditional parenting approach, they believe that their approach is and has been working just fine. At least it means no brushes with the police.

Why They Don't Punish Their Kids

Besides avoiding the police, Will has also said that the crux of their parenting concept means there is no place for punishment to be involved in anything. That's because their method revolves around positive affirmation and allowing their children to live their lives on their terms.

Will explained further that he and Jada had based their parenting on letting the kids have as much control of their lives as possible, from a young age. This included what interests they take up, how they dress, and important life choices they make. But if that is going to work, they can’t have punishment and its negative connotation.

Keeping Things Open And Honest

When it comes to the Smith family, honesty is the best policy. Even from a parenting perspective, the family structure only works if honestly is the key factor. But they also understand that kids may not want to share certain things, especially if it's embarrassing or there's a fear of backlash.

To encourage openness and immunity from backlash, these parents created a safe space where they can get together and discuss anything. This allowed them to have open and honest conversations without any judgment or victimization. There could still be repercussions for things mentioned, though. They called the safe place The Circle Of Safety.

How The Circle Works

Will explained the concept of the Circle of Safety worked to Jimmy Kimmel on The Tonight Show. Basically, if the kids had done or said anything that was undisciplined, they were allowed to speak about it in the circle, without any repercussions or fear of getting in trouble.

There was only one catch: Once the Circle of Safety has been opened, if anything comes out that wasn’t said in the circle, as Will put it himself, there would be hell to pay. A fascinating set of words to use, seeing as punishment doesn’t exist in the Smith household.

But When Kids Grow Up...

While a circle of safety is a smart concept and is known to be used in team and corporate environments to improve teamwork and achieve goals more efficiently, it’s also fine for when your ten-year-old tells you about the time they stole $10 from your purse.

But older children start having more intimate, adult thoughts and experiences, which they ultimately will share in a circle of truth out of principle—if not just to make their parents cringe. This is something both parents, especially Will, would discover as Jaden and Willow went through puberty.

Sometimes It's Better To Lie

This was most challenging for Will, who had to deal with Willow’s honest stories in the Circle of Safety. During his interview on The Tonight Show, he warned Kimmel that being in a circle of safety with a 15-year-old daughter is not the most comfortable experience.

In fact, this is possibly how Willow and Jada developed a tight relationship. As Will said, things began getting so awkward that he often just left Willows issues to Jada to sort out and address. Sometimes he just wished that she would have lied for once in the circle of safety.

Always Encouraged Self-Expression

Although a circle of safety is the perfect place for unnecessary overshare, most kids wouldn't share too many intimate details, especially considering their own self-esteem. Unless they are encouraged to express themselves fully, and without fear, they may see nothing wrong with sharing the details.

But on the other hand, it means that children are expressing themselves fearlessly and discovering from an early on what works and what doesn’t. One study proves that early creative expression has been linked to promoting cognitive skills and helping children communicate their feelings better.

Turning Self-Expression Into Bold Statements

Jaden has been particularly active with self-expression and has made some fashion statements in the process. One of these is wearing traditionally female garments such as skirts, dresses, and blouses. But he didn’t start doing it to express that he identified as a woman. Instead, he did it as an anti-bullying mechanism.

It was starting when he modeled in a Louis Vuitton ladies wear fashion show wearing a skirt in 2016. He didn't stop there, continuing to wear skirts through the year, saying that eventually, males would be able to do it without getting bullied. He has also been described as a superstar, taking fashion in a new direction.

Being A Fearful Father

Despite offering his full support to Jaden in all of his endeavors, Will admits that as a parent, he becomes terrified by what his son can get up to. Especially because Jaden impulsively does anything he comes up with. However, Will admires him for being prepared to live with his artistic decisions.

As parents, they don’t mind self-expression as long as their children learn and grow as people. That seems to be the case with Jaden since he has expressed a sense of social awareness and has developed a consciousness that many celebrity kids don’t exhibit.

Being Willing To Take Chances

If Will Smith didn’t make mistakes and take chances, he wouldn’t be as successful today. From his first foray into music with Jazzy Jeff to his starring role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. They were all chances he took and projects he was willing to build on to make them successful.

This is what he and Jada have tried to instill in their children. As Will says, it’s about encouraging the internal quality that an artist has to push boundaries. The biggest thing for him is taking chances that others may not always agree with and being willing to fail.

Taking Him By The Scruff Of The Neck

It's well established that Will and Jada would always have his back and support him no matter what he does. Sometimes, supporting a child means standing in front of them, in their faces, and telling them they need to pull themselves together. Not getting behind them.

This is what happened after Jaden went from being vegetarian to vegan. His health took a sudden turn for the worse, and apparently, his skin was looking ashy, and he was beginning to look emaciated and underfed. Eventually, the family had seen enough and decided to get in his face and took action.

Organizing An Intervention

Having seen enough, Will and Jada had decided to pull Jaden in and have an intervention. While the intervention was private, Jada spoke about it in an episode of Red Table Talk and what made them decide that they needed to make him realize that he needed to eat better.

Jada blamed his physical condition on his vegan diet, and it was difficult to prove her wrong. The timing of his change and the sudden downturn in his health were uncanny, and to Jada, it looked like he was just wasting away and not getting enough protein or nutrients in his diet.

Dad's Nutritional Expertise

Will Smith doesn't follow any particular diet, but he knows how to build and maintain his physique as an actor. He showed this when he had to bulk up to play legendary boxer Mohamed Ali in the 2001 biopic called Ali. This experience gives him a good knowledge of healthy eating.

This is also why Will was in the episode that Jada spoke about the intervention they had for Jaden. Will mentions Jaden’s ashy complexion and emaciated state during the episode, revealing that they actually got nervous and began to worry for their son’s health.

Taking A Step Back

The intervention must have done what Will and Jada desired because Jaden decided to change his diet. He still wasn't a fan of meat, though, and instead, opted to go back to his vegetarian diet, which excludes meat but still includes other animal products like cheese and eggs.

More health news hit Jaden because after changing back, he found out that he was lactose intolerant (allergic to milk) and had coeliac disease (gluten allergy). While these conditions have nothing to do with being vegan, Jaden stayed a vegetarian, although he does eat vegan from time to time.

Mom And Daughter Creating Something Big

While Jada has a strong relationship with Jaden, Her relationship with Willow has become an even tighter one. This is evident by their chemistry when doing episodes of the show Red Table Talk with Adrienne Banfield-Norris, Jada’s mother. As co-hosts of the show, Willow and Jada represent two different perspectives of the day’s topic.

The show's first episode aired in May 2018 and had already garnered 275 million views by 2019 and earned a Daytime Emmy nomination. The show's topics range from motherhood to intercourse, surviving loss, and even growing up in the Smith family. Nothing is off-limits for the show.

Willow Also Has Parental Back Up

Willow Smith gets just as much support from her parents. This was badly needed after shaving her head and being criticized for it. To gain a little context: Willow shot to fame thanks to a song called Whip My Hair, which included a dance sequence that required her to throw her hair around.

So by shaving, she effectively killed her ability to perform the song and portray her brand since her flamboyant hairstyles were an important part of it. But, criticism was leveled at Will and Jada, not her. Critics cited them for poor parenting. But Jada isn’t afraid to give people a piece of her mind, which she did.

Jada Raising Her Voice

Critics were straight-up blaming Jada and Will for letting Willow shave her hair. Of course, as we know, the choice was Willow's, but a story is a story to the media. While Jada isn't a feminist, she does apply herself as a womanist, and because of this, she laid it thick on those critics in a Facebook post.

She pointed out that females, in general, young and old, can change their looks whenever they feel like it without pressure. She also stated that before critics ask why they let Willow shave her head, they need to think about what they mean by the word 'let'.

A Statement To The World about Women's Independence

According to Jada, race is one of the main differences between a womanist and a feminist. She says that, while feminism identifies with middle-aged white women, womanism is centered around the principles associated with women of color. But Jada was speaking as a woman when she shot back at her critics.

She further pointed out that we're living in a world where women are brainwashed to feel like they don’t have control. So she decided to teach her daughter differently. Jada then pointed out that Willow's value doesn't lie in the length of her hair, and that’s why she cut it.

Will Has Jada’s Back On This

As mentioned before, Smith's parental model is based on honesty, support, and self-expression. Naturally, Will Smith also jumped onto the bandwagon to support his daughter’s decision to shave her head. But for him as a father, it was important to empower his daughter.

He spoke about this in an interview with Parade, saying that the biggest thing you can do when you have a daughter is to teach her that she is in control of her body. The best way to do that is by allowing her to change as she pleases. If she cuts her hair, that is her doing that.

Being Their Own People

While it's established that the Smith's encourage their children to not just self-express but to take control of their bodies. But just because they encourage freedom of expression doesn’t mean they always agree with some of their children's decisions. Sometimes those decisions present some challenges.

These are some of the kinds of themes she discusses on the Red Table Talk show with Willow and her mother. But Jada decided to make one episode a family affair and discuss some of the decisions the kids have made that have presented some challenges.

Both Kids Were Guests

As mentioned before, Red Table Talk often involves guests alongside the host, adding a different dimension to the discussion. But for this 4 June 2018 episode, they decided to have an extraordinary guest on the show, for an episode ironically titled Growing Up Smith.

They decided to turn the attention to their own family, and for this, invited Jaden as the special guest on the show. Not being unfair in terms of perspective and target, Willow went from host to guest as she was also a part of the subject matter being discussed.

The Life of a Smith Kid

As the episode's name implied, it was themed to be all about being a child in one of the world's most famous families. But while you think you know it all: from the no punishment policy to the circle of safety and the freedom to express, there are other challenges they face.

This is where the opinion of Jada's mother, Adrienne Banfield Norris, comes into play. Since she is an old school parent, she believes that these children may have been afforded a little too much independence. She even believes that it's sometimes a lot or too much.

Work Is Holding The Kids Up

As the episode was aimed at showcasing how real life is in the Smith household, and as a result, it was filmed in the family home. Jada and Adrienne ended up having to wait for the kids to arrive, with Jada excusing them, saying they had to work and rehearsals to attend.

At the time, both children were pretty busy. Jaden had his denim line with G-Star and the water purification system called Just Water. Meanwhile, Willow was promoting her second album called The 1st while also writing and producing her third album Willow.

But Sparks Fly When They Arrive

While they waited for Jaden and Willow to arrive, Jada kept her mother occupied and the show ticking by explaining what the show would be about. While the title made it sound like it was about the children growing up, she said it would center around the joys and pitfalls of parenting.

But once the kids arrived, Jada jumped right into the topic, making up for the lost time. First, she described the Smith family dynamic to the watching public as a precursor to why the family functions the way it does.

Making Big Noise About Jaden's Achievements

It was easy to notice Jada's admiration for Jaden's achievement. Especially as she rattles off everything he does: from music to acting, having a clothing line, record label, and the sustainable spring water company Just Water. She appeared to be really amazed by his achievements.

It was even more endearing how she says that his reasons had nothing to do with money or fame, but because she believes he wants to make a difference in the world. She even described him as loving and gentle, playing into his need to make the world a better place.

A Proud Mama of Two Successful Kids

There's no doubt any parent would be chuffed with kids who have achieved what Jaden and Willow have. There's more than enough to make any parent proud, from hit songs to big movie acting roles and even being considered style icons and fashionistas in the fashion world.

This is just what Jada did, reiterating it on the Growing Up Smith episode. She proclaimed that she was an extremely proud mother to both Jaden and Willow and admired their achievements. However, she did open up about some of the hurt they had caused her over the years.

But They've Also Caused Her Hurt

Before introducing Jaden, Jada mentioned how he had brought on the most heartbreaking moment in her life. Jaden didn’t react, though, since it's likely that he was pre-informed about the show's topic. As with most talk shows, guests are usually prepped with an idea of how it would proceed.

Sometimes, hosts send guests a list of questions that will be asked to prepare their answers. This is most probably why Jaden didn’t seem taken aback by his mother’s statement. It still must’ve warmed his heart knowing how proud she is of him and that she called him a very special guest.

How Adrienne Raised Jada

Jada’s mother, Adrienne, made the conversation's initial moves, talking about it from an old-school parenting angle, where she mentioned how she raised Jada. Of course, as a regular parent from the ’70s and ’80s, she had a completely different approach to Jada and Wills'.

One thing Adrienne mentioned was that her grandkids had too much freedom. She said in her day, her kids wouldn’t have had so much say in their lives since she would have had to approve everything before they did it. Jaden and Willow laughed in disbelief.

Mom Makes The Calls In Adrienne's House

Of course, any modern kids would find it difficult to be parented by their grandparents since parenting has become more passive, tactical, and reasonable than the iron-fisted, old-school method of parenting. This is why Adrienne struggled to understand how her grandchildren were being parented.

She says they're treated too much like adults and made an example where Jaden told them when he wanted to go to bed at the age of eight. Bedtime was bedtime to her, and she wasn’t going to change it because the child wanted it that way. In essence, she thought that Will and Jada were crazy.

But Jada Hits Back With Her Own Reasons

Jada pointed out that she felt that this was the best Jaden and Willow were going to be ready for life in the real world. Not that she had anything against her mother’s methods—they worked on her. She just felt that she had to use alternate parenting methods given their standing in the celebrity world.

Her goal with this parenting style was to prepare her kids for the real world as quickly as possible. She didn’t want to make decisions for them since, in the real world, they may need to think for themselves.

She May Have Shot Herself In The Foot Though

Jada continued, saying that she wanted her children to have as much control over their lives as she could possibly give them. But doing this by giving them so much independence is probably what led to Jaden giving her the proposition that would devastate her so much.

In many ways, teaching him to think and make important decisions on his own from a young age lead to him becoming self-sufficient at a young age. This, in turn, is why he may have felt empowered enough to request emancipation when he was 15-years-old.

She Had To Give Him What He Wanted

What made it worse is that, because of her and Will's parenting methods, out of principle, they couldn’t deny him what he was requesting. Jada even said that her son was pretty convincing in his reasoning as well, saying that to live his life, he needed to be free of his parents' control.

She said he was very adamant about his decision, and he agreed with her account of events on the show. Then, out of the blue, during the show, Jaden asked her if he could move out of the family home. He had sprung another big surprise on her again.

Heartbroken But Understanding

Regardless of the parenting or situation, the most heartbreaking thing for a parent is seeing their child leave the house. So it's not farfetched to empathize with the devastation Jada felt when her teenage son requested not only to be freed from his parent’s care but to be allowed to move out.

Despite those feelings, Jada kept her composure and explained in the episode that she thinks Jaden was correct to want to leave their care and be more independent, even at the age of 18. Come to think of it, she says she had a feeling this would happen.

What Old-School Adrienne Feels

Of course, Jada’s methods aren't everyone's cup of tea. Even her mother, Adrienne, wasn’t convinced about her reasoning. Right there on the show, Adrienne told her daughter that she would never have agreed to what Jaden wanted. But, she, like everyone else, was entitled to their opinion.

Jada stuck to her guns, though, saying that she was determined to hear him out despite her emotional state. She was also confident that he would be able to pull it off without a problem. As she put it, he had been showing adult qualities since he was very young.

Despite Her Shock, Jada Knew This Was Coming

Jada was hearing him out, but inside, she was aware that he might want to make this request while young. In the Growing Up Smith episode of Red Table Talk, she brought up a conversation she had with Will about a younger Jaden and how he has been growing.

They spoke about how grown up he was when he was still a child and how he managed his own life and started making movies and making inroads to a music career. She even mentioned in the episode how she told Will that they would be lucky if he were still in the house at 16.

Breaking Out Of The Celebrity Bubble

Undeniably, another major factor in Jaden's decision was the feeling of restraint he has while living in the celebrity bubble. As parents who wanted him to experience and be prepared for all of the challenges life can throw at him, especially the celebrity lifestyle, they needed to give him freedom.

Jada understood since she didn't have that bubble growing up and became the strong and willful person she was because of living without it. She knew what she gained from not being in a bubble, and she had to let her son out of it for him to benefit from the experience.

The Sooner, The Better

On the Growing Up Smith episode of Red Table Talk, Jada realized after giving it some thought, that Jaden's request and her decision to honor it didn’t mean cutting ties with Jaden completely. She came to the resolution that it may bring them even closer together.

One of her theories was that the sooner she let him go, the sooner he would return to her. And that seemed to be the case since Jaden didn’t move out of the Smith family home until 2017 when he bought his first house in Hidden Hills, California.

The Weirdest Birthday Gift

Despite so badly wanting to be emancipated that he brought his mother to tears, Jaden never left home until it was granted. As a matter of fact, there the agreement was so badly misinterpreted that when Jaden was on The Ellen Degeneres Show, he decided to clear the air.

In the 2013 episode of The Ellen Degeneres Show, Jaden made it clear that he wasn't about to move out of the family home anytime soon. Come to think of it, it was just a legal agreement, and it hadn't changed anything about his living arrangement and resources available to him.

Everythings Free At Dad's House

And why would a 15-year-old Jaden want to move out in any case? Not when his parents built a house with nine bedrooms, a pool, and a home theatre. It also has basketball and tennis courts on-site and has a home music studio for any idea Jaden has while at home.

Jaden made this clear on the show, saying that he would be at his parents' house for the next 30 years if he's allowed since everything at the house is free. His father suggested that only once he’s done a movie bigger than any of Will’s would he be allowed to buy his own house.

So Jaden Actually Moved Out... Eventually

But as promised, he eventually moved out of the family home, but that was four years after emancipation when he was 19 years old. Plus, he didn’t even move far away. Allegedly he bought a $4 million house in Hidden Hills, a gated community where the likes of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have had homes.

As a matter of fact, the five-bedroom six-bathroom house he bought initially belonged to Will and Jada, who bought it for $3.6 million. In fact, this was the house they lived in while waiting for the building to be completed on the Calabasas estate they currently call home.

Still Just An Immature Kid

Moving out was all part of gaining his independence, and gave Jaden some fresh perspective and also had him see his family in a different light. While he showed some amazing maturity from a young age, he was still only a 19-year-old with his own house, and he was bound to be a little juvenile.

When he moved in, there were reports of run-ins with neighbors and warnings from the on-site security. There were even complaints about him recklessly driving his Tesla and reports from neighbors about him and his entourage treating the place like their own personal kingdom.

Looking At The World Differently

He learned that he couldn’t just run around like he owns the place just because his parents are Will and Jada Smith. Jaden also realized just how much he missed being around his family. Not that he wasn't welcome to visit, but that his living arrangement made it a different experience.

He mentioned this during the Growing Up Smith Episode of Red Table Talk, saying that moving out made him appreciate being at home. He spoke about missing the quality time they spent together and that by being out in the world, he learned to understand these things.

Jada's Theory Proven Right

With him saying that, Jada's theory was proven right: if she let him go sooner, he would be back sooner. Although it took four years before he left, he still felt like he needed to come back all the same. But their parenting hasn’t always garnered this kind of success.

While they have had some positive outcomes thanks to their unconventional parenting method, the kids themselves have said that it hasn’t always gone well with them. They even say they felt they were little pushed into the spotlight by the parenting method, often before they were ready.

Willow’s Young Start And Frustration

Willow and her hit, Whip My Hair, are prime examples of this. She was just ten years old, and while she gained a lot of fame at a young age with the song, the demand for her to perform and make appearances became so much that she became overwhelmed.

In the Growing Up Smith episode of Red Table Talk, she confesses that it wasn’t a pleasant experience, as she said in her own words. She was particularly taken aback by the people around her and the values they had, which she felt should have been different.

Maybe She Started A Little Too Young

Jada made things even clearer by admitting that Willow felt that they pushed her into the limelight far too soon. But on the other hand, Jada also quickly pointed out that this was what Willow wanted in her mind and that she and Will felt they were simply supporting her in her endeavor.

Of course, from Michael Jackson and his Peter Pan Syndrome to Drew Barrymore and her substance abuse issues at a young age, being shoved into the limelight young is proven to affect stars negatively. There are clear pitfalls to making kids famous too soon.

Daddy Was Very Intense

When Willow finally got in the spotlight with Whip My Hair, there were expectations of her to perform, do photoshoots and videos, and an array of other promotional appearances. That's a lot of pressure on a ten-year-old girl. And when things get tough, little girls turn to their dad's.

But according to Willow, Will was actually putting her under a lot of pressure. She even described his demeanor as harsh. While she didn't elaborate on how bad things got, one can imagine that will was really pushing her to be more focused on what she was doing.

Regaining Trust

When a child gets into showbiz, it's mostly for fame, love, and admiration shown towards them. But in the real world, many people want to make a bunch of money, and they all want a piece of the Willow brand.

This is what Willow couldn't handle, and she hinted as much when talking about her the pressure her father put her under. Willow didn't want her career to go the direction it was going and felt betrayed for not being listened to. She actually said it took years for her to trust her father again after the whole thing.

Jada Thought Willow Was Securing Her Future

Like achieving things career-wise, every parent wants their child to be set up financially. When Willow was making waves in the music industry with Whip My Hair, Jada and Will figured that she was getting the big break and would be set up for a lifetime career.

For Willow, it became too much to handle. She says that it got so bad that she actually decided the only way to make it stop would be to sabotage it. This was one of the reasons she shaved her hair. She also felt inspired by the lyric ‘I shaved my head, and I’m not sad’ in the song Lithium by Nirvana.

Jaden Related To The Treatment

Jaden could relate to most of what his sister was saying. Of course, his career was similar, but he started acting, starring opposite his father in the critically acclaimed film The Pursuit of Happyness. Jaden had lots of screen time on the film and also had third billing in the promos.

While Will got the award nominations and praise, Jaden also gained a lot. He tried to take it in a step-by-step manner, but once the movie behemoth got its wheels rolling, he found himself just rolling along with it. This was when he got his first lead role.

Jaden’s Karate Kid Challenge

When Jaden starred with his father in The Pursuit of Happyness, Jada went as far as breaking up her promising heavy metal band to be on set with her son. And when Jaden’s first major role came around, she did the same thing, following him to China where filming took place.

The film was the Karate Kid film reboot, and by the time it was released, Jaden was 12. This was a particularly intense period for him because he had to attend many promotional events linked to the film. It also coincided with Willow’s release of Whip My Hair, which is why Jaden could relate to her troubles.

Jada’s Karate Kid Challenge

the Karate Kid was a different kind of challenge For Jada. Watching as her firstborn is put through extreme physical challenges while practicing kung fu was as challenging as anything she has ever endured as a mother. There were lots of times she wanted to run onto the set and hold him.

One of these moments was when Jaden was training for a kick, and he fell into a full split. She says tears had welled up in his eyes, and she’d had enough that even she was prepared to give up. But he still wanted to carry on, got up, and continued to practice, telling her he's okay.

It Isn’t Perfect, But It Works

Will and Jada's parenting method shows that not everyone is as open-minded when it comes to raising children and that no parenting model is perfect. Even their liberal model has had successes and failures along the way, but you can’t deny that with it, they have raised two wonderful children.

The power couple acknowledges that they are in no way experts at parenting and should be the last people to be giving advice. But they do believe that no two children are the same. This is why they believe each child needs to be approached differently, which explains why they use their methods.