Love and Encouragement
In-addition to their lax approach to discipline, Will and Jada also highly encourage transparency and authentic communication in their household. The two loving parents opened what they refer to as a “circle of safety,” where each member of the family gets to talk in an honest way without fear of judgment or punishment.
The Smith parents did this In-order to maintain an environment where everyone can talk to each other openly, something which is quite lacking in many households and relationships today.
The Unconventional Family
Will and Jada Smith have been parents for a while now. Will was originally married in 1992 to Sheree Zampino, whom he ended up divorcing just three years later. The two had a son together, Trey, and share mutual custody of him. In 1997, he married Jada, and the two had two children. The first was Jaden, back in 1998, and the second was their beautiful daughter, Willow, who was born in the year 2,000.
What makes Will and Jada smith quite unique as parents is their controversial parenting style, which they developed through their own special life experiences and circumstances. The two have been through quite a lot in their early years and decided to take a very relaxed approach to parenting that doesn’t involve many disciplines. In a 2013 interview, Will Smith explained to Metro that they “don’t do punishment” in the Smith household.
A Father's Message
Will’s message to his children is that they have to learn how to deal with their own lives on their own terms. This is especially true with children of extremely wealthy parents, who are often seen as privileged and lacking of character. The iconic Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star claimed that “The way that we deal with our kids is [that] they are responsible for their lives…
Our concept is as young as possible, give them as much control over their lives as possible. And the concept of punishment – our experience has been [that] it has a little too much of a negative quality.”
The Circle of Safety
The only important rule about the circle of safety is that you have to be fully honest and forthcoming. No one gets punished, no matter what they reveal, but there will be consequences against any family member who fails to disclose the truth. In 2016, Smith told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.
“[In the circle of safety, the kids are] allowed to tell us everything that they did, and they can’t get in trouble… The rule is, if we find out after the circle of safety that there was something you didn’t say, there was hell to pay.”
Sharing isn't Necessarily Caring
Although the idea is certainly commendable, there are many things that children don't want to share with their parents for various reasons. It didn’t take long for the Smith's to realize that forcing their children to share everything about their lives might backfire horribly.
Will admitted later that having his fifteen-year-old daughter, Willow, share her deepest thoughts and feelings, was a bit too much for your average dad to listen to.