For many celebrity offspring, their surname sets them up with lucrative opportunities for life. But it doesn’t half leave a sour taste for everyone else.
While we’re not pointing the finger, it is often the case that wealth and fame gives people a sense of entitlement, and being raised in that environment your whole life makes the prospect of a reality-check even less likely.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. These five famous families have taken a stand to ensure their children never get mistaken for a spoiled brat, by keeping it real in every aspect of their parenting.
1. Gordon Ramsay on flying first class.
Gordon Ramsay is never one for mincing his words so it should come as no surprise that he has a similarly no nonsense attitude towards parenting, in particular when teaching his children to think about money.
Ramsay told The Telegraph he won’t be leaving his fortune to his children, and they aren’t even allowed to sit in first class when they go on family holidays. He said: “They haven’t worked anywhere near hard enough to afford that. At that age, at that size, you’re telling me they need to sit in first class? No, they do not. We’re really strict on that.”
2. David and Victoria Beckham on teaching children manners.
Despite Victoria’s ‘Posh’ nickname, the Beckhams (who are close friends with the Ramsay clan) also have a reputation for being one of the most down-to-earth families in showbiz.
And David certainly lived up to that when he spoke in 2013 about the way they have raised their children. He emphasised that both he and his wife have been strict about manners, saying: “Me and Victoria were brought up with strong discipline by our parents and to have respect for people and our boys have definitely got that.
“They’ve been saying please and thank you since they were two or three years old. They’re very polite boys.”
3. Elton John on sharing his fortune.
He is one of the wealthiest men in the music industry, estimated to have a £200 million fortune, but Elton John has previously said he won’t be leaving his entire bank balance to his two children. He told The Mirror: “Of course I want to leave my boys in a very sound financial state. But it is terrible to give kids a silver spoon. It runs their life... you have to have some semblance of normality, some respect for money, some respect for work.”
4. Chrissy Teigen on not taking parenting too seriously.
Chrissy Teigen and her husband John Legend became parents to their first child, Luna, in April 2016 and have already perfected being the coolest parents in Hollywood.
Teigen, who was always known for her strong Twitter game, has not changed since becoming a mother and frequently shares the (not so glamourous) side of parenting, making us all feel much better about not being perfect adults.
5. Ryan Reynolds on travelling with his children.
Ryan Reynolds, whose Twitter account we love only second to Chrissy Teigen’s for its charming (and hilarious) insights into family life with his two daughters, James and Ines, has spoken before about travelling as a family.
Echoing Gordon Ramsay’s sentiments, Reynolds said: “I would rather drink a piping hot bowl of liquid rabies than get on a plane with my two children. At two years old they just have to rip all their clothes off and introduce themselves to everyone on the plane, it’s just like, ‘Please can we land in a farmer’s field?’”