Celebrities march to the beat of their own drums when it comes to a multitude of different things. From setting weird trends, having personal quirks, or even coming up with bizarre requests on set, they simply do whatever it is they feel like doing.
So naturally, when it comes to parenthood, they have their own ways of raising their children, not fearing to disclose their techniques with the rest of the world. Some parenting decisions may leave fans with raised eyebrows, such as one celebrity who opts to mouth-feed her baby and another who swears by a "snot sucker." On the other hand, it's not all celebrities that make unique decisions when it comes to raising their offspring, as some opt to go by the book using conventional methods.
Nevertheless, whatever their methods may be, what the public must grasp is the level of pressure these celebrities are under, with paparazzi coming from every corner, ready to snap. While criticizing certain decisions can be tempting, the public should understand that even the elite aren't saints, and at the end of the day, these parents are simply trying to do what's best for their wee ones.
Read on to find out which of Hollywood's finest left us scratching our heads, and see if it comes as a surprise as to who uses traditional techniques to raise their little tots.
21 Uncommon: Alicia Silverstone Opted To Mouth-Feed Her Baby
Clueless star Alicia Silverstone has her own unique way of feeding her son, Bear. When he was little, Alicia would chew his food before letting him eat it out of her mouth, much like a sparrow would with their baby birds.
But as it turns out, this method could actually have health benefits.
According to Ranker, one study shows that the children of parents who practiced mouth-feeding run lower risks of eczema and asthma than other babies who have traditional ways of consumption. As per Jezebel, Alicia has said Bear loves it, exclaiming, "He literally crawls across the room to attack my mouth if I'm eating."
20 By The Book: Amanda Peet Who Advocates For Parents Vaccinating Their Kids
The world has nothing negative to say about Amanda Peet. Mother of two girls, Frances and Molly, and her son Henry, Amanda rocks at motherhood, putting her focus on her kids first. According to Ranker, in addition to being supermom, she is also a very active Global Advocate for the UN Foundation's Shot@Life campaign, which rallies parents to vaccinate their kids and provides vaccines to children in developing nations. Because of her commitment and presence to the campaign, it has reached more than 500 million people with the public health message of administering vaccinations according to the recommended schedule.
19 Uncommon: Christina Aguilera Spent Her Sundays With Her Son With Very Minimal Clothing On
Christina Aguilera has graduated to a more tasteful style since her "Dirrty" days now that she's a mother of two.
When her older son, Max, was a baby, she announced she didn't want to lose any of her sensuality after giving birth and becoming a mother.
According to Ranker, when Max was a toddler, she and her then-husband had "Bare Sundays." She went on to explain, "I think it's important that he sees Mommy not be ashamed of her [body]. I mean, he's two. We're art collectors, there are a lot of female [representations] around the house."
18 By The Book: Michelle Williams Stays Out Of The Limelight So Her Kids Can Have A Normal Life
Actress Michelle Williams, once married to the late Heath Ledger, stayed out of the spotlight for years so her daughter Matilda could live a normal life. As reported by Ranker, she also understands the value of a tight-knit family, so she makes sure Matilda gets to visit her grandparents from her dad's side on a regular basis, despite the tragedy surrounding his death.
According to People, Michelle has decided to move on slowly this year, when she surprised the world that she married indie singer Phil Elverum in a private ceremony. Much like the rest of her life, she described her relationship to Phil as "very sacred and very secret."
17 Uncommon: Britney Spears Drove A Car With Her Son In Her Lap
Back in 2006, Britney Spears was at the peak of being harassed by aggressive paparazzi. She made headlines when she was caught by photographers driving her SUV with her infant 4-month-old son Sean sitting on her lap.
The photos showed her grasping the steering wheel with one hand and holding her son in the other.
Parents around the globe were outraged, while Brit tried to explain that she was simply trying to escape the out-of-control paparazzi and made a split-second decision to flee the scene in the quickest way possible. Although it was easy to judge her, the intensity of the situation would have left most people distraught, too.
16 By The Book: Shakira, Who Takes Care To Educate Herself In Every Way Possible About Motherhood
Shakira admits her universe once revolved around herself, putting herself first and being the boss babe that she is. Since having children, however, she's said she has put the focus on them now. As PopSugar reports, she even goes out of her way to absorb everything there is to know about motherhood. She's stated, " I will admit that I am definitely one of those mothers. I probably read every book and downloaded every pregnancy app out there. And they are informative, and I am glad I read them. I think it's an advantage to inform yourself. But trying to predict what your child will be like is about as effective as consulting a crystal ball."
15 Uncommon: Mayim Bialik Opted To Nurse As Long As Possible
Breastfeeding is incredibly important. It strengthens the bond between mother and child, and provides the child with important nutrients. Moreover, breastfeeding triggers a release of oxytocin in the mother's body, which is the 'love' hormone, it causes feelings of happiness. Mayim Bialik, who advocates for attachment-parenting styles, decided to take an uncommon route with breastfeeding and nursed her son until he was 4 years old.
14 By The Book: Victoria Beckham, Who's Taught Her Kids That Manners Come First
Victoria and David Beckham are constantly in the spotlight, yet they still ensure their kids don't grow up to be absolutely spoiled. According to Woman's Day, Victoria once explained, "We've always been strict with the children. They have great manners. They always say 'please' and 'thank you,' and I think that's very important … At the same time, they're still fun. They still run around the house and they're crazy and they're singing and they're dancing and they're kicking footballs around, which I don't allow them to do but that seems to be the one area that I can't discipline them in."
13 Uncommon: Kelly Preston Gave Birth In Absolute Silence
For those who don't know, Scientologists have a common birth practice called "silent birth," in which a mother cannot make any noise during labor.
According to Ranker, when Kelly Preston, wife of John Travolta, gave birth to their son Benjamin, she elected to have a silent birth, which she later defended on The Today Show.
"Silent birth is basically just no words, as much as possible," Preston said. "If you need to moan, if you cry out, you know, all of that of course, that's normal. Just bringing them in as peaceful and gentle a way as possible."
12 By The Book: Josh Duhamel, Who's One Of The Most Hands-On Celebrity Dads Out There
Once solely known for starring in action-packed films, Josh Duhamel is now almost more known for sharing adorable photos of himself and his son Axl on Instagram. His playful personality and outgoing nature always make for a good photo, and he genuinely loves playing the role of doting dad, too.
In an interview with Parents, Josh's biggest piece of parenting advice is to give a child the freedom to explore, a tidbit given to him by his own father. Since he lives in California, he makes sure Axl gets a proper taste of the outdoors. "Our favorite things to do are running around on the beach, hiking the trails behind our house, bike riding, playing in the park, kicking a soccer ball, and simply enjoying the fresh air."
11 Uncommon: Alanis Morissette Let Her Son Dictate How Long He Wanted To Be Nursed
Usually, most mothers stop breastfeeding their little ones around two years of age. As reported by Ranker, Canadian alt star Alanis Morissette once declared she would stop breastfeeding her son, Ever, whenever he wanted.
Even if that meant until he was five or six years old, Alanis was fine with that.
"Some kids naturally stop at two, some stop at a couple of years later, it's up to the child." Alanis declared. "I will stop when he says it's time to stop." She went on to explain to The Daily Mail, "For me, I protect his safety and his well-being and his attachment. That stage of development is a very important stage."
10 By The Book: Chris Hemsworth, Who Takes A Light-Hearted Approach While Teaching His Kids Sports
Doting dad Chris Hemsworth has three kids with his wife Elsa Pataky; six-year-old India and four-year-old twins Sasha and Tristan. Since moving back to his native country Australia a few years ago, Chris has elected to spend a lot of time with his kids outdoors, teaching them different sports and being an all-around goofy and fun dad. He loves posting his shenanigans with his children to his Instagram page, such as the time he did some beachside yoga stretches with his daughter, or the time he took a video of them heading out to go surfing together.
9 Uncommon: Madonna Has Her Children On A Strict Plan
It's been said that Madonna keeps her children on a very strict meal plan, one that follows her own macrobiotic preferences. This plan sees grains as the bulk of it, supplemented by vegetables, beans, and nuts.
As reported by The Daily Mail, she forbade her kids from consuming sugar, salt, preservatives, and dairy.
This meant the little ones became fascinated with ice creams, cakes, and biscuits, things they simply never got a chance to indulge in. She supposedly even diluted their orange juice with very special, blessed "Kabbalah water." Madonna's other domestic rules include no TV and no newspapers anywhere around the house.
8 By The Book: Olivia Wilde, Who's Trying To Normalize Nursing, Yet Doesn't Judge Those Who Don't
Known for being a down to earth mom and calling it like it is, Olivia Wilde is smart and funny, working to change some of the stigmas that come with being a mother, such as normalizing breastfeeding. She isn't shy about posting what she calls "brelfies" (breastfeeding selfies) with her daughter Daisy, along with having hilarious captions such as "my drinking buddy."
Although she's an advocate of breastfeeding, she doesn't try to shove it down her fans' throats, as reported by Parents. "It should be a choice for everyone," Olivia said, shortly after giving birth to Daisy. "I don't like the idea of breastfeeding being forced on anyone or anyone feeling guilty. Nursing is not easy — it's messy."
7 Uncommon: Jessica Simpson's Daughter Got Thrown In The Air Like A Football
Jessica Simpson, no stranger to public criticism thanks to her reality TV show Newlyweds in the early 2000s, was caught under fire recently.
The subject? A photo of her husband Eric Johnson throwing their daughter Maxwell high up in the air while on a family vacation.
As per BabyGaga, former NFL player, Eric has a great throw, which her followers quickly picked up on, commenting, "your daughter is not a football." Comments ranged from saying throwing your kid is fine if it's not high, while others said it's never alright. Jessica elected to keep the photo up on Instagram, though, and without responding to any of the haters.
6 By The Book: Kylie Jenner Elected To Keep Her Pregnancy Quiet For The Sake Of Her Daughter
The Kardashian-Jenners are used to criticism. Not a single day goes by without a spectator commenting on something they're doing, be it good or bad. One thing is for certain, however: Kyle Jenner loves her daughter, Stormi, and is doing a pretty good job at parenting for being such a young mom.
Known to keep her fans up to speed with everything going on in her life, she suddenly went quiet on social media in late 2017. With rumors buzzing around online, she only announced on February 4th, 2018 that she had given birth to a baby girl. According to Ranker, she said she wanted to put a priority on her health and minimize her stress levels, feeling that it was best for her pregnancy and birth of her daughter.
5 Uncommon: Christina Applegate Once Used A "Snot Sucker" For Her Kids
Actress Christina Applegate named a very interesting device as one of her parenting must-buys in an interview with Parents.
NOSEFRIDA, a long tube "baby booger buster" that goes in her mouth, allows her to suck the snot straight out of her little girl Sadie's nostrils.
"It's so much more effective! I mean, I always had that squeeze suctioner thing in there trying to get it out, and it never worked. But this one is magic!" Christina was quick to further explain that it has a stopper in it, meaning she's not actually sucking snot straight into her mouth. Thank goodness!
4 By The Book: Jennifer Garner, Who Is Literally The Celebrity Mom All Parents Look Up To
Jennifer Garner has made headlines for years now as being one of the most likable celebrity moms out there. As per The Bump, Jennifer has opened up about everything from her "permanent bump" to her tough divorce, but it's the way she delivers these realities with her positive outlook on life that makes fans adore her so much.
A southern girl at heart, she wants her kids to stay as down to earth as she is. "It's really important for my kids to see that everyone doesn't have the lives they see in Los Angeles. That doesn't reflect the rest of the world. I want them to grow up with the Southern values I had—to look at people when they say hello and to stop and smell the roses."
3 Uncommon: Penelope Cruz Thinks Babies Should Be Treated As Adults
As reported by Ranker, along with Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy, Tobey Maguire, and Hank Azaria, Penelope Cruz raised her tots under a parenting philosophy known as Resources for Infant Educarers, or RIE for short.
This philosophy touts that treating babies like babies belittles them, including things like giving them sippy cups or talking to them in baby voices.
Instead, Penelope and her RIE counterparts give dignity back to their little ones by treating them like adults, meaning no high chairs, no baby talk, no bouncers, no walkers, no toys, and no mobiles. While they may miss out on certain fun toys, at least the kids will certainly grow up to be mature!
2 By The Book: Julie Bowen, Who Channels Her Modern Family On-Camera Mom Role
Julie Bowen, star of Modern Family, plays Claire on the show, a married mom of three kids. It turns out, that's the same role she plays in real life. In an interview with Working Mother, Julie said her character Claire taught her a lot about motherhood, mainly that she has to lay down the law sometimes. "Being your kids’ best friend is not always the best parenting choice. It’s not about everybody being happy all the time. It’s about setting limits. In my house that makes my kids very unhappy, like tantrums-on-the-ground-twice-a-day unhappy. But the limits are set."
1 Uncommon: Dina Lohan, Who Has Been Said To Profit Off Her Daughter Lindsay's Success
Allegations against Lindsay Lohan's now infamous mom, Dina Lohan, never cease to go away. In fact, most critics blame her for her daughter's troubled child star antics that haunt her into adulthood. Dina apparently took Lindsay out to clubs before she was the age of 21, where she began experimenting with alcohol.
Once things got out of hand, Dina blamed everything on the media.
Also accused of taking money from her daughter's fortune, Dina went on the Dr. Phil show in 2012 in hopes to tell her version of the story, explaining the masses have been wrongfully depicting her as a bad mother.
Sources: Ranker, Daily Mail, Parents, Working Mother, Popsugar
