Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling are on a mission to keep their kids tech-free. The Hollywood couple, known for staying pretty private about their personal lives, have revealed that their daughters, Esmeralda and Amada, aren’t allowed to have phones or social media.
Mendes recently opened up about their strict parenting approach, calling it an “extreme” but necessary measure in today’s world.
In a candid interview with The Sunday Times, Mendes explained that she and Gosling are committed to being “conscious parents.”
Embed from Getty ImagesThe pair met in 2011 while filming The Place Beyond the Pines and have been together ever since. They welcomed their first daughter, Esmeralda, in 2014 and their second, Amada, in 2016.
While Mendes and Gosling are famously low-key about their relationship — no, they aren’t officially married — their focus is squarely on their family.
Embed from Getty ImagesNow with two young daughters, Esmeralda, 10, and Amada, 8, Mendes has embraced a hands-on parenting style. And this approach includes keeping their kids as far away from phones and the internet as possible.
The Hitch actress unpacked their decision to ban phones and social media.
Embed from Getty Images“I still have all this anxiety and I see myself passing it on to my children,” she said, adding that she feels the dangers of the internet are too big to ignore. She likened giving her kids internet access to “walk down the street in the middle of the night.”
While some may argue this is a tad extreme, Mendes is firm in her beliefs.
Embed from Getty Images“I know that sounds extreme, but that’s what I feel,” she shared before revealing some of her parenting methods have been inspired by a book she’s read called Raising Mentally Strong Kids by Dr. Daniel G. Amen and Charles Fay.
She spoke about the importance of giving their daughters a sense of self-reliance.
Embed from Getty ImagesMendes shares stories with her girls about her and Ryan’s struggles — how they used to live paycheck to paycheck in the early days of their careers.
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She explained that Dr. Amen’s advice is to focus on building her daughters’ self-esteem.
Embed from Getty ImagesPart of that involves giving them responsibilities around the house to help them build a strong work ethic. “The next best thing [to gain perspective] is to really have them work on their self-esteem for themselves,” Mendes said.
Mendes reflected on her own childhood and drew inspiration from her mother.
Embed from Getty Images“My mom was like, ‘If you want real freedom, you have to find a way to make your own money,’” she recalled. “That’s as simple as it is. I had my marching orders from my mom and I set out to do that.”
In the same interview, Mendes touched on a couple more personal topics, including aging, still feeling confident at 50, and her relationship with Gosling.
Embed from Getty Images“It’s just that number [50] sounds crazy,” she joked. “I forget everything. I think that’s part of being 50. I think I’m looking down the barrel of hormonal changes.”
Despite experiencing changes in her body, Mendes says her confidence has a lot with how her husband treats her.
Embed from Getty Images“The way my man looks at me is just… at times I’m like, oh my God,” she said. “That might not sit well with people but so much of how I feel is a reflection of what he’s giving me.”
H/T: Sunday Times
