Dax Shepard has recently shed light on the guidelines he and Kristen Bell have set for their children, Lincoln, 12, and Delta, 10, concerning the use of curse words.
The couple has been open about their parenting choices, with Bell previously sparking interest by discussing their ‘free-range parenting’ approach during a vacation in Copenhagen last year.
During a chat with Jimmy Kimmel, Bell mentioned that their hotel in Copenhagen opened directly into a theme park, allowing their daughters to explore for hours each day. Bell assured everyone that the kids returned safely, and now Shepard has shared another aspect of their parenting that his podcast guest Seth Meyers views differently.
On his podcast Armchair Expert, Shepard discussed with Meyers their contrasting methods regarding children using curse words.
Shepard shared that he uses curse words openly around his kids, and they are permitted to use them as well, under certain conditions.
The flexibility comes with boundaries.
According to Shepard, his children can use curse words when deemed appropriate, as long as it’s at home and not in public places like restaurants. He emphasized, “I was looking for competence.”
He explained further, “Also my defense of it is like, I just told the girls, ‘Hey, these are noises that come out of your mouth and you assign what they mean to you.'”
In contrast, Meyers and his wife, Alexi Ashe, prefer to avoid swearing in front of their kids. Meyers expressed, “I think it’s just the fear for us. It’s the fear that they’re going to take it to school, you know.”
He added, “I think with my daughter, [I could probably trust her]. Yeah. ‘I’m going to tell you this word. Don’t say it at school.’ The boys, you know, they’re going to say it immediately.”
While acknowledging that children at school might already know such words, Meyers and Ashe aim to prevent their children from using curse words in front of teachers.
Not everyone may agree with how Bell and Shepard raise their kids. However, Bell has previously defended their parenting style on The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2021, stating, “You can judge me if you want, I’m not doing anything wrong.”