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By Root 304 0

long we had been moving baby Hank around to a million cities, in a million homes, and never letting him get to adjust. We were in cities we didn’t know and without friends or family for support. I tried to keep him indoors and away from the elements, whether that was freezing temperatures, city life, or just anything we couldn’t control. But I don’t want to hide little Hank from life anymore. I may be scared of all the dangers out there, but I’m not going to keep my son safely indoors and shrouded in bubble wrap. I’ll book him playdates or take him to the park, and whether the parents know I’m a celebrity or not doesn’t matter. Raising kids in Hollywood doesn’t mean your kid has to only grow up with famous friends. While I will always be paying close attention to anyone who is approaching my child, what’s most important is getting baby Hank out there with other babies and letting him develop the social skills he needs.

I take baby Hank to a baby class every Thursday for a twelve-to-twenty-month class where he can socialize. I’ve noticed that I’m one of the only parents who allow their child to go off on his own and explore. Every other parent is attached to his or her kid like glue. When their child wants to interact with Hank Jr., their parents just grab them and say, “No, no, no. Be nice.” And all I can think to myself is, “What do you mean ‘be nice’? The baby didn’t do anything! Are you serious?” If the kids tap one another to talk, let them tap each other. That’s not hitting. I know when baby Hank is trying to hit someone and when he’s just exploring or trying to make friends. I think parents meddle in their kids’ business way too much.

I have been noticing that kids are a lot more sheltered than they used to be. I don’t know if it’s me or society, but it seems like parents are more protective of their kids than ever. Not me; I’m all about little Hank Jr. falling down and knowing what it is to hurt. I want him to be tough. I am raising a kid, not a porcelain egg. He deserves to learn for himself what it’s like to fall or get a scratch.

Recently in our old neighborhood I took baby Hank to the park on a Sunday and there were only five kids there on a sunny day in L.A. Where is everyone? Now, I don’t expect Shiloh Jolie-Pitt to be there, but surely more than five kids would want to play outside.

Luckily two kids there were his age, so I encouraged him to invite one of the other boys over to play with him. He was so excited to hang out with a boy his age, but before they even got settled, the dad came over and steered his son away so he wouldn’t bother us. I said it was no problem—we were just sitting in the grass blowing bubbles, not much to interrupt—but they left. Socializing is good for kids, so I want Hank to ask to play with other kids in the park. Am I the only one letting my child explore? If so, am I raising him the wrong way?

That’s just how I was raised. I loved building forts, and I fell from trees and scraped my knees. Now I look back and I thank God for my childhood. I remember a couple times where I got hurt pretty bad and I was bleeding, but I was fine and it made for the best stories. My mom used to kick me and my brother outside to go have fun and explore. I actually stole my grandpa’s wood out of the garage and would take a hammer and nails and put it together. Most kids can’t do that kind of stuff anymore, but I wonder with kids so protected and isolated what they will grow up to be.

I’m constantly trying to guide Hank Jr. down the proper path, to keep him away from the bad temptations I faced and move him toward the good experiences I did have. I laugh about it because the only way I can explain it is to say, “I don’t want to shelter him, but I do want to shelter him.” I’ve seen so much craziness throughout my life, so much dirtiness, and I lived through it. Now I feel like it’s my job as a mom to protect him and prevent him from experiencing any of that. I know a kid is going to be a kid. Scrapes are fine; he will fall. But I want to do whatever I can to raise him right. It’s my job to guide him