Gwyneth Paltrow has a reputation in Hollywood for raising her children in a way that is unconventional and sometimes down right confusing, including naming her daughter Apple. On the other hand, like most parents, all she really wants is what’s best for her children. She prioritizes family time, insisting they never miss a meal together. Furthermore, Gwyneth Paltrow has revealed that she never allows her kids to use their phones at the table.
Gwyneth Paltrow Shares Parenting Style
She has openly shared, in many interviews, several parenting techniques that she carries out in order to protect her children. Gwyneth Paltrow has an overall parenting objective. Her main goal as a mom is to provide her kids with a life that won’t damage or scar them. She’s very open with them but does enforce some pretty tough rules to follow. Additionally, Paltrow does her best to keep her kids out of the public eye and off social media.
Speaking on a Podcast
Gwyneth Paltrow appeared on a podcast entitled “Ruthie’s Table 4”. She sat down with British chef and Baroness Ruth Rogers. Ruth is the owner of the River Cafe Restaurant, a Michelin star-winning Italian restaurant. During the segment, Paltrow stated, “‘We felt special being included at the dinner table even though it was a nightly event. If they had friends over then we sat with them at the table and had long conversations. It’s something that I have carried on with my kids as well. We always have dinner all together, as a family, no phones allowed at the table. You get into great discourse with them, you hear what they think about things.”
Gwyneth Paltrow Prioritizes her Kids
Her children are now 18 and 16. Nevertheless, she encourages them to communicate with her, has great co-parenting techniques with her ex, Chris Martin, and still cooks for her kids on the weekends. Gwyneth Paltrow explained that she got her love of cooking and family time from her parents. She stated, “It was such an unabashed expression of my father’s love for us, there was no denying it and when someone is so excited about the sear on their baby back ribs, it’s so imbued with love that you learn it as a love language.”
Gwyneth Paltrow is not the only celebrity who’s chosen to keep her kids out of the public eye or chosen to implement the value of family to her kids. With technological advancement having come so far, many parents are faced with new challenges, such as maintaining a balance regarding screen time, protecting their kids from online predators, and connecting with their kids on a true, deep, and genuine level.
Experts Research
With these challenges, debate amongst professionals has been on the rise. Mental and physical health professionals have done much research related to Gwyneth Paltrow’s stance on technology. The debate regards how technology affects children, their development, mental health, and safety.
While Gwyneth Paltrow focuses primarily on the negative aspects, it turns out there are both pros and cons related to screen-time. Depending on how technology is used within a household, it can either inhibit or enhance brain function and quality family time.
Gary W. Small, MD, Jooyeon Lee, MD, and Susan Y. Bookheimer, Ph.D., published an article in which they argue both sides of the discussion. They cover potential harm such as a higher likelihood of attention deficit disorders, lower emotional intelligence, trouble with sleep, and possible technology addiction. In contrast, they point out that some benefits do exist, again all dependent upon how technology is used.
Pros and Cons
They point out that there are many games that have been designed to improve memory, multitasking abilities, and cognition. Further arguing, some of these can actually improve mood or behavior.
Similarly, Psychology Today published an article entitled, ‘Should You Turn Off Tech at Dinner?’ In 2014. The article provides examples of how technology impacts family time. “When technology at the table competes with conversation or makes us feel that we don’t have the full attention when we speak, technology has no place at the table.”
On the other hand, they also explain how technology can enhance family time. “what about the times that technology enhances connection? ‘Hey, look at this photo from class today?’ Or, ‘I want to read you a funny text I got from your aunt’.”
Regardless of your personal opinion of Gwyneth Paltrow, or her parenting methods, one thing is true. We are all learning to navigate an ever-changing world together. That will, undoubtedly, come with some success and some failure. Perfection is unattainable, but doing our best as parents, loved ones, adults, and part of society is the best hope we’ve all got.
Keep Reading: Handheld Screen Time Linked to Delayed Speech Development
Sources
- “Should you turn off tech at dinner?” Psychology Today. Anne K Fishel Ph.D. October 21 ,2014.
- “Gwyneth Paltrow bans children from using mobile phone at meal table.” Daily Mail Online. Katie Hind. December 13, 2022.
- “Brain health consequences of digital technology use .” NCBI. Gary W. Small, MD, et al. June, 2020.