Pharrell Williams isn’t just a music icon—he’s also a dad with strong views on parenting. In a recent chat on Rick Rubin’s Tetragrammaton podcast, the father of four opened up about why he believes in being a “strict dad” and how it’s all about preparing his kids for the real world.
In a recent interview on Rick Rubin’s Tetragrammaton podcast, the multi-hyphenate entertainer encouraged parents to allow their children to experience a “guided struggle”.
“…When parents say things like, ‘Oh, I never want my kids to struggle the way I did,’ you have to understand that the way your struggle produced you being a hard-working [and] critical thinking individual,” the legendary producer said.
“…When you don’t allow your kids to have guided struggle, they don’t develop the coping skills, they don’t have the courage, they can’t deal with challenges, and it oftentimes doesn’t end so well.”
Pharrell went on to say that he is a “strict dad” but only because the world in which we live is “harsh”.
In addition to discussing his parenting style, Pharrell also opened up about how he is teaching his children the importance of having empathy for those less fortunate.
I love the term guided struggle. Pharrell wants his kids to experience privilege with perspective ❤️🔥
— ladidai (@ladidaix) 💋 see linkinbyeo (@ladidaix) December 7, 2024
“During the holidays, we go and we feed the homeless and serve the homeless. We go to different children’s hospitals where there are a lot of kids that are challenged, like [with] conditions that aren’t curable—or haven’t been cured yet—and that’s because [they have] to have real coping skills and see what real courage looks like,” he said.
The Grammy-winning producer and his wife, Helen Lasichanh, share four children: Rocket, 8, and their 7-year-old triplets, whose names they’ve kept private
Photo: Pharrell Instagram; BCKOnline Instagram; The Art of Dialogue Instagram