A short YouTube monologue by Jacqueline Elliott (uploaded Sept 1, 2023) in which she describes her parenting approach: she tells her children—naming her oldest Ian—that she offers them a choice between a "normal" upbringing (comfort, video games) or being raised "tough" to become a leader/badass. She emphasizes being loving and close while also sometimes being strict to build resilience.
Chapters
Do you talk to 7 year olds about that? Yeah, I ask my son all the time. My oldest son's name is Ian. I say Ian, I could either treat you like a normal kid, I can give you video games, I can give you whatever it is that you want. You'll have a normal life. I'll be a normal mom and you'll have a normal dad and you know, you'll be, you'll be happy, content, you get whatever you want basically. Or I can treat you like the badass that I foresee you, I foresee you being a leader. I foresee you being this way. You're going to be changing a lot of lives. You're gonna, I'm gonna be tough as to you like I'm gonna be like mean sometimes, sometimes you're gonna hate me. You're gonna hate me. You. Yeah, I talked to all of them the same exact way. I said, but I have I give you a choice. I can treat you this way and you're going to be a normal kid or you're going to be a badass. You tell me how you want me to treat you. He's like, no mom, treat me like the bad ass. And I'm like, so when they get weak and they fall or something, of course I show them massive love and everything. We're super close. If you see my kids like they're massively loving, like always hugging, kissing, showing tons of attention. They learn that at a very young age and you know they're not, you know, you know their kids are to going.