Kelly Ripa may seem sweet — what with that endearing, bubbly on-air personality — but at home, she’s one tough cookie. She has to be; parenting can be beyond difficult. But Ripa isn’t alone in turning to tough love; many of us do. Why? Because we want to raise smart, kind kids who grow into respectful adults. So what are some secret hard-ass Ripa and hubby Mark Consuelos’ parenting “rules?” Below are a few of our faves plus some choice Kelly Ripa parenting moments, because the mom of three is super relatable.
Ripa embarrasses her kids… often.
Every parent embarrasses their kid. I mean, it’s something of a right of passage. It’s a given. But Kelly Ripa does so on a regular basis because she doesn’t care what others think. Case in point? Her social media feed, which is often full of sexy photos… like this one, which caused her daughter to recoil.
Now before you get on your high horse and say, “oh no; not me. I can’t relate to that at all” consider those slippers you wore to drop-off or that “mom” move you busted out at the school dance. Yeah, you’ve embarrassed your littles. Trust us, you have.
Phones are a privilege, and tech gets turned in at night.
Ripa has discussed her family’s “no phones policy” several times on Live. The talk show host does not allow phones at the dinner table and her kids cannot use them while they complete their homework or study. But Ripa will also take her childrens phones away if they act up. In an interview with Wendy Williams, Ripa explained that she and Consuelos “will give you [our kids] certain freedom[s],” but those freedoms are not a right.
On an episode of Live, Ripa admitted she does not allow her kids to take their devices to bed. “The kids know, at bedtime, they are to hand me their devices because there have been studies that it keeps kids awake even when they’re not on. It keeps them up — Just the anxiety”. Ain’t that the truth!
Mom is not “your friend.”
While some parents long to have a friendly relationship with their littles, Ripa does not. In fact, the mama of three couldn’t care less. During a 2014 interview, the talk show host told Wendy Williams, “I’m not your friend, I’m your mom.”
She also doesn’t care if her daughter dislikes her.
This one may seem harsh, but Ripa’s reasoning makes a lot of sense. “I just feel an obligation as her mom to keep her living in the real world,” Ripa told Williams. “I don’t care who you are or what you do, if you’re a mom, you’re a mom.”
Yep, parents have sex: Deal with it.
Sex is natural. I mean, this writer has sex. You’ve probably had sex, and — yes — parents have sex. And while it is awkward to catch your parents in the act, it is nothing to be ashamed of.
Ripa will snoop — both online and in her kids’ bedrooms.
Privacy is a hot-button issue, and just how much privacy you should — or should not — give your child has long been debated. (And by far wiser men and women than me.) But Ripa admits she reads her kids texts, scrolls through their social media accounts and snoops about.
Junk food consumption is limited.
Okay, this last point may not be super relatable — I personally have a drawer full of candy, cookies, chips, dips and sweets… one which my daughter rifles through on a regular basis — but kudos to Ripa for instilling healthy eating habits.
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