Angelina Jolie Explains Why She Doesn’t Want ‘Perfectly Behaved’ Children

Angelina Jolie has six children, and she’s raising them the way she wants to.

The actress spoke about her parenting style during an interview on BBC Radio 4’s “Today” on Friday and said she isn’t looking for “perfectly behaved little people.” 

“It’s funny ― children can do two things,” she said. “They can make you grow up, and you do, and they also add a sense of wild themselves.” 

They “all have a good rebellious streak that is wonderful and curious,” she added. “And I don’t want them to be perfectly behaved little people that just say what’s absolutely appropriate because I say so ― they have to find themselves.”

Jolie also said that she tries to talk to her kids about any topic that comes up. 

“Like most parents, we try our best to insert good stuff, and we can’t control everything that they’re exposed to,” she said.

However, the Jolie-Pitt brood ― which consists of Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Vivienne, Knox and Shiloh Jolie-Pitt ― are also in a unique position, as they often make headlines themselves (or read news about their parents). So Jolie says they also talk a lot about social media. 

“Here’s the truth ― is that my children have seen things about themselves, even from what’s considered serious news people, that are inaccurate,” the 43-year-old revealed. “So my children have a very odd sense of who’s telling the truth and what the truth really is and what they actually believe or trust.”

Despite encouraging her children to have a rebellious streak, much like she did when she was younger, the actress has previously revealed she doesn’t want her kids to head to Hollywood. 

“We’ve always said if they’re going to be actors I hope they do something [else first] and then be actors,” she said during a visit to NBC’s “Today” show in 2017.