Goldie Hawn has shared her thoughts about parenting and how she doesn’t agree with “the coddling of the American mind.” Instead, kids “have to struggle” to succeed later in life.
Along with her parenting preferences, Hawn shared her relationship with Kurt Russell, being a single mom, and prioritizing intimacy in your life.
Kids Need to Struggle
Goldie Hawn appeared on the January 21st episode of the “Dan Buettner Podcast.” She talked about her parenting beliefs, including how she dealt with her own children.
“They have to not get what they want. They have to struggle,” Hawn explained. “I didn’t like tensions with Katie. I didn’t go out and buy her a bunch of clothes all the time because she was growing out of them, and I felt that it was a crazy waste of money. And I’m telling you, she would make outfits like nobody’s business.”
Along with struggling and overcoming adversity, Hawn highlighted making “your kids work,” whether it’s inside the home or in sports. She shared that a few of her children played hockey, saying it’s “an amazing sport for children” and helps them “learn how to take the knocks.”
This is the opposite of the current parenting strategy, where parents coddle their children and leave them unequipped to handle stress and disappointment.
Instead of giving them what they want, having children struggle gives them stronger coping mechanisms to use as they grow older.
Being a Single Mom
It wasn’t easy for Goldie Hawn at first. Hawn was married to Bill Hudson from 1976 to 1982. However, they divorced and cut off all ties, leaving Kate and Oliver estranged from their father, and leaving Hawn as a single mom.
“When I got a divorce, and Katy and Oliver were little. And he was gone, our relationship didn’t work,” Goldie said. “But I remember thinking, ‘Oh my kids are fine, it’ll be me in the house, my housekeeper, we’re all women. It’s so happy there’s no pressure.’ It really felt good,” she continued.
However, being a single mom while juggling her star-studded career at the same time wasn’t easy.
“There are things that I tried to do that I realized are really hard to do just alone.”
Kurt Russell Steps In
Thankfully for Goldie Hawn, she wasn’t along for too long. While Kurt Russell and Hawn had first met in 1966, they didn’t reconnect until 1983, working together on Swing Shift just a year after her divorce. The pair started dating, and Russell became a steady parent figure in her household.
When talking about raising Kate and Oliver, Hawn stated, it was “not just [her], Kurt also raised them.”
She elaborated by saying, “…I met Kurt, and he loved my children. And I didn’t think I’d find anybody who’d love my children the way I did. So we parented together. And it was wonderful.”
In many ways, Russell was more of a father to the two children than their biological father, Bill Hudson. Hawn and Russell are still together after four decades, though they have made it a point to never marry.
They raised their son, Wyatt Russell, Kurt’s son from his first marriage, Boston Russell, and Goldie’s two kids from her second marriage, Kate and Oliver Hudson.
The Importance of Intimacy
In another part of the podcast, Hawn brought up her sexual chemistry with Russell, explaining its importance in their relationship. She has talked about this topic before, in an interview with E! News, stating, “You have to have good sex.”
“Because sex is something that connects you and creates more belonging,” she continued. “People who have healthy sexual relationships usually last a lot longer. But it’s not just because of the act, it’s because of the warmth and the intimacy that it creates.”
Maybe she has a point, especially since the pair have been going strong for over 40 years now.
Celebrating Successes
The two recently got together on social media to praise Kate Hudson on her Academy Award nomination for her role in Song Sung Blue. “Oh, my baby, my baby girl! I love you as big as the universe,” Hawn wrote on Instagram. “Congratulations, sweetheart. Once upon time, I had a little girl named Kate! And look at her now! Yay!”
Seems like allowing your kids to struggle might be worth it, especially with the success of both Hawn’s and Russell’s kids today.