19 September 2014
Newsdesk
Jada Pinkett Smith thinks we should have “more trust in our children”.
The 42-year-old is mother to son Jaden and daughter Willow with husband Will Smith, and stepmother to his son Willard from the actor’s previous marriage.
And while Jaden and Willow are both making names for themselves in the entertainment industry, Jada insists she trusts her kids implicitly.
“I think we have to have more trust in our children,” she told Health magazine, “People have always gotten on us about not punishing the kids, and let me just talk to you about that for a minute.
“We raised three kids before Willow and Jaden, and especially on my goddaughter, I put so many boundaries on her—‘No, you can’t do that, you can’t do this.’ And everything I tried to control, every freakin’ thing I was trying to avoid, happened.
“I learned a lot from that experience and realised that while Willow and Jaden are still with me and have a safety net, I want to give them the opportunity to make mistakes and learn how to put boundaries on themselves. So by the time they’re out of the house, they fly.”
Jada is famous for her toned figure and enviable physique, and admits in the interview that she allows herself to eat what she wants as long as she works it off in the gym.
But the star reveals she doesn’t push herself too much at the gym, as 20 minutes of cardiovascular work often suffices.
“It’s funny—my cardio workout varies. If I have a heavy carb week, I’ve got a heavy cardio week. I tell people all the time, ‘You can eat whatever you want, as long as you’re willing to put the work in,’ and that’s a thing I had to learn,” she said.
“So I make sure I do something physical every single day. But that doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym and freakin’ kill yourself! I do 20 minutes of cardio a day... Literally, I’m never in the gym longer than 45 minutes. Just be consistent— that’s it! It doesn’t necessarily have to be intense, and you will see a difference. Just go out of your house and do a brisk walk! Every night, my mother and I take the dog and just walk, and that’s a ritual for us.”
