Solange Knowles' little Valentine

Solange Knowles spent Valentine’s Day with her number one guy, her 2-year-old son Daniel Julez J. (or Julez as she calls him), and whipped up some goodies in the kitchen for him and his friends.

I’ll be with my son; he’s my Valentine this year. I’m making cupcakes for his class. I use Betty Crocker cake mix and make homemade icing. I try to be kind of domestic for the little kids.

Solange and her husband, football player Daniel Smith, will celebrate their three-year anniversary on Tuesday.

Source: E!

Comments

lala on February 22nd, 2007

class?? for a two year old??? stay at home with your baby for as long as u can!! they will have plenty of time for class!!!!! and since when did the schools allow any ‘homemade’ cooking???

Sarah, CBB News Editor on February 22nd, 2007

Well, speaking from my own experience, the older sister of the two girls I nanny for started a Montessori program for 3 hours 2 days a week when she was 2 1/2. It allows the mom a small break and gives her alone time with the baby, which she rarely gets…

Also, I think they can bring in food as long as there are no peanut products? Although sweet treats aren’t encouraged.

I’m in NH also, it may be different here.

Jessica Bird on February 22nd, 2007

All 3 of my kids went to preschool at age 2. They were only there two days a week for 2-1/2 hours each day. I was able to grocery shop and shower without them there, and I don’t feel guilty about it!! And yes, we were allowed to bring in cupcakes on their birthdays or for parties. Why is that so shocking? Do most schools have rules against that?

lala on February 22nd, 2007

of the schools my children have attended, all of them allowed you to bring cupcakes, cake, etc. for the child’s birthday,but due to health concerns (sanity) they could not be homemade. i don’t judge anyone needing to send their child off to school so they could shower or grocery shop, i just prefer to do the raising of my children on my own, without the help of strangers!! That’s all.

Lauren on February 22nd, 2007

Lala, no offense, but you need to get a grip. Many parents send their young kids to “school” (typically just day care) from the time they’re babies even if the parents stay at home so that they can shop, go to appointments, and their child(ren) can socialize with other kids their own age. This is especially helpful for only children who would otherwise stay at home with no one to play with all day. You may not think you were being judgemental, but both your posts were very much so. Sending a two-year-old to school is not the end of the world and, more to the point, none of your business, especially since you have no idea how often he goes and for how long.

Mary on February 22nd, 2007

Many parents are not able to stay at home with their children. I don’t think such is the case here, but at least this gives her son a chance to interact with other kids his age and gain some socialization skills. If anything, it’s preparing them for grade school. At my cousin’s preschool, they were allowed to bring in treats for birthdays and such, so I didn’t think it was an issue, homemade or otherwise. I think it’s school-specific.

lala on February 22nd, 2007

drop your kid off so someone else can take care of it while you shop??? huh???? and this is done weekly and we are supposed to make ourselves feel better for doing this, so we say it is time for them to ‘socialize’ with other kids??? my kids socialized just fine with other kids, with me there!!! how about mommy and me, or play dates or taking your kids to the park to ‘socialize’ with other kids. what this is, is a glorified babysitter, so you can have personal time to yourself, away from your child. and that is okay, just admit it and dont make excuses:)

Angie on February 23rd, 2007

What can they possibly teach a 2 yr. old in school besides potty training? He’s basically in a daycare. it just sounds better to call it school.

PSB on February 23rd, 2007

Wow. I’m speechless from Lala’s judgemental comments. Maybe this little two year old loves his classes and hanging out with his friends for a few hours a week. I think it’s helpful with separation anxiety for kids to spend small periods of time (in a safe environment) away from their parents. I also do not think Solange Knowles is having others “raise her children” by sending her boy to class for a little time during the week. That’s so warped! Are mothers never supposed to have down time? A mother is a person too and everybody needs a little break so they don’t end up high-strung and burnt out. Anybody who thinks otherwise is probably a control freak.

lala on February 23rd, 2007

control freak? Please, lets not start with the name calling. Parents are people too, that is correct, but children have bedtimes and naptimes, use those times for your ‘downtime’ not time when your child is looking for the support and affection of his/her parents. i wonder how so many people in todays society are able to function normally, ‘socially,’ without ever spending time in a daycare? are we to assume that children spending time in daycare ( any sort) are more developed socially, than those who do not have school interaction until they reach kindergarten? I dont ‘control’ my children by ‘scheduling’ their lives around mine. there is enough time in a persons life for schedules and school, let them be toddlers!!!!!

Aura on February 23rd, 2007

That’s a cute pic of her and her baby boy – I thought that she and her hubby had split? Are they still together?

Jessica Bird on February 23rd, 2007

I never understood all the judgement that occurs once you’re a mom. It starts with birth (if you don’t do a drug-free, unassisted, home birth, you’re a bad parent), then breastfeeding, then work vs. not working…it never ends. Let’s support each other!!
And to the “non-judgemental” Lala, my oldest son who started preschool at age 2 (two mornings/week) was just accepted to Harvard as pre-med so hopefully that means he wasn’t too “damaged” by his early experiences!

Lauren on February 23rd, 2007

Amen, Jessica! I am stunned by some of the blatantly rude, judgemental comments I have witnessed here over the years. If you need or want to have an epidural during labor and/or need to have a c-section, you haven’t really given birth. If you don’t breastfeed, or better yet, breastfeed your 3 or 4-year-old, your child isn’t being fed properly (don’t even get me started on World Breastfeeding Week). If you go to work instead of staying at home, you’re a neglectful mother. And if you decide to give your toddler some time to socialize with other kids his own age for a few hours for a few days a week without his mother hovering over him the way she would during a play date or mommy and me time, you’re also an evil parent for daring to want some alone time to run errands, etc. Unbelievable. You keep up that “non judgemental” attitude of yours, lala; the other readers (at least most of them, I assume) don’t come to this site to get a lecture from the Mommy Police. Some people are just so obnoxious it blows my mind.

Sushi on February 23rd, 2007

Wow, instead of appreciating Solange for actually baking goodies for her son, she gets bashed for sending him to daycare classes? First I thought those comments were meant to be sarcastic but obviously I was mistaking… Anyway, her boy is a handsome little fella.

sweetdiva on February 23rd, 2007

@ Lala
Actually Lala, it is very good for Daniel to be around other children for socialization purposes. As of now he is an only child without 1st cousins (I believe Solange is estranged from her hubby). He has to learn how to play with his peers. How would he do that with just his mom for a playmate?
Additional Solange does work with her family’s fashion label and is coming out with a CD this year. While she is working outside the home what is wrong with her child attending class? An educationally stimulating environment is never a waste.

lala on February 23rd, 2007

she should work in the evenings and be around her child in the day. he can have other ‘companions’ than his mom, as i said before, mommy and me, play dates…these all include other children!!! a child’s first few years need to be spent with the parent…plenty of time for socializing later in life!! all of those who were only children are not scarred for life due no ‘school’ prior to kindergarten. Please!! how did our parents and grandparents make it???

SEW on February 23rd, 2007

After reading all the comments it sounds like lala needs a timeout or maybe you don’t know about those they start this activity in daycare/school.

lulusass on February 23rd, 2007

My son is two years old, he has just begun motessori for two and a half hours one day a week and loves it, he loves playing with his friends and is learning so much. I would love to have him with me 24/7 he is my best mate we have all sorts of adventures on a daily basis but there will come a time when he has to go to school and being so reliant on me for entertainment and moral support wont be possible because i just wont be there. He learns so much from me but learning social skills and how defend himself when i’m not there prepares him for the big wide world. I have been told that i have a very well adjusted child who interacts well with others, he is kind and considerate looking out for the welfare of others so this time away from his parent does not seem to be harming him. For those who choose to not have their child do extra activities without their parents good for them and i am sure you feel that you are doing what is best for your child. I had reservations about sending my boy to activities without me because i thought he was too young and he still needed me 24/7 but seeing how much he enjoys it instantly took those fears away. Every child has their individual needs so if a couple of hours or a day at childcare is what is good for your child it shouldn’t be judged, its an individual choice.

PSB on February 23rd, 2007

God forbid you can’t afford to stay home with your kids for three years 24/7 and have to work outside the house to put food on the table. I guess lala thinks those woman should not have children at all. I didn’t realize there were rigid rules for raising children.

My mother has a doctorate in child development and education and she had to occassionally leave us for a few hours every now and then to go to her classes. My sister and I enjoyed Montessouri school during those times. I hardly think she would have done that if she thought it would have wounded us in any way. In fact, we grew up with a strong, loving mother who was very attentive (sometimes too attentive!) and she was a terrific role model.

Autumn on February 24th, 2007

Although I’m not a parent I can sort of understand lala’s POV because my mother was a stay at home mom for 19 yrs too. (The last six of those years she did in-house babysitting for another woman’s daugthers though, one of whom was the same age as my younger sister.)

Also my cousin Amy is currently a stay at home mother too, but that’s mainly because her husband has his own vet practice. (I would imagine though once her 18 month old son is old enough for Kindergarten, barring she has any more children, she’ll probably go back to nursing.) I’m not sure if she sends her 3 yr old daugter to pre-school yet or not, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she sent her daughter eventually to some sort of pre-school/pre-Kindergarten before she starts Kindergarten.

Anyway yes ideally being a stay-at-home mother is probably the best thing to bond with one’s children, but some families can’t afford that, while others choose not to.

As far as Solange, isn’t she still rather young? I think she’s about the same age as my sister, who graduated from HS in 2005 and is currently in college. Maybe Solange is trying to finish her education or better herself in some way, so she send her son to a daycare part of the day? Who knows, but whatever her reason, it’s her choice to have him go to some sort of “school” for part of the day.

Plus anyway 2 yrs old isn’t necessarily too young to spend a bit of time away from one’s parents. Most churches start their Sunday School and/or Bible School classes at 2yrs old. It just depends upon the parents’ personal opinion of their child’s level of maturity to whether or not they send them at that age.

LC on June 25th, 2007

I am a single mother and full time student. If I could afford to put my son in school/daycare for a few hours a day a few days a week I would. Currently my mom or other family members keep him while I’m in school but he loves playing with other kids and it’s a good way to get him to adjust to real school.

Rhonda on August 29th, 2008

OK all – being separated from Mom/Dad is a part of social development. Learning to interact with other children and even other adults is good for even 2 year olds. Have you never heard of independence?? You cant wait until they are adults to learn about the world and other people. Being with grandma/pa or family members is good too but not being the center of attention is good. As a Mother of adult children I would advise young parents to “balance” their life as well as their child’s. A variety of experiences is what you want. As they say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Children play peek-a-boo to learn things disappear and then come back and children learn a little independence and self confidence when they survive and even enjoy separation & reunion. As for parents- you MUST get a little time to yourself – the joy of seeing your little one after a separation is not guilt — anyway – just love your baby (they grow up too fast) and balance your life –