Cindy Crawford Says Being the Enforcer is 'a Drag'

INF

Despite her fame and fortune Cindy Crawford remains an earnest Midwesterner at heart, but the conflict between the two has led to an “inner struggle” over how best to raise her two children. During a Tuesday appearance on The Rachael Ray Show, the 42-year-old supermodel admitted that — for example — she sees the hypocrisy in forcing Presley Walker, 9, and Kaia Jordan, 7, to make their beds when she has a housekeeper to make her own. ”It’s kind of like, a fake chore, to say ‘You have to make your bed,’” she explains. “But what does make sense is giving them something to do, a job that’s unique and uses their skills that can kind of be their chore.” To that end, Cindy and husband Rande Gerber have appointed Presley the “family archivist,” putting him in charge of taking and storing the family photographs.

“That’s using his unique skills as opposed to just making the bed…But as a Midwesterner, I [still] want my kid to be able to make his bed and do laundry when he goes off to college!”

Singling herself out as “the one who makes sure” the kids are up on time, do their homework, take baths and go to bed at a decent hour, the role of enforcer isn’t one Cindy relishes. “It’s a drag sometimes,” she admits. “I get tired of being that person, but Rande doesn’t really care about that stuff so he’s not going to enforce it.” One thing Cindy is clearly unafraid to enforce is the notion of respecting your elders. “I’m sorry, I love Hannah Montana for Kaia but she learns how to be sassy from that show!” Cindy laments. She adds,

“And this is a 7-year-old! I’ll say to her, ‘Look, I don’t let anyone in my life talk to me like that, I’m certainly not going to take it from a 7-year-old in my house.’”

Cindy and Rande have been married since May 1998.

Source: The Rachael Ray Show

Comments

I haven’t met/heard one mom who says she lets her daughter watch this show! It is the same complaint that it inspires bad behavior. How did this show get so popular?

- MIzMolly on January 8th, 2009

Fortunately, I have little boys that have no interest in anything like Hannah Montana. I personally don’t get the whole Hannah Montana thing. I have friends that go out of their way to make sure their little girls stay away from that show or anything having to do with it because they noticed a definite change in their girls and their attitudes when they watched the show. By the way, Cindy Crawford is one of my favorite celebrity Moms. She has a lovely family.

- JK on January 8th, 2009

I agree! I definitely know which of my students are allowed to watch and which ones aren’t – makes a big difference!

- Brannon on January 8th, 2009

I totally agree about Hannah Montana. Whether or not the show is “clean” (no dirty language, sexual talk, etc), it is still idolizes the life of a pre-teen. WHY would I want my sweet 6 yr old to idolize a teenager? Listen, the sassiness will come soon enough. I just want both of my girls to enjoy being LITTLE girls, not wishing to be older. Hence, my children do not watch it, and never have asked to watch it either. Anyone is welcome to disagree with me, but honestly, there is no argument for allowing a young girl to watch a show about teenage girls and the supposed glamorized life that HM leads. We wonder why girls seem so much more developed, mature, sophisticated than we all were as teens. I’m 31 by the way…I grew up watching Brady Bunch, the Muppets, Strawberry Shortcake. Kids being kids….:)

- Laura on January 8th, 2009

my question is, why doesn’t her husband care about the children getting their homework done or going to bed on time?

- Sandy on January 8th, 2009

i think some dads just don´t think that put the kids to go to bed on time is an really important thing.

like my dad does,lol.
I don´t think she was talking about the homework when she said this about Rande.

Anyway,Cindy was always my favorite 90´s model.
Her kids are the most beautiful of all celebrity kids in my opinion.Close to NatiVodi´s.

- mel on January 8th, 2009

I agree mel, my dad was never big on that stuff either. He just always wanted us to be happy so he didn’t want to send us to bed haha. Neither of my parents were big on homework. I think it’s just how they were raised. My parents’ parents worked all the time so they had to somewhat raise themselves. Maybe thats how Rande was raised. JMO of course, I don’t know the Gerbers personally.

- Natasha on January 8th, 2009

That sounded a little awkward, I meant he didn’t want to spoil our fun by going to bed. Not saying that children who go to bed are unhappy! lol

- Natasha on January 8th, 2009

Even if she meant “He doesn’t enforce it” in a joking way, that’s awful to me. I wouldn’t put up with a husband that just shrugged off those responsibilities on me.

- Megan on January 8th, 2009

Ummm, heres an idea…she could make her own bed too! I grew wp with staff (diplomatic family)and I always had to make my bed, polish my own shoes, make my own lunches. I’d be out there with the gardener (who thought my parents were crazy) mowing the residence’s lawn in summer. And my parents did a lot of stuff too. Everyone thought my dad was the chauffer not the ambassador because he would get out in his daggy shorts and wash the car himself sometimes. So maybe Cindy should lead by example…

- Fevvers on January 8th, 2009

I thought the whole bed comment was weird. I mean, I really respect that she wants her kids to learn the value of chores. I think that’s really important. But, why not make your own bed too, if you worry that much about looking like a hypocrite? Does she really not have time to make her own bed? When my mom had more money, she had a house keeper come every other week to help with some of the basic cleaning around the house (mopping, dusting, deep cleaning) but she still did the basics herself that she expected of us.

- MZ on January 8th, 2009

Amen to that, Cindy! And honestly, I think parents are always gonna be a little hypocritical just because they’re adults. It’s like they did all the bedmaking and chores and such as kids, so they’ve earned their privilege of having a maid or housekeeper do it. But the kids haven’t. When you see it as a child, is it fair? No. But when they become adults and build multimillion-dollar empires like their mom, they can have housekeepers who make their beds, too.

- Nina on January 8th, 2009

Well, there is always that tension between both parents. My mother has always been more of the enforcer than my dad was. It’s not that my dad didn’t find, bedtime/stricter rules important, it’s just he doesn’t have that kind of personality to really enforce it.

I think it’s good for kids to have that balance, as long as similar rules are enforced in the long run.

- Mia on January 8th, 2009

I totally agree with Nina. I’ve earned the right to pay someone to make my bed. I don’t think my kids have.

Color me hypocritical.

- Janna on January 8th, 2009

I don’t see the point of children making their bed when there is a housekeeper. It’s not really a skill. My mother made my bed for me my whole childhood. Now I have my own house, I do it myself.
There are other things that are more important to learn!

- Anna on January 8th, 2009

Kinda weird to blame a tv show for making your daughter “sassy” while you allow your daughter to pose in a bikini… And take her out with her face covered in powder, lipstick, mascara, eyeliner, etc… If you don’t want your 7 year old to behave sassy, why do you allow her to wear make-up and bikinis at that age??

- Laura on January 8th, 2009

The first thing I thought too was, “why not make your own bed!”
If that is the only thing you yourself have to do in a whole day as far as your own housework I say set an example and show them you can do it as well!!

I also agree it’s not the most important but kids these days are a bit spoiled by not having to do chores. My mom never made us make our bed growing up but she always said, “you know your room looks nicer with a neat bed!”…needless to say we could careless. However now that I’m older I hate a messy bed!! I just don’t get the rearranging photos thing! But whatever.

And sorry to say but you cannot blame EVERYTHING that your children do based on what they watch on television! I am sure they can learn certain behavior but if you see your child is acting differently I’d suggest shutting it off for awhile. But children can pick up sassiness without watching those kinds of shows. My niece is 4 and can be very sassy and she has never laid eyes on shows like Hannah Montana. It also comes with how you speak to your children. If you use sassy talk with them they’ll give it right back!! I think sometimes you need to look at your other lifestyles to see why your child behaves the way they do. JMO

- JM on January 8th, 2009

She has a maid come in every morning to make her bed? Or they have a live-in I guess. Wow, not livin my life babe……….

- Aitch on January 8th, 2009

What a beautiful family!

My 9 and 11-year old daughters have watched Hannah Montana, and it has not changed their attitudes one iota. My husband and I have shown them how we expect them to behave, and they are respectful and kind no matter what they watch on TV.

I watched a lot of Tom and Jerry when I was little, but I didn’t go around hitting people with frying pans.

- Melissa on January 8th, 2009

Laura, ITA!

- kaitlyn on January 8th, 2009

Why can’t girls be sassy? It’s better training for later life!!!

- Ellie on January 9th, 2009

Ellie, I understand she meant the kids have to learn to respect their elders, a value that is much lost nowadays. Being able to defend yourself and be assertive does not mean to have to be disrespectful to others.

- mar on January 9th, 2009

my girls watch hannah montana but are not sassy with their parents because they have been raised not allowed to act like brats…they know the difference.
Cindy has the 2 prettiest kids!! Talk about a pretty boy!! Those 2 will end up modeling just like their parents.

- lori on January 10th, 2009

ahm, fist of all, she can either make her own bed also, or simply tell her kids they have to now cause they’re kids and if they grow up to make millions they can hire a nanny to do it for them – like Cindy did. please – there’s a difference between kids and parents. i had to vacuum and for this day i have never ever seen my father vacuum. same with making my bed or cleaning my room. taking pictures is NOT A CHOIR! that’s crazy, at this rate she is gonna raise spoiled brats.

but i agree on Hannah Montana, cindy said “sassy” – the word is “smart a..” those shows teach kids how to talk back to their parents and get smart with them. it’s not just HM, there are cartoons that show kids talking back to their parents.

- mona on January 10th, 2009

I think Cindy sounds an amazing mom with the best values. You all are so quick to judge people when you don’t even know what their lives are like.

- Deb on January 10th, 2009

First, they make a beautiful family. Just because Cindy has made millions, doesn’t mean that she should be the only one to reap the benefits of having a housekeeper. That being said, I think having her kids doing chores is a good idea. Then they can grow up and learn to respect what they have. My kids have many, many chores because my husband and I both work full time, we don’t make millions and can’t afford to hire a housekeeper. I feel that this is their house as well, and they can help with the upkeep. Living in this house is a priveledge, not a right. We are a big family and we all have to do our part. As for Hannah Montana, you are all crazy! Your kids learn to behave by your example, if they imitate a character on T.V, then you are letting them watch too much! My 2-year old loves Hannah, she imitates her also, but she also realizes that it is a game, and doesn’t act like that every day, all the time. Get a grip people! raise your children, don’t let the “babysitter” do it for you!

- Leanne on January 10th, 2009

Laura,
What does wearing a bikini have to do with being sassy or having a “sas mouth” as my mom would say? And I have never seen Kala out in public with loads of makeup on. I mean are you being serious or are you just trying to find fault with Cindy’s parenting skills?

- LolaCola on January 14th, 2009