Brooke Burke On Raising 'Strong, Opinionated' Kids

Landov

Southern California is an unquestionably beautiful place to live, but with the beautiful surroundings come unique challenges for parents. “It is hard,” laments mom-of-four Brooke Burke. “We live in Malibu and in a very ritzy place, surrounded by a lot of privileged people, but I try to raise them in the most natural way possible.” To help keep Neriah, 8 ½, and Sierra Sky, 6 ½, Heaven Rain, 2 and 10 ½-month-old Shaya Braven grounded Brooke offers up lots of honesty — and encourages the kids to stay true to themselves. She says,

“I am raising them to be strong and opinionated.”

For Brooke, “family comes first,” but the 37-year-old model and television host also admits that she “love[s] being a working woman.” In her efforts to balance the two, she tries to keep everything in perspective and to set priorities; She also credits the “great support system” she has in her family. “As a mother, I think I have accomplished more than as a single woman,” Brooke adds.

Neriah and Sierra are Brooke’s children from a previous marriage; Rain and Shaya are her children with fiancé David Charvet.

Source: Reuters

Comments

“Opinionated”?

That’s quite an unusual intention for raising one’s child…

Could she have confused it with “open”…?

- Julia on February 2nd, 2009

Julia, I think she means that she doesn’t want them to accept everything at face value & to question an opinion/person on their intent. At least, that is how I’m interpreting her comment.

- Billie on February 2nd, 2009

I understand what she is saying about keeping her kids ‘grounded’ when they live in a privileged community…it can be very difficult to keep your kids grounded!! I have found it best to live in a community that is conducive to how I want to raise my children.

- brooklyn on February 2nd, 2009

It’s nice she admits she likes being a working woman. The last 2 yrs she has been known for having babies, but before that I remember her modeling, on rock star, on the e channel. I think she did DWTS, hoping it would boost her career, and I think it will work. I wanna see david in more things too, I used to love him on baywatch and melrose place. Broooke seems like a good mom.

- gianna on February 2nd, 2009

Opinionated? I sure hope she means like what a poster said above, ” Open!”
Anyway, good to see she’ll keep her kids grounded…

- babyboopie on February 2nd, 2009

What’s wrong with her saying she wants her kids to be opinionated? Developing your own opinions is a large part of critical thinking and intelligence. Personally I think it’s a good thing.

- Brandi on February 2nd, 2009

I think she meant opinionated. I agree with her it’s important to have your own opinion about issues and not blindly follow others.

- Sarita on February 2nd, 2009

It sounds like Brooke has the best of both worlds as a career woman and a mom ..she is amazing!

- Nicole on February 2nd, 2009

I’m sure she meant opinionated–and I would teach my kids to be the same.

- Caroline on February 2nd, 2009

Having an opinion and being opinionated are two different things. Opinionated means: Holding stubbornly and often unreasonably to one’s own opinions.

Here are some synonyms and antonyms..I think she meant the antonym of open-minded:

Synonyms: adamant, arbitrary, assertive, biased, bigoted, bossy, bullheaded, cocksure, cocky, conceited, dictatorial, doctrinaire, dogmatic, hard-line, high-handed, inflexible, intransigent, locked in, obdurate, obstinate, one-sided, oracular, overbearing, pigheaded, positive, pragmatic, pragmatical, prejudiced, self-assertive, set in stone, set-on, single-minded, stubborn, tilted, uncompromising, unyielding, weighted

Antonyms: compromising, indifferent, open-minded

- Jesse M on February 2nd, 2009

So I think she wants her kids to have an opinion and not be push overs but not to the point of being bossy,cocky and inflexible.

- Jesse M on February 2nd, 2009

I think she means she wants them to have strong opinions and morals and not be wishy-washy!

- Kewky on December 28th, 2010