Alicia Keys Reveals the 3 Things She Asks Her Kids to Help Them Understand Their Feelings
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Parenting is more than just changing diapers and making the school run. It’s also about teaching your kids about themselves — who they are and how they feel. Alicia Keys just revealed the special way she helps her sons Genesis, 9, and Egypt, 13, who she shares with husband Swizz Beatz, learn about their feelings. And it all starts with three questions.
Communication
“I love conversations — we’re big on conversations. We’re big on communication,” the “Empire State of Mind” singer told PEOPLE in a new cover interview. “There’s definitely parameters for things, but we have to give them the ability to let them explore and let them figure out what they like. And I really take their lead in a lot of ways.”
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One way she encourages her sons to think independently is by asking them these questions: “What do you think? What do you want? What feels right for you?” Keys explained, “Because I think being in touch with your spirit and your intuition is a big key to life. If you don’t know what you think or what you feel, it’s going to be hard for you.”
“I feel like I’ve spent a lot of time not fully understanding or not trusting what I felt, and so I want to teach them to trust their instincts,” she added.
This is a great approach. She is making them stop and evaluate their thoughts and emotions and teaching them to be decision makers in their own lives. That’s a skill many adults don’t even have!
Mom & Dad Time
Although she does her best to be open, it’s not always easy. Like the time she had to talk to Genesis about letting her and Beatz have some alone time in the evenings.
“I’m like, ‘Genesis, you cannot come in the bed every night. You can’t!’” the Grammy winner recalled a conversation with her youngest. “’But why?’ He’s cute, though,” Keys said with a laugh. She “had to break it down” for him. “I said, ‘Listen, when Mommy and Daddy are happy, whole family happy. Mommy and Daddy not happy, whole family not happy,’” she explained. He’ll understand when he’s older!
Motherhood
In a 2019 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, the “Girl on Fire” singer shared how motherhood changed her. “Motherhood gave me a stronger sense of clarity,” Keys told the outlet. “I used to be less aware of how I wanted to spend my time and more influenced by other people. After I had my kids, I felt like I had found my North Star. I was less wasteful; I worked more effectively.”
Keys seems like a great mom, and we know her boys will grow up to be strong, independent, and cognizant of their own feelings and desires. Taking notes for my own parenting journey!
Before you go, check out every celeb parent who took their kids to Taylor Swift’s Eras tour.
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