Keke Palmer Says Baby Leo Is Almost Too Independent: ‘He Really Likes To Do His Own Thing'

From the moment babies are born, parents start teaching them how to navigate the world. It’s such an important honor — and one that naturally comes with an expiration date. Every parent knows their kids will one day fly the nest and not need their mom and dad as much — they just don’t expect it to happen when their little one is just 1 year old! Keke Palmer just shared how her baby Leodis “Leo” Andrellton is almost too independent already, and the story is too funny.

“My son is very independent and I found out that I’m actually quite clingy and needy,” The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy actress told Us Weekly on Monday. “He doesn’t really care to be bothered with me too much. He does when he wants to, and he’ll be sitting there patiently waiting for the kisses to come in. But when he’s done with me, he’s done with me, and he really likes to do his own thing.”

More from SheKnows

• Kate Hudson's New Song Is Being Called a 'Mommy Anthem' for Two Heart-Warming Reasons

Poor girl! My firstborn was the exact same way — he didn’t want to be held and he didn’t want help with anything. He just wanted to do his own thing — which can be so hard for a mama!

In the interview, the Nope actress explained that she had mixed feelings about her baby’s free-thinking personality. “I love that my son is independent because I like that I know that he’s going to always be good,” Palmer said. “He’s kind of like, ‘Mom, I got my own life going on.’”

On the other hand… “But also it’s like, ‘Baby, you’re only 1 year old. What kind of life could you have?’” she continued. “And he’s like, ‘I’m watching Ms. Rachel. I’m playing with my trucks.’”

The “Big Boss” singer welcomed Leo in Feb. 2023 with estranged ex-boyfriend Darius Jackson, with whom she split in October. Since then, she was granted a restraining order against him. Now, she is busy focusing on her career and bringing her baby boy with her everywhere, including to Atlanta where she is filming The Pickup.

“[I’m] definitely more selective with projects,” she told PEOPLE earlier this month. “Looking for stuff that allows me to be with him either at home, or it’s somewhere I can go and have a room or a trailer. I also want to respect his individuality and his freedom and space. It’s not just like you come to Mommy’s world, only Mommy’s world.”

She went on, “You have to always think about that, with kids. While we want to take them everywhere and we want them to be our world, they are their own little people, so you have to also give them their own sense of structure. Because as an adult, I’m kind of here, there and everywhere. I really try to keep that in mind.”

It sounds like Leo came by his independence naturally!

Before you go, check out this list of celeb couples who split before their child’s first birthday.

Best of SheKnows

• So Long, 'Grandma' — Here Are the Non-Boring Grandparent Nicknames You Need

• Robert Pattinson & Suki Waterhouse & More Celebrities Who Welcomed Babies in 2024

• Ashley Tisdale, Vanessa Hudgens, & All the Other Celebrity Pregnancy Announcements of 2024

Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.