Tia Mowry says she doesn't think it's a parent's job to 'make your kids happy'

Tia Mowry treats parental duty as ensuring children's safety, nurture and guidance while expecting children to learn how to make themselves happy. She rejects a strict 'my house, my rules' upbringing and prioritizes allowing children to express themselves and to say no. She refuses to force children into activities that make them uncomfortable. After divorce, she co-parents with respect and emphasizes that showing calm, cooperative parental communication helps children stay adjusted and emotionally calm. She uses real-family boundaries and autonomy to prevent co-dependency and support children's emotional development.

"I don't think it is your job to make your kids happy. I think that it is your job to keep your kids safe, nurture them, guide them, but they have to learn on their own how to make themselves happy, because we don't want to create co-dependency," she said.

"I think growing up, it was definitely a cultural thing where it's like, 'my house, my rules,'" Mowry told Parents. "I didn't want to do that with my children."

"That's what keeps children beautifully adjusted. It keeps their nervous system calm and at ease when they see their parents are still together, we all come together as a family."

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