Ellie Kemper Reveals the Parenting Rule She's Ditching This Summer with Her 2 Boys
The actress is looking forward to "having not as much structure" in her kids' routines
Kemper shares sons James, 8, and Matthew, 5, with husband Michael KomanEllie Kemper is embracing a schedule-free summer — and throwing out this one parenting rule.
The actress, 45, spoke with Parents for their summer issue and shared that this summer, she and husband Michael Koman are ditching a popular parenting tactic for their two boys — James, 8, and Matthew, 5.
"I'm looking forward to having not as much structure," the mom of two says of her summer plans with her family. "I know that all the parenting experts tell me that structure is key, and I agree with that to a point."
"But I think it's also nice to let some of the structure slide during the summer, which is sort of natural," Kemper explains.
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When asked to define her parenting style, Kemper admits that it's "constantly evolving."
"And by that I mean that, while my husband and I have rules and boundaries and structure in place, I've learned that I need to ease up on certain things. So, it's kind of something that I'm constantly refining," she says.
In a 2021 episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Kemper shared that her then-toddler son Matthew had started talking and kept his vocabulary extremely courteous.
The proud mom revealed that Matthew "jumped straight to a phrase, not even his first word."
"He says, 'No thanks,' all the time," the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star said with a laugh. "I feel like I should get a medal because I've raised him to be so polite. Isn't that cute?"
Not only is her little boy well-mannered, Kemper said Matthew is also "incredibly strong."
"I have to wrestle him to change his diaper," she admitted. "It's unbelievable. My husband has a similar strength; he never works out, but he's incredibly strong. I think Matthew has inherited that super strength."
At the time, she also shared that her older son James is also incredibly respectful — especially when it comes to Kemper's patience.
"I get a little sad at night because James will say to me, he's like, 'Mom, why don't I brush my teeth. You don't have to help me. I know you don't have a lot of patience left,' " Kemper said, letting out a laugh. "It's like, how many times have I said to him, like 'James I don't have patience.' "
"It's hilarious and a little sad," she continued. "I tell James that I start the day with a bucket full of patience and energy. And by the end of the day, the bucket is running low."
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