Parenting a teenager isn’t for the faint of heart and Victor Cruz is finding that out in real time. The former NFL star recently shared how he’s navigating parenting a teenager in a new interview. 

The 38-year-old recently sat down with People Magazine at Fanatics Fest in New York City and opened up about life with his 13-year-old daughter, Kennedy. 

“The emotions are flowing high, and all the things are happening right now,” Cruz shared with the outlet. “I think the latest moment is just combating her mouth.” Cruz continues, admitting that the way teens speak to their parents today would’ve never flown in his household.

“These kids who just have a specific way [of] speaking to parents that I wouldn’t have dared to speak when I was a kid,” he said, adding, “So I just navigated without having to grab my belt off my waist like my mom used to do to me. I think that’s the biggest navigation that I’m having right now.”

But behind the laughs and teenage growing pains, Cruz is also deeply committed to parenting with purpose and partnership. He’s been open about co-parenting with Kennedy’s mom and how they always keep their daughter’s well-being front and center.

“You can’t do anything as a co-parent without talking,” he said in a past Parents Latina interview. “Even if you’re no longer living under the same roof, the discussions still need to happen for the sake of your kid. And you have to put your ego aside because it can create turmoil and distraction.”

Cruz added, “The focus should never be on the parents. If your child is happy, then everyone is going to be happy.”

It’s clear that Kennedy is thriving. At just 9 years old, she made her fashion show debut with American Girl and Harlem’s Fashion Row. Cruz proudly watched her strut her stuff in a look inspired by American Girl’s World by Us line, an initiative centered on unity, identity, and inclusion.

“This is something that involves inclusion that brings little girls together, that lets them see themselves in the dolls,” Cruz said when asked about what Kennedy’s participation meant to him. “That’s the best part. That’s the unique part, it’s them seeing themselves in the dolls and living through everyday life seeing that truth.”

These days, Kennedy is carving her own lane when it comes to fashion. “It’s been quite a few years since she’s taken any fashion advice from me,” Cruz laughed. “So I just teach her to express herself.”

It seems like Victor Cruz is the ultimate #girldad and although navigating teenagehood is messy, and hilarious all at the same time, it definitely seems as if Cruz is winning at raising a teenage daughter. 

Photo Credit: Victor Cruz Instagram