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Vanessa and JoJo Simmons are shedding light on how their parenting styles differ from those of their upbringing.
In a recent episode of their podcast, “For Good,” which Vanessa co-hosts with her brother, the duo discussed the contrast between the freedom they experienced as children and the more cautious approach they employ with their own kids.
JoJo noted, “Our parents weren’t constantly checking on us. Nowadays, I’m much more protective. I wouldn’t let Mia walk to the corner store alone. It’s too risky.”
Vanessa echoed this sentiment, sharing, “I was hesitant to let Ava go to Starbucks with her friends, even though it’s just a five-minute trip.”
Reflecting on their own childhood, JoJo reminisced, “We’d be at the mall with friends when we were just 10 or 11 years old. Our parents would drop us off without a second thought.”
“We used to be at the mall with our friends at 10, 11. Drop us off,” Jojo recalled.
Even with that perspective, Vanessa said certain boundaries are non-negotiable in her household.
“I don’t even let my daughter do sleepovers. Like it’s just… Just family sleepovers. That’s it,” she said.
JoJo agreed, making his stance clear as well.
“We’re not doing sleepovers ever,” he said.
Jojo explained that her hesitation comes down to not knowing what goes on in other homes.
“No offense to any other parent or anything out here, but I just don’t know y’all like that. You may seem cool, but I don’t know how you run your household,” he said. “Some people be having guns in their house.”
Still, Vanessa acknowledged that there are moments where she has had to push herself to let Ava experience independence, including a recent sleepaway camp.
“I was praying. I had an AirTag on her. They were like, ‘No cell phones.’ I’m like, this is crazy,” Vanessa said. “It was so uncomfortable for the whole four days that she was away. But that situation also helped me to let go a little bit… but I’m still not letting go.”
Despite their concerns, both Vanessa and JoJo recognized the role independence can play in a child’s development.
“That creates character,” Jojo said. “We were able to be outside a little bit more. I think it created a lot of character, in my opinion.”
The conversation ended on a reflective note, with Vanessa sharing how becoming a parent has changed the way she thinks about her own parents.
“Parenting is really not easy. Now, I really have such a deeper level of respect for, you know, our parents now that we’re adults and we’re parents ourselves. Like, you can look and be like, “Wow, this is not easy.” And to have so many kids, I got one,” she said.
Vanessa is mom to one daughter, Ava, whom she shares with partner Mike Wayans, while JoJo shares two children, daughter Mia and son Joey, with his wife Tanice Amira.