Most recently, actor and director Ben Affleck gave voice to his parenting philosophy. On language skills and the difficulty of raising kids in an age of accoutrements. In his interview on Jenna & Friends on April 22, the actor spoke candidly about his family interactions. He went on to talk in particular about his son Samuel’s latest wish for a pair of sneakers costing $6,000. Affleck opened up about wanting to provide for his kids. Yet, in spite of this firsthand experience, he is adamant about the need to establish boundaries.
Affleck, who mastered Spanish while attending the University of Vermont, notably has shown off his Spanish-speaking skills in recent years. His daughter Violet, 19, another student of Spanish as well, likes to compete with dad to push each other’s skills. The two have developed a special connection through their language abilities, both being Spanish speakers. Affleck joked that his daughter’s professional interest in the language only deepens this connection between father and daughter.
During the in-person interview, Affleck shared that his son Samuel recently came home empty-handed after he requested the pricey sneakers. He did comic justice to the reality check that comes after wanting a bunch of costly stuff. In this moment, Samuel is living into that future right now.
“And my son, who’s 13, he’s reckoning with that reality right now, as he’s looking at no shoes in his closet.” – Ben Affleck
Affleck’s view of parenting speaks to his wish to prepare his kids for reality and teach them these important life nuggets. He stated, “Listen, you love your kids — you want to give them everything and do anything for them,” but he recognizes the need for limits. He even claimed that failing to draw lines would be a “disservice” to children.
The actor continued to call attention to the price of luxuries by jokingly declaring the need to work a minimum wage. He even challenged his son to think about what it takes to earn money before making expensive buys.
“Well, if you want that, you can work 1,000 hours at minimum wage — and if you work 1,000 hours, you might not want to spend it on a pair of shoes.” – Ben Affleck
Affleck mentioned that his “oldest two” children, Violet and 16-year-old Fin, have jobs, suggesting he supports their efforts to learn responsibility and the value of hard work. He co-parents his three daughters with ex-wife Jennifer Garner.