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Mothers are incredibly protective over their children and celebrity mothers are no exception. They all want what they deem is best for their kids, whether that relates to diet or other lifestyle choices.

All mothers insist that their children follow certain rules which may relate to doing chores, watching TV or getting enough sunlight. The Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow is no exception. She too has certain rules that she wants her children - her daughter Apple and her son Moses - to follow even though her ex-husband and the father of her children, Chris Martin, doesn't always agree.

As far as celebrity mothers go, Paltrow is neither an extremely strict nor a very relaxed mother. She has certain, strict rules that she insists her children follow and then there are certain rules she doesn't mind breaking herself.

Makes Sure Her Kids Follow -  TV In French Or Spanish Only

The actress Gwyneth Paltrow is not as strict as other celebrity mothers when it comes to watching TV. Indeed, she doesn’t mind at all when her kids, Apples and Moses, watch TV. However, there is a catch: they can only watch TV in Spanish or French.

But there are only so many Spanish and French channels that one can tune into in America, right? Well, Paltrow thinks ahead and buys all of her kids cartoons in France.

According to Daily Mail, the actress said – “'When I'm in France, I go to [Boulevard] Beaumarchais and buy all their cartoons.” Apparently her kids, especially her daughter Apple, are not exactly pleased with this arrangement, but we have to admit it is a clever way of teaching your kids a foreign language.

Makes Sure Her Kids Follow - Low-Carb Diet

While most mothers avoid feeding their kids sugar, Paltrow takes it a step further: she insists that carbohydrates are bad for them and therefore avoids giving them pasta, rice and bread. Apparently, her decision to rule out carbohydrates stemmed from the fact that her children are gluten intolerant. However, in her cookbook called It’s All Good, Paltrow insists that we are all, at best, gluten-intolerant, and at worst, allergic to it.

The actress also admitted that the lack of carbohydrates her family gets is seemingly affecting their health, and not in a good way, a statement that has attracted a lot of criticism.

According to Daily Mail, Paltrow said – “Sometimes when my family is not eating pasta, bread or processed grains like white rice, we’re left with that specific hunger that comes with avoiding carbs.”

Makes Sure Her Kids Follow - Family Time

Family time is important to Paltrow, hence why she has refused a number of film roles so that she can stay at home with her children. After all, filming requires a lot of work – around 12 to 14 hours a day on set as well as possible separation if the shooting takes place outside the country – and Paltrow doesn’t think that women can have it all.

While not everyone will agree with the statement that women can’t have it all, it does make sense. So, how does Paltrow spend time with her children? Apparently, she loves to bathe with them. Back in 2012, Paltrow said, according to Jezebel, – “We all get into the tub together."

Doesn't Care About - Lets Her Daughter Pull A "Sickie"

Paltrow knows that school is important but she also knows that occasional sick days are not the end of the world. Which is why she sometimes lets her daughter Apple pull a “sickie” so that the two of them can spend some quality time together.

A few years ago the actress admitted that she recently allowed her daughter to pretend she was sick so that they could go get lunch together and then visit a beauty salon.

According to Daily Mail, Paltrow said – “I'll probably get kicked out of our school for admitting this, but I let Apple stay home yesterday. I just needed to be with her. We went out to lunch, we went to the beauty salon, we were together.”

Makes Sure Her Kids Follow - “Coke Of The Week”

Apparently, Paltrow’s children Apple and Moses are not repulsed by the sight of healthy snacks as some kids are. Indeed, the actress has confessed that from an early age she had started off her kids with healthy snacks such as hummus and carrots as opposed to cookies and cotton candy.

Paltrow’s daughter Apple is said to love fresh fruit and raw nuts and according to the actress, both Apple and Moses are sometimes treated with a brown rice stir-fry.

However, their real treat comes when it is time for their “Coke of the week”, an occasion we’re sure is awaited with bated breath at the Paltrow household.

Makes Sure Her Kids Follow - Enough Time In The Sun

We all know that spending time outside – and preferably, in the sun – has great health benefits such as getting enough vitamin D and keeping us fit and happy. Paltrow knows this too and she insists that her children spend enough time outside.

Indeed, enough time in the sun was one of the reasons why, back in 2013, Paltrow and her then husband Chris Martin bought a house in Brentwood, California.

According to Daily Star, the actress then said – “Just to have my kids be in the sun every day - picking avocados, going for a swim. Even for two years or something, and come back when they go to senior school."

Makes Sure Her Kids Follow - Doesn’t Want Them To Have A Career Like Hers

The actress Gwyneth Paltrow was lucky to make it in Hollywood, because, as the actress confesses, as soon as she reached the age of 18, she was on her own which basically made her become self-sufficient. And apparently, she’s going to do the same with her kids when they grow up.

That is why Paltrow is rather upset that her kids are drawn to a career that focuses on performance – she thinks it’s rather difficult to make it in Hollywood nowadays and wants them to live happy lives as well as to be able to pay for their mortgage.

In an interview with Glamour, Paltrow said – “Unfortunately, I think they're both gonna be drawn to perform. They're naturals—they sing, act, play guitar, do stand-up—it's brimming out of them. So I feel like my mother. Whenever I said I wanted to be an actress, she said, "Oh no, don't. You're too smart to be an actress. Do something else!"

Doesn't Care About - Occasionally Allows Oreos And Chips

Paltrow wants her kids to eat as healthily as possible which means lots of nutritious, homemade meals, gluten-free dishes, no carbohydrates and sugar. Snacks in the Paltrow household usually consist of fresh fruit, raw nuts, carrots and hummus but the actress admits that keeping a balance is important.

According to Huffington Post, Paltrow said – “I tried to start them off with all of the right foods but as they got older, the lure of Oreos and cotton candy outweighed the lure of carrots with hummus. And that’s all a part of childhood and I love Oreos too, so I completely understand.”

She also admitted that her kids love pasta and chips and that while her daughter Apple loves healthy snacks she “will inhale a bag of hot Cheetos at the airport. It’s all about balance.”

Makes Sure Her Kids Follow - No Photos On Social Media (With Some Exceptions)

Being a celebrity inevitably means a lack of privacy so it comes as no surprise that many celebrity mothers do all they can to protect their children from the constant spotlight. Paltrow is no exception. She not only allows no public pictures of Apple and Moses to be taken, but is also not too keen on sharing private pictures of her kids either.

Paltrow is a proud mother but her social media pages – Twitter and Instagram – are strangely devoid of pictures of her kids.

There are some exceptions, of course. The actress does post an occasional photo here and there when it is their birthday. For example, quite recently Paltrow posted a photo of her son Moses on her Instagram page and captioned it as “Happy birthday, my son. You are the sweetest, most brilliant young man I’ve ever met. You broke the mold 12 years ago today when you came into the world. #Iwasbornthedayyouwereborn” (Source: Independent)

Makes Sure Her Kids Follow - Perfect English Accents

If you’re a fan of the British drama series Downton Abbey, you’re not the only one. Paltrow also loves the show and has even decided to incorporate some of its aspects into her own life. For example, the show inspired the actress to teach her children to speak in a posh British accent, just like the Crowley family does in the show.

Apparently, Paltrow’s children currently have ridiculously funny accents because they spend half of their time in America and half of their time in Britain. According to TV3, a source close to the family said – “Gwyn adores 'Downton Abbey' and is forever saying how she wishes her kids spoke as beautifully. At the moment, the kids use slang from the US and the UK and it drives her nuts.''

Makes Sure Her Kids Follow - Faith

While Paltrow once said that she doesn’t believe in religion but rather in spirituality, her appearance on the show Who Do You Think You Are a few years ago has convinced her that she should bring her children up in the Jewish faith.

While the actress was aware that her father Bruce Paltrow was Jewish – she was brought up as both a Jew and a Christian - the show revealed that she actually comes from a long line of East European rabbis.

As such, the actress apparently decided to raise her children in a Jewish environment, which, according to experts, may mean observing the Sabbath and keeping a kosher home, the practices the actress also followed as a child.

Doesn't Care About - iPhones From The Age Of 12, Unrestricted Texting And Social Media Allowed

While Paltrow says that her daughter Apple was the last one of her friends to get a phone, she was still only 12 years old which makes us think that Paltrow is not as strict as one may think. And it doesn’t seem like the actress is too controlling when it comes to her daughter’s texting habits and social media accounts.

Indeed, while Apple’s social media accounts are private, Paltrow doesn't seem to have enforced any other rules on her daughter when it comes to phone use. Paltrow has said, according to People magazine - “It’s crazy — her phone and her texting and her social media.”

Makes Sure Her Kids Follow - No Summer Camp

Back in 2017 the actress admitted in a Jimmy Kimmel interview that she will not be sending her kids to summer camp because she likes them too much. However, when asked by Kimmel whether she went to camp herself, Paltrow admitted that she did and that she loved it.

According to One Country, Paltrow said – “My parents would send me for eight weeks to camp,” she added. “If you want to know why I have so many issues, that’s why. I actually loved camp. I went to a great camp in Vermont on Lake Champlain. It was an all girls camp called Brown Ledge. It was riding and theater and water skiing. It was fantastic.”

Makes Sure Her Kids Follow - Entrepreneurial Spirit

Paltrow knows the importance of encouraging her kids’ entrepreneurial spirit. Indeed, a few years ago the actress could be seen helping her kids sell cookies and lemonade in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of LA.

Knowing Paltrow, she made sure that the lemonade was “100 percent organic” with “no sugar added.” Plus, you could avail of a great deal – a small lemonade and a cookie for only $1.50.

Paltrow hopes that one day her kids will take over her own business – Goop – and thus encouraging their business and entrepreneurial skills is one way to ensure that they don’t choose a performing career in Hollywood. (Source: PopSugar)

Makes Sure Her Kids Follow  - Only Nutritious, Gluten-Free Meals At Home

Since Paltrow has made her kids her priority – which meant giving up amazing film roles because apparently, according to Paltrow, you can’t have it all – she makes sure that they get only nutritious, gluten-free meals at home.

According to Hollywood Life, Paltrow said – “I try to make sure that what is on their plate at home is nutritious and tasty, and then I loosen way up on the reigns when we are out.”

Nutritious and gluten-free dishes may be healthy, but according to Paltrow’s ex-chef Kate McAloon, they are not exactly tasty. Apparently, when McAloon started adding in ingredients from the list of banned products that was given to her by Paltrow, the family started saying that her dishes have improved.

Doesn't Care About - Video Games Allowed

The actress may be strict with TV use – she only allows her kids to watch TV in French or Spanish – but she doesn’t seem to be as strict when it comes to video games.

Indeed, Paltrow’s kids are apparently addicted to video games. A few years ago, Paltrow tweeted, according to CBS News – “I swore I would never have one in the house, now they freebase Mario. (sic)."

While it is great to see the actress relax her strict rules a little, this area –video games - is probably one of the few where she should keep a tight rein, as experts worry that certain types of video games can desensitize children and make them more violent.

Makes Sure Her Kids Follow - Insists That Her Kids Reinvent Themselves

There’s no denying that experiencing different cultures helps us grow as individuals. However, while most of us get to visit or live in new countries when we are adults, Paltrow wants her children to experience the joys of moving and learning from a young age because she thinks it will help them reinvent themselves.

The actress, according to Citizen, has said – “I don’t want my children to be teenagers in Los Angeles. No way. I’m looking at this move to America like two years, three years tops – then we will go back. It’s part of my parenting philosophy that children should get the opportunity to reinvent themselves at a few points in their childhood to see where their strengths and weaknesses lie and to experience living in different cultures. It’s an experiment.”

Makes Sure Her Kids Follow - Helping Out With The Business

Paltrow doesn’t want her kids to follow in her steps when it comes to their careers and hopes that they will choose an alternative career, one that doesn’t involve performance and one that is sure to pay for their future mortgage. So it comes as no surprise that the actress hopes that one day her kids will take over her business, Goop.

It seems like Paltrow’s wish is going to come true for her daughter Apple is already showing interest in her business. Last year, for example, Apple could be seen helping her famous mother at her Goop store’s jewelry counter where she served customers and seemed to know an awful lot about jewelry. (Source: DailyMail)

Makes Sure Her Kids Follow - Private School

Paltrow wants to ensure that her kids get a chance to go to a top notch college which is why she's sending her daughter Apple to Harvard-Westlake private school. However, a recent scandal which involved some students making slurs on social media have convinced Paltrow’s ex-husband and Apple’s father, Chris Martin, that his daughter should switch schools.

Martin wants his daughter to go to a public school where she could be part of a great music program – Apple is really into music apparently – but Paltrow is having none of that – her kids’ future is more important to her than their exposure to homophobia and racial discrimination. (Source: InTouchWeekly)

She Doesn't Care About - Brings Her Kids To School On A Scooter

Paltrow is known for her strict parenting rules but she is not beyond criticism either. For example, when she was spotted bringing in her kids to school on a Vespa a few years ago the teachers found this mode of transport problematic, especially seeing how the actress had a near-miss accident with a school bus.

A source close to the family revealed, according to Daily Mail, the details of the incident – “The scooters had been convenient for zipping around Los Angeles traffic, and dropping the kids off at school without having to wait with other parents and kids in the car-pool line. But after Gwyneth was photographed on the Vespa pulling out in front of a bus, school chiefs reprimanded her and said they'd rather she and Chris didn't bring the kids to school on scooters.”