Gwyneth “Dame Goopy” Paltrow has deigned to appear on Ellen Degeneres show, which has already been pre-taped and will air on Thursday. Dame Goopy spoke about her children, and how special they are. Actually, according to People’s preview of the interview, she didn’t go overboard discussing how amazing they are or anything. It’s not like she’s Katie Holmes or anything, talking about how her kids are geniuses. So, good for Goopy on that point. Goopy does talk about how she wants another baby, which is interesting but not really new – she’s been saying that for a while. But I did enjoy the part where Goopy talked about her kids’ tantrums – and how she just “put on headphones or earplugs.” Ha!
Apple and Moses, make room in the house: Your mother, Gwyneth Paltrow, wants to add to the family.
“I would love to have another child at some point. I feel very, very lucky that I have two healthy, nice ones,” the Shakespeare in Love Oscar winner and Iron Man 2 star tells Ellen DeGeneres on The Ellen DeGeneres Show airing Thursday.
Paltrow, who’s been married to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin since 2003, assures the TV host that, despite their tender ages, her kids are nice and well-behaved – for the most part.
“They’re great. They’re so sweet,” says Paltrow, 37. Then again, she also admits that sometimes her children are given to tantrums, but aren’t all children?
“It’s part of it,” says Paltrow. “They’re kids and they have to do what they have to do. You just have to wear earplugs sometimes.”
How often does she plug her ears? “I started to with all these toys that makes noise, instead of smashing the toys when I haven’t slept and, like, lose my mind,” says the mother and actress. “I just put on headphones or earplugs.”
[From People]
Mother of the year! No, I get it. I would put on headphones too, but that’s probably why I’m NOT a mother. I can’t stand wailing and crying and tantrums. I would probably yell at my child to SHUT THE F-CK UP. Just thinking about a tantrumy child makes me itch. So, do we give Gwyneth a pass for just putting in her earplugs when her kid is having a breakdown? Here you go, Goopy. Your one pass.
I might have to revoke the pass if she continues with these God awful outfits though. I know some of you think Gwyneth was rocking the shorts-suit, but I still think the whole outfit is made of fail.
I want to hate the shorts suit, but I don’t. What I do hate, thought, are those shoes (and clutch) with it – WTF?!
I agree wholeheartedly mamalama. Those shoes are pure fug and the clutch looks like the same thing I keep my license and registration info in in my car.
You don’t wear shorts on the freaking red carpet. I don’t care if Armani makes them…they are freaking shorts! She isn’t going to dinner at the shore club, she’s at a movie premier.
wow, I think she looks good here. She looks healthy.
also, honestly, what’s wrong with earplugs? You can still hear what people are saying, it’s just not so painful. Am I missing something?
wait – don’t all parents have earplugs? i know i would, but i would probably wear mine about 80% of the time. which is why i don’t have kids, either. i also hate goopy’s shoes. they look like hooves.
I love the hot pants suit…and I LOVE THAT GWINNIE HAS GAINED WEIGHT!!! She looks…GORGEOUS!!!
The outfit would have worked if she had carried the black up to her neck/ears…and the black shoes could have been a bit strappier…
Other than that…she looks GOOD…and she knows it…
BTW…earplugs is better than slipping your child some children’s Tylenol…which…I’m not saying I’ve done…I’m just saying…you shouldn’t do…
Earplugs are a novel approach. When they get a few years older, I want to hear how she puts them in the same room and says “There. I don’t care if you kill each other in here!” And shuts the door.
I am pregnant right now and will never use earplugs with my child because my child will NOT have tantrums. That shit will not be tolerated and the only reason kids even have them is because parents let them. Nobody makes their kids behave any more, parents always say “Oh that’s just how kids act!” when their little hellion is annoying everyone within 50 miles with it’s screaming. When I was a child I was expected to behave properly, if I didn’t I got disciplined. Parents now do not do this, they say lame shit like “Now now honey, stop that please…no no sweetheart, Mommy said no…sweetie PLEASE listen to me…” while their kid ignores them and they look like the world’s biggest losers and doormats. Imagine how pathetic you look when your toddler/small child is ruling YOUR life, who is the adult here? Nope, not gonna be my parenting style, no earplugs needed in this house.
Oh, and wait 10-15 years and we’ll be hearing Goopy whine about how her children are “Soo out of control!!” and she will truly have no idea why. If you raise your children without rules, consequences for their actions, boundaries or discipline then do not be shocked when those bad children grow up to be bad adults. I just hate to see all these screwed up kids from this touchy-feely new age BS parenting, poor little things. I had seriously strict parents and I thank God for them every day when I see this crap, and it just strengthens my resolve to NEVER EVER be a loser wimp “Mommy” that needs to resort to f*cking EARPLUGS instead of getting off my lazy ass and MAKING THE KIDS LISTEN TO ME. Goodness, no wonder the world is going to hell if this is acceptable nowadays! Sickening.
You don’t wear earplugs when you are the parent of young children because you need to hear them if they hurt themselves (which can be often when they are toddlers). I don’t know, maybe she’s watching them when she puts the earplugs in. It sounds very weird to me.
I love it. I carry earplugs in my purse all the time. It works for kids, people yapping on their cell phones on the train. So many uses.
i put in earplugs when gwennie’s annoying ass speaks
I used to make another martini!
Twisty: I’d like to hear your perspective again AFTER you have the baby. While I agree with most of what you said, many other parents started out with the same philosophy and found themselves making many compromises along the way. I’d like to know how you stick to your guns – so to speak!
As for the earplugs, they do not TOTALLY deafen the wearer, they just DECREASE the volume and intensity of noise. You can still hear the little b*stards. That approach is definitely better than lashing out at your kids – which I’ve witnessed too many times. The insanity of raising young kids will definitely bring you on the edge of losing it but at least she’s found a way to maintain her self-control.
Babies are born.
Brats are created.
She probably wears the earplugs while her nanny minds the kids.
oenix-
Yeah, I know what you’re saying, and I imagine I won’t be the super hard-ass I am now, but I sure as hell won’t allow my child to call the shots like so many parents do. And if I still have time to post after I pop this thang out, I’ll let you know how I’ve changed 🙂
It’s okay Twisty. When they are old enough to have tantrums, we will be here ready to serve you a margarita 🙂 We all have grand delusions about kids.. and then they turn into kids.
Congrats on the new baby! May you have a happy and healthy pregnancy and a very healthy baby!
Oh and just a little tip.. don’t be a hero.. take the drugs during labor, you don’t score any extra bonus Mommy Points for not taking it!
Hey Kaiser.. Bliss can be found while using my pink shuffle! I tell my 3 ‘let me know if there is blood!” and back into the nirvana of my music I go LOL
Twisty: Kids have tantrums, period. But they shouldn’t be allowed to affect others with their tantrums. How to avoid this? Never take a hungry child shopping. Same goes for a tired child. When my son threw a fit in the grocery store, I took my almost-full cart to the front, asked the manager to put in the dairy cooler, and took my son out to the car. After a little hand-to-butt conversation, he calmed down and I went in and finished my shopping. Children also need discipline, something most parents seem reluctant to provide lately.
Good luck to you and congrats!
hahahaha – oh twisty – you just made my day. you are just so funny. delightful even. can not wait for all your wittiness in, say 30 months or so….heee….no tantrums…hee hee hee
Earplugs. Jeez, mother of the year award of here, pls.
1. Kid throws tantrum.
2. Mum puts on headphones.
3. Kid gets louder.
4. Mum turns up the music.
5. Kid throws himself down, inadvertently smashes his head open and bleeds to death.
6. Mum is amazed how quiet it’s gotten. Breathes deep sigh and pats herself on back for not succumbing to child throwing tantrum because “my kids are nice.”
Um… change that to Darwin award, yeah? Overplayed? Sure – I exaggerate well. But this woman is a complete tool. Can’t stand her.
I wear earplugs around my kid in the morning because he wakes up super hyper and ready to start the day, and I’m the opposite (to say the least). It’s a compromise to keep me from being a bitch to him. It just lowers the decibels a bit.
And a big old LOL and pat on the head to anyone who is not a parent who thinks their kids will not have tantrums because you’ll be a better parent than everyone else. So adorable.
Twisty I can’t wait to hear about your reality check. Is your kid going to be fully talking at age 2, i think not. So don’t freak about when they throw a tantrum because they have no other way of communicating that they are angry. I have a 3 yr old. It isn’t easy, even if your child is disciplined. HAHAHAHA!
twisty – all kids have tantrums, it’s how you react that matters. when the kids are screeching in public and throwing themselves on the floor and the parents just stand there with that glazed look in their eyes i want to smack them. really hard.
flourpot: the earplugs just lower the decibels a bit – you can still hear the little rascals. Responsible parents use preventive measures to maintain their self-control because I assure you every kid will test your limit. Some more than others. I was told that the loud screaming and tantrum were nature’s way (no kidding) to make us respond to our children’s need. The noise is purposefully annoying (nature’s gift thank you) to human ears so you respond quickly (food, rest but NOT toys, candy) to shut it up. Note that baby animals do not throw tantrums (in my next life, I want to come back as….)Discipline comes into play because kids cannot differentiate when it’s appropriate (to communicate hunger, fatigue) or not (toys, candy, etc). That’s when good parenting comes into play for a judgement call (food or time out). That irresponsible and neglecting parents turn up the volume doesn’t mean the other parents that do are not responsible.
@Twisty – I am also pregnant, and I also happen to be a caregiver for many and many years . Kids are not just kids, they are individuals with their own will and no matter how good and how strict you may raise them, they will make mistakes and will cross some lines every now and then, but that´s only part of the learning process,it´s how you get to actually educate them, if you cannot be bothered then … just good luck!
In my experience, nothing works better at stopping a tantrum (and I mean the ones that are based off of nothing, not pain-crying) than doing exactly what the child is doing. My nephew started hollering and screaming because he wasn’t allowed to go out during a storm, and so I started wailing and screaming right back. He stopped immediately, looking at me in surprise, and I said, “Yup, looks pretty silly, doesn’t it?” 🙂
Twisty, sweetie, little kids have tantrums. Period. Even the sweetest, well-napped, well-fed, engaged-in-activity toddler can turn into a screeching monster at the drop of a hat (literally!). Its what the parent does with the tantruming child that is important. Older kids, teens even, having tantrums is ridiculous, but babies/toddlers/little kids have to develop self control. They aren’t born with it. Sorry to say, but your child WILL scream and cry and cause a scene many times. Trust.
I think it is best to ignore hissy fits, if you pay too much attention to them a child thinks it is an appropriate communication tool. Let them cry it out, stomp their feet, etc. once they realize it isn’t working they find a better way to make a point.
I would rather a mother/father wear earplugs (which don’t stop the noise but diminsh the harshness) than scream at or physically punish their child.
Oh, and Twisty… In a few years I can not wait to hear about how you trained your 2-3 year old to not pitch hissy fits, if you actually manage that, write a book about it and call it the new Bible because it will be a miracle. 😉
Goopy’s shorts look cheap, but what’s worse is her awful hair. It needs a cut and some conditioner, stat.
Oenix,
I beg to differ, baby animals absolutely DO act out, in their own way but they most certainly do. It may be hard to notice unless you have been near many litters and bitches, but once you have it is clear as day. Interestingly, after a week or so bitches tend to simply ignore most of the whining that isn’t related to hunger or pain, and the pups give up and learn to comfort themselves.
no matter what you do your kids will throw tantrusm. ALSO… my nephew has probably caused hearing damage in one of my ears just from crying. Wearing earplugs doesn’t mean youc an’t hear… it just means they’re not going to scream in your ear at full volume which HURTS.
I agree with TaylorB. If a kid tantrums in an attempt to gain access to a toy/candy/etc., you make sure he doesn’t get the toy and ignore the screaming. If he’s tantruming and looking over at you to see if you’re reacting, you ignore it. If he’s tantruming to get out of doing something, you ignore the screaming and physically make him complete the assigned task.
In all cases, you ignore the screaming, and the rest of your behavior will depend on why your child is throwing a fit. The earplugs just make it easier to not reinforce those tantrums.
…healthy nice ones. Who describes their children as nice? Ten people could come up with 1000 words to describe their children, but I doubt ‘nice’ would be one of them. Am I out of touch here? I have never heard someone describe their child like that. Almost seems like a bit of disconnect going on.
I have kids and I love them to death. But sometimes I don’t like the lil brats. 😉
Earplugs….I should have thought of that. Sometimes as parents we NEED a mental margarita.
To Twisty: LOL just L…O….L!
TaylorB – Thanks for the info. I guess all species face parenting challenges.
Oh Denise you should have just done what Twisty plans to do… As she said : “I am pregnant right now and will never use earplugs with my child because my child will NOT have tantrums. That shit will not be tolerated and the only reason kids even have them is because parents let them.”
That should work like a charm, simply explain to your toddler that you don’t care for hissy fits, put your foot down and it will be nipped in the bud. As we all know 2-3 year olds are nothing if not rational and reasonable, and the only reason they act like bratty toddlers is because their parents weren’t strict enough. 😉
Sorry Twisty, but you have a nasty case of rose colored glasses. Short of nipping your childs vocal cords and lashing them to the bed you are bound to deal with a tantrum from time to time, just deal with it and unless it is due to a danger or health issue best to just let them get over it and move on. Earplugs do help, you can still hear things they just aren’t quite so shrill.
Gwyneth looks fantastic. I just searched for her age online out of curiosity and she does not look 37!
@Twisty: Actually, you will find it difficult not to smile (maybe) when your child throws an outrageous tantrum. Because (sometimes) they really can be funny – those little red outraged faces and the throwing themselves to the floor. Give this kid an Oscar! I admit I even laughed out loud a time or two when my daughter was a toddler. That stopped the tantrums in their tracks pretty much.
Good lord! That outfit is a nightmare!
If I had kids, I’d spoil them rotten and would not use earplugs when they fussed. On the other hand, I don’t have kids and everyone has their own parenting methods.
My mum’s always told me to ignore tantrums. Apparantly, me and my brother didn’t have that many, and she’s a kinder teacher, so I’m going to take her advice on all things parenting!
@Sarah, I LOVE your idea of throwing your own tantrum at the kid.
@bellaluna: Back in the day hand-to-butt convo was SOP for dealing with a child in the middle of a tantrum. Nowadays it can get you hauled into family court on an abuse complaint.
Parents act like they are afraid to discipline their children, sometimes with good reason. A five year old I once worked with smacked his teacher, kicked the hall monitor, and socked the principal, all in one week. His mother was called into the school. When she heard what her child had been up to, she was horrified. She had four older children who had never given her any trouble. She took off her belt and got ready to administer some old-fashioned discipline. The principal said — in front of the child — “If you touch that boy I will call CPS”, and actually picked up the phone. So guess what — every time after that, when the kid got out of line and mom tried to discipline him, he got up in her face and said “You better not touch me or I will call CPS on you.”
Mom was at the end of her rope, thanks to that stupid principal. I couldn’t blame her. If that kid had been mine, I might have given him a good spanking, handed him the phone and said go ahead and make your call.
My niece threw a tantrum when we wouldn’t let her play with an electrical outlet.
She threw herself to the floor and screamed.
How would Twisty deal with that?
lol@anyhoo. WWTD=What Would Twisty Do?
god-awful outfit
Twisty, I’m glad you backpedaled a bit, because I think you’ll learn that you can’t actually control whether or not your child has tantrums–you can control your reaction to them, which can ultimately guide future behavior. But that takes a long time and lots of repetition and consistency.
In the meantime, can you come to my house and let my two-week-old know that her colic isn’t helping anyone? Seriously, she should just stop it.
Bhaahahhaaa great thread y’all made my day.