Ranked as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Dwayne Johnson – also known by his professional name, The Rock – is equally successful as an actor and producer. The star, whose movies include The Scorpion King, Moana, and The Fast and the Furious franchise, has three daughters – one with ex-wife Dany Garcia, and two with his current partner, Lauren Hashian.
1Always make time
As most parents know, it often seems as though you’re always running against the clock – especially in the mornings. But Johnson believes it’s important to make time for the little things when it comes to your kids. He cites one occasion when he asked his middle daughter, three-year-old Jasmine, to give him a kiss goodbye before he went to work.
“Jazzy: But Daddy, you need your nails painted. Me: Sorry baby, Daddy’s got to go to work. Jazzy: No Daddy, you really need your nails painted. As she looks up at me with her mama’s gorgeous blue eyes. Me: Yes, you’re absolutely right – Daddy needs his nails painted. Papa bear priorities!” Johnson posted on social media.
2Your kids’ trust is everything
Johnson is proud of how close he is to his eldest daughter, 16-year-old Simone, whom he shares with his ex-wife. He believes it comes down to earning – and keeping – her trust. A couple of years ago, he asked Simone what she loved most about their relationship.
“She said, ‘Well, that I trust you and that we have a very special bond.’ For a 13-year-old girl to say that to her dad, considering where I was at 13 and the instability I had, that moved me. I couldn’t ask for anything else.”
3Love is all they need
Over the years, Johnson has experienced the ups and down of parenting the same as the rest of us. And, he says, he’s learned that the most important thing is to make sure children know they have plenty of love in their lives.
That, he says, is what they need. “Not success, not fame, not anything else but ‘I’m here for you. I love you’,” he is reported as saying.
4Make the most of every moment
Even when it’s yet another 3am wake-up call, we should treasure time with our kids. Johnson knows as much about sleep deprivation as any of us – his youngest child, Tiana Gia, is just a year old – but now he tries to look at it in a more positive way.
He recalls how Jasmine jumped on him in the middle of the night after he’d been working late and after just three hours’ sleep. The last thing he wanted to do was get up and play, but he went with her.
“Tired as hell, but I thought eh, there’s gonna come a time years from now when jumping in my arms is the last thing she wants to do and ain’t gonna be cool anymore – so I’ll always take these moments while I can,” he said.
5Empower your daughters
On Women’s Equality Day, Johnson posted a tribute to Jasmine saying that she, along with her sisters, would – and should – be able to do anything she wanted in the world.
He’s also shared his goals for her: “By 5, you’ll be looking people in the eye when you firmly shake their hand. By 8, you’ll know how to fish, drive daddy’s pick-up truck and do cardio. And by 10, you’ll be able to directly say to people, ‘Great job, I like it a lot, but let’s see how we can make it better’.”
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