Matthew McConaughey’s mother, Kay McConaughey, says there’s one parenting rule she always stuck to while raising her sons.
“Be consistent,” McConaughey, 94, told Southern Living in an interview published on Saturday. “Set up the rules and say ‘This is it. It’s not up for discussion. Ever.’ You just have to be consistent.”
McConaughey, born Mary Kathlene McCabe, shares three sons with her late husband, James McConaughey.
“I raised three boys to be loving and productive men,” she said, adding that she expected her sons to abide by her rules as long as they lived under her roof.
“They had until 18 in my house and we had a rule—you listen to me and you do what I say,” McConaughey said. “After you turn 18, you are out of here and can do what you please.”
She says the lessons she instilled in her sons stayed with them well into adulthood.
“They turned out to be great men, because the values I gave them they put to use when they left,” she said.
McConaughey is one of several parents of famous celebrities who’ve spoken about the values and lessons they emphasized at home.
Tina Knowles has said that she put Beyoncé and Solange in therapy as kids to protect their relationship as Beyoncé became more famous.
“I just started seeing this, you know, separation, and I said, ‘Oh no, you all are going to grow up close if I have to, you know, whatever I have to do to make that happen,'” Knowles said.
David Beckham has previously said that his father’s tough-love parenting style helped shape his resilience and work ethic.
“All of those moments where my dad was hard on me as a kid, there was a reason for it. Those tough moments that I had in my career, all I knew was to put my head down and work hard,” Beckham said.
