Leslie Odom Jr. wants to teach his kids “how to be in a relationship”.
The 39-year-old actor is father to Lucille, four, and Able, four months, and said the most important life lesson he wants to teach them is how to “make a friend” and build on that relationship.
He said: "Before I became a parent, I thought I'd better start making a list of all the things that I want to teach them. How do you remember all of the things that you want to teach your kids?
“I think you're lucky if your kids remember three to five things that you say. I think you need to pick the three to five things that are most important to you and find a hundred thousand ways to say those three to five things.
“I really want my kids to know how to be in a relationship. If you know how to make a friend, you can build your whole life on that. You can build your whole life on your support network, and that will cover you in places where you may fall short. That extends to partnerships and to intimate relationships."
Leslie has his kids with his wife Nicolette Robinson, and the actress wants to teach the youngsters “how to say no” and stand up for themselves.
The actress explained: "One of our favourite stories came from my mom, who saw it happen on grandparents' day in Lucille's preschool. Lucille and her best friend were playing in the sandbox and there was this other little girl who was bullying them, trying to kick them out. My mom said Lucille told her, 'Don't talk to us like that.' It reminded us that we have a tough cookie."
And the ‘Music’ star also said being at home amid the COVID-19 pandemic helped to re-evaluate his personal approach to parenting.
He told Parents magazine in a joint interview with his wife: "I just have never been home this much. Even as a struggling actor, I was out and about. A lot of dads have the idea that we go out and we acquire things to bring back. To spend a year losing my footing a bit and having to find a new way to be of service to my family was really valuable. I was making my daughter breakfast or the family dinner. Those are things that will stay with me."
