Reba McEntire talks about parenthood, how she raised her son not to be a ‘spoiled brat’
Reba McEntire recently talked about parenthood, why it was important for her to raise her son to grow up to be as humble as possible despite the wealthy lifestyle he grew up in and how she accomplished that goal.
Washington [US], October 22 (ANI): Music artist Reba McEntire recently talked about parenthood, and why it was important for her to raise her son to grow up to be as humble as possible despite the wealthy lifestyle he grew up in and how she accomplished that goal.
According to Fox News, McEntire, a legend of country music who welcomed son Shelby with her ex-husband Narvel Blackstock in 1990, made a conscious effort to prevent Shelby from becoming a cruel adult. She wished for her kid to become a gentleman by passing on to him the morals she had learnt from her parents.
“When we would play games or cards, I’d never let Shelby win,” Reba told People magazine. “He wouldn’t have learned anything that way. I always told Shelby, ‘I’ll always love you, but I want other people to like you. So don’t be a little jerk. Don’t be a spoiled brat.”
“I’m very proud of him,” McEntire said. “He was a kid who had ADHD and could barely read in school, and now he’s read 10 books this year. He’s always trying to improve and do better. His daddy did a great job too.”
Ten years prior to giving birth to Shelby, McEntire released “(You Lift Me) Up to Heaven,” her first hit to reach the Top 10 of the country music charts.
With 59 top-10 successes on the Hot Country Songs chart by Billboard, 24 of which peaked at No. 1, McEntire has earned 16 Academy of Country Music Awards, three Grammy Awards, and eight CMA Awards.
Despite her success, McEntire claims that embracing Shelby improved her life, giving her a stronger sense of purpose and opening her eyes to what is essential in life.
“Shelby is a gift from God to me,” she said. “We’re very close. I was a very self-centered person to a degree before Shelby. But then there’s a little character who you are given the job to protect and nurture and love and teach, so all the attention’s not on you anymore.”
McEntire acknowledged that she needed support, but she made every effort to be present for her kid. She is very appreciative of the help. She was able to balance her profession with her ambition to be a good mother thanks to it.
“I had the best nannies, and I took him on the road with me,” McEntire said. “When I couldn’t, I would fly home after a concert, get him up in the morning, take him to school and pick him up. We’d play until I had to fly out again for a concert that night. I wanted to be with Shelby. Still do.”
“Shelby and Marissa are very busy with their jobs, but when I do get to go home to Nashville, we have brunch or a dinner and see them,” McEntire said in a statement quoted by Fox News.
As per the reports of Fox News, McEntire was up in Chockie, Oklahoma, and claims that her parents instilled many Southern traditions in her and her desire to pass those qualities on to her son. She would accomplish this, among other things, by never being lenient with her son and by making him feel as though he deserved to win every time.
Shelby and McEntire still have a strong relationship now. She spends a lot of her time in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the “Big Sky” television series is filmed, but she always looks forward to her time off when she can travel to Nashville to see her son and his wife, Marissa Branch. (ANI)
