Sir Rod Stewart is "very lenient" with his eight kids.
Rod Stewart is proud of all his eight children
The 78-year-old musician is dad to eight children - Sarah, 60, Kimberly, 44, Sean, 43, Ruby, 36, Renee, 31 and Liam, 29, as well as his two youngest sons Alastair, 17, and Aiden, 12, with current wife Penny Lancaster - and he's admitted he has a particularly laid back approach to parenting but insists it seems to have worked out well because none of them have gone off the rails.
He told Haute Living magazine: "I'm very lenient with them. None have gotten into any serious trouble. A couple dabbled with drugs, but that’s all done now. I'm very proud of them all ... I don't think I'm as strict with my kids as my mum and dad - especially my dad - were."
However, even though his parents were strict, Rod credits his dad with encouraging him to follow his dreams of becoming a musician.
He added: "Way back then, to be in a rock band was like, 'What do you want to do that for?' My dad was especially encouraging, though. He bought me my first guitar when I didn’t really even want a guitar. They said, 'Go for it, son.' … His idea was, I think, 'There's some money in this, son.' So, my whole family - including my two brothers - clubbed together and bought me my second guitar, a Zenith, that I still have and have had since I was 16 or 17 years old … We didn't have any money. We lived in rented apartments, but my family always found room and money to give me to keep me going. I owe them so much."
Rod went on to add that he hopes other parents will be just as supportive if they have a child who dreams of going into the music industry.
He said: "I beg any parents out there who have children who want to go into music to be encouraging because everyone should have that chance."
Rod shares his eldest child, daughter Sarah with his ex Susannah Boffey while Kimberly and son Sean are from his marriage to Alana Stewart, and he also has daughter Ruby with ex-girlfriend Kelly Emberg. Renee and Liam are from Rod's marriage to Rachel Hunter, while the singer is currently raising Alastair and Aiden with his current wife Penny.
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