Chip and Joanna Gaines Explain "Restrictive" Family Rule
Psst! You might want to steal this household rule from Chip and Joanna Gaines!
The beloved Fixer Upper couple sat down with Hoda and Jenna to discuss 10 years of their fan-favorite HGTV show, 21 years of marriage, and what it’s like to parent five children. A hot take from the episode? Chip and Joanna’s social media rule.
“Our house rule is that you get social media the summer before you go to college,” Joanna revealed on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna.
“But it’s a challenge,” Chip cut in. “I mean, you can tell these kids want it before that. So it’s not like it’s this agreed place where we’ve all decided that roughly 18, and they’re like ‘Oh thank goodness, I didn’t want it to begin with.’ They wanted it at 12, 13, 14.”
The couple went on to admit that the rule was difficult for their kids to digest at first, given just how popular social media is in today’s day and age—but it’s one they stick to, nonetheless.
“For us, it’s kind of one of those things where we can say, you have these other things that are really great; our life is a little different, and we care about this specific thing,” Joanna said.
As for the inspiration behind the rule, Joanna says that it primarily boils down to mental influence. With her daughters being 14 and almost 17, she’s all too aware of just how easily influenced they can be by content they see online and the comparisons they consciously and subconsciously make with it.
Jenna and Hoda were quick to commend her rule, remarking on the detrimental effects of social media on mental health and development. Fans, however, think it’s a bit much. “Kids with these insane rules go wild when they leave home,” one TikTok user commented on the TODAY clip. “I was very restricted with everything and when I went to college, I was wild. Better they learn good habits while at home,” another TikTok user wrote. “The key I think is balance. Not restriction or control. Set firm schedules and clear rules. Teach them social media literacy and show them you trust them,” someone else remarked.
Chip and Jo are far from alone in this stance. In fact, HGTV stars Erin and Ben Napier launched a foundation called Osprey (Old School Parents Raising Engaged Youth) to help parents navigate this decision. All in all, research states that there’s mounting evidence of the negative effect of social media on adolescent mental health. How you choose to engage with it can make all the difference in the world.
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