At 58, Rob Lowe is now old enough to have an AARP membership. And that milestone means he’s racked up enough life experience points to get real with parents who are still in the trenches of raising teenage minions.
“Keep your eyes open.”
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It’s hard to believe the former teen heartthrob is now the one giving parental advice.
It seems like only yesterday that Rob was part of the Brat Pack in 80’s coming-of-age films like “The Outsider” and “St. Elmo’s Fire.”
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He’s actually raised two grown sons since that time, Matthew 28, and John Owen, 26, with his wife of 31 years, Sheryl Berkoff.
When E! News asked him what piece of advice he would give to other dads, Rob said that “there’s different advice for different ages because it really is a different job at different times.”
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However, the teenage years were the hardest for him to deal with as a parent because that’s when kids tend to push boundaries and experiment.
“They’ve got to figure out their relationship with drugs and alcohol—and just being on top of it, not living in a dream state. Your kids are out there and they’re partying. Get real. And every parent is like, ‘My kids aren’t, but their friends are.'”
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Growing up in the Hollywood spotlight, Rob has firsthand experience with alcohol and partying.
Thankfully he’s been sober for 32 years, and last year he celebrated by thanking his family on Instagram for their continued love and support.
“I want to give thanks to everyone walking this path with me, and welcome anyone thinking about joining us; the free and the happy. And a big hug to my family for putting up with me!! Xoxo.”
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Having experienced the pitfalls of addiction, Rob doesn’t mince words when it comes to giving the following wakeup call to parents:
“Your job is literally to keep them alive and to not do something stupid while they hopefully figure out how to navigate that part of their lives. Don’t be afraid to step in.”
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When it comes to privacy, Rob’s methods may be controversial to some.
We all know that privacy doesn’t really exist for actors, but he took that concept to heart when raising his kids.
“And my other thing is, personal privacy does not exist in my house until you’re paying the bills. I need to know what’s going on. Knock on wood, it worked for us.”
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The “9-1-1: Lonestar” actor also went on to share a bit of sage wisdom he learned from his own dad.
Lead by example!
“A lot of advice is leading by example, right? My father is 83, he still works, still goes to the office, is still practicing law. I inherited that work ethic and drive. That’s my biggest takeaway, for sure.”
So what do you think? Do you agree with Rob Lowe’s parenting methods?
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