It's impossible not to fall under the magical home renovation and decor spell of power couple Chip and Joanna Gaines. Ever since the pair's TV show Fixer Upper debuted in the spring of 2013, people have enjoyed watching the husband and wife team experience all kinds of professional success.
Fans know that Joanna and Chip are not only an adorable and sweet couple but they are mom and dad to five children: 13-year-old Drake, 12-year-old Duke, 12-year-old Ella, 8-year-old Emmie, and six-month-old baby Crew. The Waco, Texas-based family is fun to follow on social media and watch on TV, and they definitely prove that balancing a thriving business with raising a family is possible with hard work and lots of love.
People love Chip and Joanna because they have a real down-to-earth feel about them. They may be famous but they're not conceited or divas and they just seem like regular people that families would love to have dinner with. How do they parent their children? It's a question on a lot of people's minds, especially since they have such a beautiful and big family.
Read on to find out 20 ways that Chip and Joanna Gaines raise their kids.
20 They Get Their Older Kids To Pitch In
While those of us who don't have a big family might not be able to imagine what it's like, we can probably guess that it means having some little helpers around.
According to People magazine, the older kids help out with Chip and Joanna's youngest, baby Crew. When Chip and Joanna appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Joanna said, "We have a lot of help." She continued, “He’s the sweetest, sweetest boy. [His siblings] love him. Our oldest is 13, the youngest before Crew is 8, [so] we have a lot of help. All the kids love to hold the baby." That sounds so sweet, doesn't it?
19 They Know 'It Takes A Village' And Ask For Support
We often hear people say that "it takes a village" to raise children, and that's exactly what Joanna Gaines thinks.
According to House Beautiful, Joanna has used this expression. When we heard it before, we might not have thought too much about it, but if we stop and think about this phrase, it's a positive thing because it takes the pressure off the mom (and the dad, too).
Joanna and Chip ask for help and support with the kids, and that's always a good thing to do. We can imagine that you would definitely ask for support from family and friends and others when you have five children, and we love that Joanna is open about it.
18 Joanna Cares More About Her Kids Feeling Comfortable Than About Keeping A Perfect Home
As Country Living says, Joanna Gaines used to stress about having a perfect home but she doesn't worry about that anymore and is much more realistic. She knows that the kids will play and have toys and that's fine with her. She wants them to love their home and feel comfortable.
This is comforting to hear from any mom because it's such an awesome reminder to realize that some toys are fine and that a messy home is one that is full of love and happy children. But it's particularly great to hear this from a famous person like Joanna Gaines.
17 They Go To Sporting Events Together
According to People magazine, Chip and Joanna and their kids love sports. They also go to games together.
Sports can be such a wonderful thing for a family since you can play soccer, basketball, football, and more together on a casual and fun summer afternoon or you can bring your children to games. Your children will love having this special experience and you'll be creating happy memories.
It's always cool to hear about how famous families spend their time and if our own kids are into sports, we can smile and say that we're just like the awesome Gaines family.
16 They Stopped The Show So Their Kids Could Have A Regular Childhood
Fixer Upper fans were pretty sad to learn that the fifth season would be the show's last. The final episode aired in April 2018 and it was tough to say goodbye to this lovely home decorating and renovation show which has inspired so many people to not only create a home they love but also be kind. There is just something so nice about Chip and Joanna Gaines.
According to Romper, Joanna Gaines says that they stopped their show to give their kids a great, regular childhood. That is so awesome to hear and something that every mom wants for their children... even if they weren't filming a TV show for a few years.
15 Joanna Dances With Her Kids
Good Housekeeping says that Joanna Gaines is "silly" with her children and she loves to dance with her children: she once posted to her social media account that she and Emmy were dancing to a song from La La Land.
Pretty much everything that Joanna Gaines says about being a mom is #momgoals and is full of so many good lessons and reminders. The fact that she has so much fun with her kids is a really beautiful and inspiring thing. Kids don't want to be in a serious household, anyway, and they definitely respond to a fun and caring environment.
14 Chip Is Chill About The Girls Dating
Every family is different when it comes to their kids becoming teenagers and dating. Some families are more strict than others and will say no dates until they're 16 or 18, and others feel that it's fine as long as there is open communication.
It seems like Chip is pretty chill about his girls growing up and dating. According to Motherly, he said, “I just remember great experiences as a kid, you know? Driving your car for the first time, picking up a young lady on a date for the first time. All those were little milestones to some extent.”
13 The Boys Played A Prank On Joanna, And She Was A Good Sport About It
Country Living says that the boys played a prank on Joanna and she loved it. It's cool to see that she has so much fun as a mom and that she doesn't take things super seriously.
What was the prank? Well, it had to do with home decor, which is totally funny and also very fitting. Joanna has a sign in her home that says "Gather here with thankful hearts" and the boys changed "hearts" to "farts." That's definitely something that would be considered typical boy humor, but instead of getting upset, Joanna posted it online and said, "Well played boys..."
12 Chip Is Raising His Girls To Be Brave
A dad and his daughters have a very sweet relationship. There are daddy/daughter dances and events at many schools and community centers for that very reason.
Chip Gaines definitely sounds like an amazing dad, and there is a lot of proof of that. Romper says that Chip wants his daughters to be brave: he wrote on social media once, "My girls! Unbridled! Untamed! Fearless! World changers! Arrows in my quiver! And… Just like their momma!" Okay, we're trying not to cry hearing Chip telling his daughters to be brave. We love this so much, and we think that it's impossible not to think that he's doing this whole fatherhood thing right.
11 Joanna Puts Up The Same Christmas Tree Every Year
Each family has Christmas traditions that everyone really cares about. If even one little thing that was changed, such as not making a cookie recipe that the kids love, it honestly seems like a really big deal.
Good Housekeeping magazine says that Joanna shared that she puts up the same Christmas tree every year, and can't help but feel emotional because of all of the memories attached to it. She said, "This tree is full of firsts for each of us, many meaningful ornaments, and lots of handmade who knows what. It's my favorite and I treasure this time every year."
10 They Would Rather Their Kids Play Outside Than Play With Technology
Chip and Joanna want their kids to play outside a lot.
According to Babble, Joanna said that Chip is actually rigid about playing outside and not getting too involved with technology. She said, “[There are] certain things that I really care about, but I think the funny part, with Chip, is just the video games, the TV. That’s where he kinda gets a little strict. It’s, ‘You go play outside.’"
Every mom can relate, right? It's a real daily balance between getting children to go outside and play and not wanting them to look at screens all the time, and every parent is very familiar with this.
9 The Small Moments Count, Too
It sounds like something that really matters to Joanna Gaines is to have small, fun moments with her kids.
Red Tricycle quoted Joanna as saying, “The older I get, the more I realize it doesn’t have to be these huge moments where there’s art supplies everywhere and we have to really plan this out. It can be something as simple as drive around with fun music. And so what I love in watching Chip, it inspires me to go beyond my comfort zone and find creative but also simple ways to connect with the kids.” That sounds like so much fun.
8 They Are Honest About Their Goofs
Chip Gaines has been honest about being a dad when his now 13-year-old son Drake was a baby. As Romper says, Joanna went jogging one day and Chip actually forgot Drake in the house. She asked him where the baby was and he said, "I was like, ‘Oh, shoot!’ She took off without a word and ran like lightning all the way back to the house. She got there faster on foot than I did in my truck."
This is definitely another reason why fans love Chip and Joanna so much: they are so real. They don't fake anything at all and are honest about parenting and how they raise their kids, and we love reading everything that we can about them.
7 Joanna Is Embracing Being 40 And Pregnant
It was big news when fans learned that Joanna Gaines was expecting a fifth baby. She was 40 years old at the time. Baby Crew was a surprise but they love having a new baby/fifth child.
It's a good lesson for sure: embrace the surprises that come along with the parenting journey.
Accoridng to Today.com, she wrote an essay for Magnolia Journal and said about this fifth pregnancy, "I am 40, and pregnancy this time was different. I have always really enjoyed being pregnant — I tend to feel my best during those nine months. This time I felt a little more worn-out than usual."
6 A Good Marriage Takes Work
Chip and Joanna definitely seem to have a beautiful marriage, and it sounds like they know that keeping their marriage strong is important.
According to Parents.com, Chip said, "People ask all the time, 'How do y'all have such a great marriage, and what's the secret?' There's no secret. It's hard work. Jo and I have struggles and fighting and arguments just like anybody else. This isn't like we got lucky and hit the lottery, and the two perfect people fell in love."
It's so nice when a famous person says that they're not perfect. Chip's words are a good reminder to forget perfection and to also take time for our relationship.
5 Joanna Is Honest With Her Kids About Her Work Day
Joanna Gaines is honest with her children about what she does all day: going to work for their company.
Romper quoted Joanna Gaines as saying, "I explain that I have to work just like they have to go to school. I also let them know what I'm doing at work that day — whether it's filming the show or going into the office — and what time I'll be home. Taking a few seconds to let them in on this other huge part of my life has really helped them understand that Mom and Dad have a big job to do." This is so cool, right?
4 Family Meals, Even When They're Tired
The Gaines family seems super close and it also sounds like they hang out together a lot. According to Motherly, Joanna said, "Even when I'm tired at the end of a long day, it's fuel to see the look in their eyes when I ask them to cook with me or go play outside.”
Moms know that family dinner is an amazing idea but can be tough to make occur all the time, but Joanna's words are a wonderful reminder of the importance of being together as a family. It's definitely true that even when you're tired, being with your kids is re-energizing.
3 Raising Their Kids Is Their Priority
One thing that we can definitely gather from Chip and Joanna Gaines and the way that they raise their kids is that they make their children a priority. Whether they are making the decision to stop their show for the sake of having family time or telling their kids about going to work, they love their family so much.
All we have to do is scroll through both of their social media accounts for even a minute and we'll see that they post about their sweet and lovely kids a lot. They seem to have so much fun together and it's wonderful to see.
2 Being A Parent Is Hard Work And It's Not Instantly Gratifying, But It Pays Off
Joanna wrote for Motherly that being a mom is hard work and it's not "instant gratification" but it pays off.
What mom doesn't want to hear that... and remember it every day? It can be easy to get caught up in daily details and to think that dinner wasn't perfectly made or the laundry is still sitting in the hamper or there are a million things that you didn't get to today. But when you think about Joanna's perspective on motherhood and how she and Chip are raising their kids, it's motivating and inspiring. Putting in the work of raising kids is definitely going to pay off.
1 Future Family Business?
Chip and Joanna encourage the kids to learn about the family business.
They take them to their studio/office and the kids also appeared on the show Fixer Upper sometimes. Chip and Joanna would show the kids the houses while they were works in progress or take them to antique stores. The kids really seemed to enjoy it and wanted to learn and be involved.
Chip and Joanna not only produce a beautiful magazine, renovated silos to create a tourist destination, run their own company, and were the stars of a beloved TV show, but they are amazing parents. And learning about how they raise their kids is both beautiful and inspiring.
Sources: People.com, Housebeautiful.com, Countryliving.com, Goodhousekeeping.com, Redtricycle.com, Babble.com, Romper.com, Motherly.com, Today.com.