Mama Knows Best: 35+ Parenting Rules That Madonna’s Kids Must Obey

While the entire world knows Madonna as the Queen of Pop, a handful of people know the global sensation as their mother. Mother to two biological children and four adopted children, Madonna is quite strict. She’s a great mom, but she likes to impose specific rules that some consider “bizarre.” However, this is not unusual at all for a celebrity. Hollywood stars are well-known for being quite peculiar compared to the average parent. Mayim Bialik potty trained her two children without diapers, while Julia Roberts ensures that her kids aren’t eating any sweets or using social media. If you’re curious to learn how Madonna raises her kids, Lourdes, David, Rocco, Mercy, Stella, and Esther, you’ve come to the right place.

#01: No TV at home.

Some days, we feel like turning off the television and never turning it back on. There are just so many things going on in the world that it’s better not to watch TV at all. Ignorance is bliss, or so they say.

Well, Madonna certainly agrees with us on that. And that’s why she forbids her children from watching TV at home. According to the singer, television is poisonous, and she wants her children to stay away from it for as long as possible.

#02: Washing hands all the time.

Some mothers have cleaning compulsions, and they project those onto their children. Madonna may be a different type of mother, but she is not different in that sense. According to sources close to the pop singer, she makes her children wash their hands after they touch anything.

It doesn’t matter if the kids touch something that was previously thoroughly sanitized — the singer will make them wash their hands immediately anyway. This rule may be strict, but it must have certainly come in handy during the quarantine!

#03: Only natural fibers are allowed.

When we have kids, we want to give them all the best things in life. However, we know very well that these things can be pretty expensive. But when you’re Madonna and you want to buy the best of the best for your kids, money is not a problem.

The pop singer forbids her children from wearing clothes made of artificial fibers. Their clothes can only be made of natural fabrics such as cotton or wool. This is great for their skin and overall health, so kudos to Madonna for establishing this rule.

#04: No noises in the house.

For us mere mortals, working from Monday to Friday is a harsh reality. We have to get up early to go to work, and we come home exhausted. The weekends are the only time we get to relax, and we don’t want anyone to disturb our resting time.

It turns out that you may have something in common with Madonna. The pop star doesn’t like when people disturb her sleep either, so she instilled a strict but necessary rule. When the singer is asleep, no one is allowed to make noises in the house!

#05: Early curfew for all.

Most parents establish a curfew for their children. After all, we don’t want to see our kids staying out until late at night. The world is scary, and parents rest easy when they know that their children are home safe.

One would think that celebrities don’t share this mentality, but that’s not true — at least for Madonna. The pop star establishes an early curfew for her children, and she makes sure that they obey the curfew. The only kids that don’t have to follow this curfew anymore are Lourdes and Rocco, who are adults already.

#06: No meeting their dad’s girlfriends.

Divorce is hard on any family, and that includes celebrity families. When parents go their different ways, it’s not unusual for them to establish co-parenting rules that will help them raise their kids. And when Madonna separated from her former husband, it was not different.

Madonna has established many rules when it comes to raising her children, but one of the harshest ones is that she doesn’t want her sons (not daughters) to meet her former spouse’s girlfriends. Maybe she did this because she doesn’t want them to meet a woman until their father knows for sure that she’s the one and not just another fling?

#07: Study hard.

Considering how many celebrities insert their kids into the entertainment industry, one would think that they don’t care about their children’s education as much as the average parent. However, Madonna is not like that at all! The singer makes sure her kids study hard.

She also has no problems spending thousands of dollars to give them a good education. Her kids study at the best schools in the country, and it seems like this investment paid off — Lourdes speaks multiple languages and is incredibly smart!

#08: No smartphones.

While Madonna’s parenting rules may seem peculiar or even strict at times, we can tell that the singer has her children’s best interests at heart. One of her newest rules is that her kids can’t have a smartphone until they’re a certain age.

According to the singer herself, her two oldest children spent so much time on their phones that she feels like she lost a lot of precious moments that could’ve been shared with them. She forbids her younger children from having smartphones to keep that from happening again.

#09: Not all toys are allowed in the house.

While most of Madonna’s kids are now teenagers and young adults, they had to deal with some complicated rules when they were younger. Some parents ban certain toys from their homes because they don’t add anything to their children’s cognitive development. Madonna, on the other hand…

…has different reasons for banning toys. For the singer, it is wrong for her children to play with spiritually unsound toys. If you ask us what she means by that, we have no way to explain it because we don’t understand what it means either!

#10: Checking in with mom is a requirement.

You don’t have to be a celebrity expert to know that singers and actors are busy. And when you’re a world-renowned singer like Madonna, life is busy beyond words. However, no matter how occupied the singer is, she wants to ensure that her children are all right.

One of Madonna’s parenting rules is that her kids have to check in with her at least three times a day. Yes, you read that right. Madonna calls or texts her kids or their nannies to ensure they’re okay. And you thought that calling your mom once or twice a week was too much!

#11: Following mommy’s diet.

If you have kids, you know how important it is to get them to eat healthy foods. Children would probably eat only junk food if they were given the opportunity! And Madonna wants to keep that from happening, so she also established dietary rules for her children.

Instead of being able to eat whatever they want, Madonna’s six children have to follow strict rules regarding what food enters their bodies. These dietary rules are stringent because they are the same rules that the pop star herself follows religiously!

#12: No dating.

Lots of people think that celebrities aren’t strict with their children, given how careless their lifestyle can sometimes be. But that’s not true when it comes to Madonna and how she goes about parenting. The pop star is relatively rigid.

And she has no qualms about being the “bad cop” when it comes to her children! The iconic artist is not afraid to stand her ground and establish rules for children to follow. One of those rules is that they’re not allowed to date until they’re 18!

#13: They can only read her books.

Nowadays, most kids spend more time on their phones than reading a book, which is not healthy. Madonna already forbids her children from having their own smartphones, but do you have any idea what she does to get them to read?

Apparently, she makes them read only the children’s books that she has written. There’s no way to confirm this information (which was provided by an anonymous source), but this is quite a strict rule. At least they’re reading books, right?

#14: They only drink this water.

While Madonna may remind you of your parents with her strict rules, she also has peculiar regulations that only a pop star of her caliber would establish. For instance, her children can’t drink just any water. They can only drink a specific type of water.

And this type of water costs approximately $5 a bottle. The singer spends over $10,000 to refill her Kaballah water stock every month. Madonna follows many Kaballah rules, and she wants her children to drink this water, which is allegedly miraculous.

#15: Madonna’s kids only eat food prepared by a chef.

If you want to create unforgettable memories with your kids, that’s not too hard. Just get them in the kitchen and get them to cook with you, right? They’ll never forget how much fun it is to cook with mom. Well, Madonna’s kids won’t get to have that experience.

That’s because the pop star doesn’t cook for anyone — not even for her kids. Considering how busy she is, this is not surprising at all. Instead of cooking for her children, the singer hired a chef to do this task.

#16: No talk of D-I-V-O-R-C-E!

Madonna was legally married twice in her life. Once with Sean Penn and many years later with Guy Ritchie. While she had no kids with Penn, she has two sons with her second husband. And when they got divorced, the singer prohibited her kids from talking about it.

While this may sound like a strict rule, it makes sense that the pop star wouldn’t want her children to be talking about her divorce. Separation from a spouse is a touchy subject for the parents, but it’s exceptionally touchy for the kids.

#17: The kids have to give back to the community.

It is certainly not unusual for rich people to let their kids become a bunch of snobs. When you’re wealthy, you live in a different reality than most people so it’s not hard to see why rich kids can be brats.

To keep her children from being just another group of spoiled kids who have no idea what goes on in the world, Madonna makes sure that they always give back to the community. She gets her kids to go to hospitals, read books for children, and do other charity work.

#18: No dying their hair.

If you take a minute to look at pictures of Madonna’s children, you’ll notice one thing. None of her kids have unusual hair colors. And that’s not a coincidence — that’s one of the rules that Madonna makes her children follow.

Hair dye causes a lot of damage to the hair, regardless of how much money you spend. And let’s not talk about how it can threaten children’s health. With that in mind, Madonna doesn’t let her kids dye their hair — only when they grow up!

#19: Celebrating the holidays differently.

While Madonna may not cook for or with her kids, she found a different way to create special memories together. Instead of celebrating the holidays as regular families do, the singer takes her children on unique trips around the world.

If we had Madonna’s money, we would also take our children on these impromptu trips around the globe! The singer insists on bringing all of her children with her to visit new cultures, which is great for their development and awareness.

#20: Kids come on tour with mommy.

Madonna is 63 years old, but she is still working as hard as she used to when she was younger. The pop star still performs her iconic songs across the globe, but that doesn’t mean that she leaves her kids behind.

Whenever her young children are free from school, Madonna takes them with her on tour. It is a great way to bond with them, but it’s also a great way to let her kids meet new civilizations and see new places.

#21: The kids can’t leave their clothes on the floor.

When you have Madonna’s net worth, one thing is for sure: you won’t ever have to worry about cleaning your house and keeping it organized. Why? Because you can afford to have 10 different people doing that for you daily.

However, that doesn’t mean that Madonna doesn’t teach her children some manners. Even if they have nannies and housekeepers to clean after them, one of Madonna’s parenting rules is that her kids can’t leave their clothes on the floor, or they will get scolded!

#22: Madonna can post anything.

If your mother is on social media, the chances are that she’s posted an embarrassing picture of you at some point. That’s a thing that all mothers do — and that includes Madonna. She may be a superstar, but she’s a mother at the end of the day, just like the rest of them.

One of Madonna’s rules is that she can post anything she wants on social media, even if her kids don’t appreciate the post. That’s because Madonna doesn’t think twice before posting hilariously unflattering pics of her children on her Instagram account! 

#23: Moving the entire family.

For some parents, the only time they have to say goodbye to their kids is when they head off to college. But when your child is so talented that they get invited to play a sport in Europe, you just can’t say goodbye to them.

And Madonna didn’t. Considering that her son David is only 16 years old, the singer wouldn’t let him move to a different country all by himself. When he got the opportunity to play soccer in Portugal, the singer packed the family’s bags and relocated them to Europe!

#24: Kids have to be independent once they turn 18.

Considering how wealthy Madonna is, we wouldn’t be surprised if the singer gave thousands of dollars to her children as their monthly allowance. However, that’s not the case at all — and that’s what is surprising. Her kids have to be financially independent!

According to Madonna’s firstborn, Lourdes Leon, the singer didn’t want her and her siblings to be raised as other celebrities’ kids. While they did have certain privileges that most kids don’t have, Madonna’s children had to be independent and make their own money once they became adults.

#25: The kids have to learn at least one language. 

Remember how we mentioned that Madonna has no problems spending thousands of dollars on getting her children educated? The singer has many rules concerning her children’s education, and one of the rules is that they have to learn a different language.

English might be the universal language spoken by millions across the globe, but that doesn’t mean that English speakers shouldn’t learn a foreign language. With that in mind, Madonna has a strict rule that her children must know at least one foreign language!

#26: The kids have to be creative.

Creativity is something that you’re either born with or without. If you are part of the group of people without innate creativity, we’re sorry to say that it’s hard to become a person who’s described as creative. But that doesn’t stop Madonna.

As one of the most popular performers, it’s an understatement to say that Madonna is creative. But that’s not enough for her — the singer also wants her kids to be creative. And she’s always coming up with ways to get the kids to exercise their creativity.

#27: Tattoos are okay.

Strict parents have a knack for controlling their kids’ lives, but they also like to control what their children can and cannot do to their bodies. We already mentioned how Madonna doesn’t let her kids dye their hair, but that’s the only rule she has regarding her kids’ bodies.

Strict parents usually forbid tattoos, but this is not the case with Madonna. The singer has no complaints if her kids get tattoos. On the contrary, she’ll jump at the opportunity of getting a matching tattoo with one of her children.

#28: No pictures with dad.

During her marriage with Guy Ritchie, Madonna had one biological son, Rocco, and she also adopted a boy, David, with her husband. When the couple got divorced, it was probably hard for the kids, especially considering the strict co-parenting rules.

Who knows why Madonna established such strict rules for the way that she and Guy Ritchie go about co-parenting. We know that the singer — allegedly — forbids her husband from letting the paparazzi take pictures of him with the boys.

#29: Limited time with the grandparents.

Madonna admittedly has strict rules to raise her kids, but some of these rules are understandable. For instance, we get that she worries about her kids, and that’s why she wants them to check in with her three times a day. 

However, the singer also establishes some peculiar rules that most parents wouldn’t. While some parents love it when their kids spend time with their grandparents, Madonna actually limits the time that her kids get to spend with their grandparents.

#30: The kids have to watch their words.

When you have a famous parent, your actions and words will automatically affect their image — even if your parent or parents had nothing to do with what you did or said. Because she wants to avoid getting in trouble with the public, Madonna makes her kids watch their words.

We all know how “cancel culture” can be highly toxic, and it’s no wonder that most celebrities do everything within their reach to avoid becoming the next “canceled” celeb. Madonna is quite strict in this regard and asks her children to be careful with what they say in public.

#31: Madonna doesn’t care if people think she’s strict.

Like every parent that wants to raise decent human beings, Madonna is very rigid. While she may have peculiar rules, you must have noticed how most of her parenting rules actually make some sense. And she doesn’t care if you disagree.

Madonna has been in the public eye for almost 40 years, and she doesn’t care anymore if people like her or hate her. When it comes to the way she’s raising her kids, she doesn’t care if other people think that she’s too harsh. Madonna will gladly admit that she is a strict mom!

#32: Madonna has a favorite kid.

If you have siblings, you probably felt at some point that your parents liked one of them more than you. While most parents will reassure us that we imagine things and that they love all of us the same, Madonna is not like that.

The truth is that parents do have a favorite child. They love us all the same, that’s for sure — but there’s always a kid that connects more with them. And Madonna will openly admit to her kids that she gets along the best with David Banda, her adoptive son.

#33: Madonna encourages her children to be themselves.

Some strict parents don’t want to give room for their kids to develop their own thoughts and interests. Instead of asking her children to fit a specific mold, Madonna wants them to find their identities and beliefs without her interference.

Lourdes Leon, for instance, decided that she was going to ditch the razor and let her body grow the natural hairs that most women shave because society tells them that women should not have body hairs. While Madonna doesn’t follow this ideology, she is okay with her kid doing so.

#34: Everybody has to laugh at home!

For some people, Madonna’s rules may seem too strict. If you’re one of these people, you’re probably wondering how her kids can be happy when they have to follow so many rules. Well, Madonna also has a regulation for that.

One of the rules that the singer wants her children to follow is that there should always be laughter at home. Madonna wants to make sure that her kids are happy and have fun, so she always comes up with different ways to keep them entertained at home.

#35: The kids have to accept their mom’s boyfriends.

While Madonna has specific rules that prevent her children from meeting their dad’s girlfriends, she doesn’t follow her own rules. The singer is known for having had quite a few relationships throughout the years, and she consistently introduces her kids to her boyfriends.

As a matter of fact, Madonna doesn’t simply introduce her kids to her boyfriends — she also expects them to accept the men, regardless of their age. We have no idea what she would do if her kids disapproved of a boyfriend of hers!

#36: They have to learn from their mistakes.

When you’re raised with so much privilege, it’s not difficult to become the type of person who doesn’t understand why everyone has to follow the rules. You know how it’s not unusual to see rich people acting as if they’re above the law.

Madonna despises people like that, and she doesn’t want her kids to become those types of people. And that’s why the singer is so strict when it comes to scolding her kids. If they make mistakes, she wants them to deal with the consequences so they can learn from their mistakes.

#37: Madonna wants her kids to be okay with the spotlight.

When you have a mother who is also a global popstar, it’s hard to stay away from the public eye. And while some parents try to hide their children from the paparazzi and social media, Madonna is the complete opposite.

The singer doesn’t care about hiding her children’s identities, and she wants them to be okay with being in the spotlight. And let’s be honest — they have nowhere to run to, considering that their mother is one of the most famous people.

#38: Always answer mom’s questions.

Depending on how our parents raise us, we may or may not tend to keep things from them. If our parents are too strict, we don’t tell them anything. Now, if they’re more gentle and down-to-earth, we openly talk with them about our personal matters.

On the other hand, Madonna is neither one type nor the other. She’s a strict mom who wants to maintain a friendly relationship with her kids. And she does that by demanding that they answer all of her questions. There’s no keeping anything from mom in this household!

#39: The kids have to stick up for the family.

Celebrities are judged constantly. No matter what they do or what they say, there will always be someone out there ready to evaluate every single one of their actions. And this is especially true when you’re as famous as Madonna.

The singer is judged by the public and by the media daily, so she’s taught her kids to stand up not only for themselves but also for the family. She may be a strict mom, but you won’t see them complaining about it. And if you say anything negative about Madonna, her kids will defend her immediately!

#40: Madonna’s children have to follow Kaballah principles.

Even though Madonna is not Jewish, she is one of the most significant representatives of Kaballah, a mystic school of thought in Judaism. Remember how the singer makes her children drink Kaballah water? She also makes them follow the principles of this Jewish tradition!

We usually follow the same religious traditions as our parents, so it is not surprising that Madonna wants her children to follow her steps and learn everything about Kaballah. And while this is a rule that she imposes, once the kids come of age, she lets them choose if they will continue in the tradition.

#41: Madonna is responsible for the kids’ fashion.

On top of being a world-class performer and actress, Madonna is also a fashion icon. She’s worn some unforgettable outfits over the years, and she never leaves the house if she’s not wearing fabulous clothes. But what you may not know is that Madonna is also responsible for her kids’ fashion.

Want to choose what you’re going to wear? Not while you’re living under Madonna’s roof! The singer is quite strict regarding this rule, and while the kids certainly must have their stylists, Madonna has to give her approval to the outfits they’re going to wear in public!

#42: The pop singer doesn’t like it when her children misbehave.

As we said before, Madonna wants to prevent her children from becoming just another group of privileged kids living in a bubble. And she doesn’t hesitate to punish the kids if they act out. She also doesn’t hesitate to threaten them if they’re not behaving.

According to sources, Madonna’s threat consists of telling the kids that she’ll send them to military school if they start misbehaving. While she has never had to follow through with this threat, we don’t doubt for a second that she really would send her kids away if that were going to teach a lesson about life!

#43: They can’t complain about her rules.

As the years go by, we start developing our thoughts and beliefs. By the time we become teenagers, the last thing that we want is to obey our parents or even follow their rules. And if you have a teenager at home, you know just how annoying they can be.

Madonna is a mother to six children, so it’s safe to say that she is used to dealing with rebellious teenagers. And the singer doesn’t let go of her rules with any of the kids, no matter how annoyed at her they may get. Oh, and she doesn’t accept their objections, so there’s no point in complaining.

#44: The kids must understand that they don’t have a regular mom.

Dealing with a famous parent is not a feeling that most of us get to experience — but we can imagine how hard it must be. First, there’s all the crazy work hours and traveling, so you may go weeks or even months without seeing your parent.

Madonna trained her kids from an early age to understand that she is the Queen of Pop and that she’ll never be like regular moms. This means she wants them to understand and accept that there’ll always be someone taking pictures or screaming when they see her.

#45: Madonna wants her children to work.

According to Forbes, Madonna has amassed a wealth of more than 1 billion dollars over the years of her career. And judging by all that money, one would think that her kids would never have to worry about paying a single bill in their lives, right?

Well, that’s not right. Madonna worked really hard to get to where she is right now and she wants her kids to do the same. And so she encourages her children to study and to develop their artistic skills so that they can start working and making their own money as soon as they can.