Ryan Reynolds, Hollywood’s favorite walking sarcasm machine, has opened up about parenting his squad of mini-mes with Blake Lively. The couple—known for their iconic trolling of each other on social media—share four kids: James (9), Inez (8), Betty (5), and the newest recruit, little Olin, who joined the chaos in early 2023.
In a chat with The Hollywood Reporter, Ryan dropped some surprisingly heartfelt truth bombs about trying to keep life “normal” for their kids. And yes, “normal” is doing a lot of heavy lifting when your parents are Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.
Parenting the Reynolds Way
“We try to give them as normal a life as possible,” Ryan confessed, probably while sipping organic oat milk from a diamond-encrusted coffee cup. “I try not to impose upon them the difference in their childhood to my childhood or my wife’s childhood.” Translation: he’s trying not to remind them that Daddy’s first “toy” was a stick, while their favorite “toy” is probably an NFT.
Both Ryan and Blake grew up in good ol’ working-class families, which means things like takeout were considered luxury dining. “I used to think, ‘Wow, I never would’ve had this when I was a kid.’ Like, who gets sushi delivered to their treehouse?!” Ryan joked (probably). But he’s realized that guilt-tripping his kids with “back in my day” stories isn’t exactly #ParentingGoals.
Gratitude, Empathy, and Other Words Kids Pretend Not to Understand
The Deadpool star emphasized that his kids are already pretty solid human beings—empathetic and grateful, even though they’ve probably never flown commercial. “Those are the things that make us feel like, okay, we’re not completely screwing this up,” Ryan said. “If our kids can empathize with others, that’s a win.”
But let’s be real—parenting in 2024 looks a lot different than in the 80s. Back then, Ryan admits, the rule was simple: “Get out of the house, survive the wilderness, and come back by sundown.” Now? Helicopter parenting is practically an Olympic sport.
“We can’t just boot them out the door and hope the Wi-Fi carries them to safety,” he quipped. “So yeah, it’s different. But we’re figuring it out.”
What’s Next for the Reynolds Bunch?
Between starring in blockbuster movies, producing, owning a soccer team, and creating Aviation Gin (because let’s be honest, every parent needs a drink sometimes), Ryan and Blake seem to be nailing the whole work-life balance thing. And while their kids may never know the thrill of a McDonald’s Happy Meal as a once-a-year treat, they’re growing up in a world where “normal” might just mean getting to troll Dad right back.
Here’s hoping they inherit their parents’ sense of humor. Because let’s face it, nothing says “normal childhood” like roasting your famous parents on TikTok someday.
