Inside the whacky world of Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard’s parenting: Hollywood couple’s children drink non-alcoholic beer, run free around theme parks and are locked in their bedrooms until they fall asleep amid claims their marriage is on the rocks

Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard are making news again, this time for a funny comment about their approach to parenting.

Okay, so everyone knows being a parent now is hard, but honestly, I’m completely fascinated by how Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard raise their girls, Lincoln and Delta. They’re so refreshingly open about the struggles – they don’t try to pretend everything is perfect, and I find that so shocking and amazing! They just tell you how they’re figuring things out, and it’s like, wow, finally, some realness!

After twelve years of marriage, marked by Dax’s battles with addiction, the couple frequently argues. Insiders say both are quick-tempered and often escalate minor disagreements into major conflicts.

And they are clearly raising their children to be just as feisty.

Dax recently shared that he and his partner are intentionally raising their daughters to be assertive and express their opinions, even if it comes across as challenging authority. He explained that a friend was surprised by their children’s confidence and perceived it as a lack of respect, and even a sense of entitlement.

Most parents wouldn’t be pleased to hear negative things about their kids, but Dax actually wants his children to stand up for themselves. He explained that he encourages them to be assertive and speak their minds, even if he doesn’t agree with them.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve seen all sorts of parenting styles, but this couple really pushes boundaries! From letting their kids have a taste of non-alcoholic beer to giving them incredible freedom at theme parks, and even, at times, using room confinement, they’ve definitely sparked debate with their choices. It’s not the first time their unconventional approach has raised a few eyebrows, that’s for sure.

Free reign parenting

While on vacation in Copenhagen last year, Kristen and her partner gave their children the freedom to explore, and didn’t see them for a full seven hours.

Kristen explained to Jimmy Kimmel on his talk show that their hotel had direct access to the famous Tivoli Gardens amusement park.

‘We just were kind of like, “Are we going to free-range parenting and roll the dice here?”

Every morning around 6am, they would wake up and use their bracelets to get outside. We wouldn’t see them again for about seven hours, as they spent that time exploring Copenhagen.

When Jimmy asked how everyone was, she replied that they were both alive and that they had all returned home, describing it as a wonderful relief.

Drinking non-alcoholic beer

One decision the couple has made that’s raised some eyebrows is letting their daughters have non-alcoholic beer.

Kristen shared that her partner sometimes asks for non-alcoholic beer when they’re out to eat, and Kristen thinks it might be better to enjoy that at home instead.

She shrugged and said, “If you want to criticize me, go ahead. I’m not doing anything wrong, and that’s on you.”

The actress shared that her husband frequently enjoyed a non-alcoholic beer while caring for their first daughter, Lincoln, as a baby.

I remember those evenings with Dax so fondly. He was really committed to his recovery, and even enjoyed a non-alcoholic beer now and then. He’d often wear his Lincoln t-shirt, and we’d just stroll along, watching the sunset together. It was a simple, peaceful way to connect.

Even as a baby, she was always touching and exploring it, sometimes even sucking on the edge. It seems to her like something comforting and familiar, connected to her father and our family.

Kristen responded to the criticism by saying she finds Dax endearing because he’s so logical and relies on facts and evidence. However, she added that people will get upset about things regardless of the reasons.

Okay, so I’ve noticed something amazing. Whenever I see someone order a non-alcoholic beer – seriously, anywhere – it’s like a secret signal, a little nod to you. It’s not random, I just know there’s a reason, a connection, and it always makes me think of you. It’s like we’re all in on some inside joke, and the non-alcoholic beer is the clue!

She explained that they were taught about addiction – what drugs are, how they impact the body, and the dangers they pose – drawing on her husband’s personal experience with substance abuse.

Dax said he doesn’t mind if people disapprove of him occasionally letting his children have non-alcoholic beer.

We’re not going to alter how we do things just to please others – this is a family matter, and it doesn’t concern you.

Bedtime routines

Kristen faced criticism after admitting she and her partner used to lock their three-year-old daughter in her room as a consequence for refusing to go to bed.

In a 2018 interview with Parents Magazine, she confessed that she sometimes locks her child’s door at bedtime. She explained they stand outside and tell their child they love them and will talk in the morning, but it’s now time to sleep, acknowledging it’s a potentially unpopular approach.

After around ten minutes, she usually calms down. Then, before bed, we unlock it.

We didn’t want to go to bed at the same time as them, so we’d connect headphones to the TV, put on a show, and they’d lie on the floor, trying to drift off to sleep.

I was so thrilled to hear that her daughters finally got their own space! For a long time, they’d been sleeping on the floor of her bedroom on a simple tri-fold mattress, and it was wonderful to learn they’ve finally moved out and have rooms of their own.

She also used sleep aids Hello Bello’s nighttime gummies to help the girls get to sleep quicker.

The actress said the sleep aids, which contain melatonin, would help people fall asleep faster and work really well.

Dax revealed a surprising method for getting Delta to fall asleep: ‘If I scratch my youngest daughter’s head firmly – as she asks – she’s asleep in about a minute and a half.’

Washing

Kristen and Dax used to only bathe their kids when they were noticeably dirty, rather than on a strict schedule.

The actress explained that they would often lose track of when they last showered, describing the feeling as ‘waiting for the smell’ to become noticeable.

Oh my gosh, Dax is just so relatable! He was telling this story about how they used to give their kids a bath every night as part of their bedtime thing, and then suddenly the kids just…started falling asleep on their own! Can you imagine?! He and his partner were literally looking at each other like, ‘Wait, have we even given them a bath recently?’ It’s hilarious and so real, you know? Like, parenting is wild!

Kristen agreed, saying, ‘We all forget sometimes. I think it’s best to wait until you can actually smell something is wrong. That’s nature’s way of telling you it’s time to clean!’

Toilet training

The couple has also publicly shared that their daughter, Delta, was still using diapers at age five.

In a 2020 interview, Kristen shared a surprising nighttime routine they use with their child. She explained to Today’s Parent that they gently wake their child around 11 pm, even when they’re very sleepy, and immediately take them to the toilet.

Dax added: ‘Yeah, we put a wet spaghetti noodle on the toilet once a night.’

Kristen advises parents not to worry if their child isn’t following a typical potty training schedule.

It can take some children past the age of five to fully potty train, but I’ve never known anyone in high school to still have accidents. Eventually, all children outgrow this stage.

Kristen explained that Delta still wore diapers at night, but she’d received criticism for not potty training her daughter more quickly.

‘The Twitterverse was kind of mom-shaming me, which I’m not interested in,’ she revealed.

The actress, who has been nominated for a Golden Globe, kept replying with, “Every child is different,” and she believes that’s true. She also shared that her five-and-a-half-year-old occasionally still wets the bed, and she’s perfectly fine with that!

Swearing

Most parents would be horrified if their kids swore, but Dax recently shared that he doesn’t mind it at all – another one of his unconventional parenting choices.

Back in July, he explained he and Kristen encourage swearing when the occasion calls for it.

He admitted he sometimes swears in front of his children. He’s okay with them swearing too, but only occasionally and when it feels appropriate, like after successfully landing a trick or achieving something impressive.

‘And it’s in the house and not out at a restaurant, it’s okay.’

He explained that he simply told the girls, “These are just sounds you make, and you decide what they mean.”

Discipline

Kristen explains she avoids reacting to her daughters’ tantrums, choosing not to give them the attention they might be seeking. She also believes their behavior isn’t a reflection of anything she’s done wrong.

She told Babble that if her child misbehaves in public, like at the grocery store, any embarrassment is the child’s responsibility. Ultimately, she acknowledges that her own feelings about it shouldn’t be affected by her child’s actions.

She’s choosing to behave immaturely, but I won’t allow it to affect my mood or self-worth. I refuse to feel bad about it – my feelings are my own responsibility, and only I can control them.

However while they seem rather liberal in some aspects they also take no nonsense in others.

‘Nobody screams and cries in a car in this family,’ Kristen revealed in 2016.

My dad would stop the car right on the highway if we started yelling, saying he wouldn’t drive until everyone calmed down – he said his own mother used to do that to him.

She explained that everything is calm, the children are safe, and they get to make their own choices.

2025-11-04 15:51