One way Mayim Bialik does parenting differently is co-sleeping – this means she and the family would share the same bed or sleeping surface i.e. the sofa. Some health institutes and parents say that this practice is very dangerous but it seems that the actress is aware of this and has taken measures to practice safe sleeping.
This means that the actress makes sure that the sleeping surface itself does not have any dangers. She uses a specific pillow that is safe against cot death. Since she shared the bed with her babies and kids while they were growing up, she was conscious that she could hurt them but made sure to be careful with them while sleeping. If you are going to do co-sleeping, safe sleeping is the best approach.
No TV
While Mayim Bialik made a name for herself on the silver screen as the star of “Blossom” and a cast member of “The Big Bang Theory”, ironically, the TV star has banned TV in her own home. Interestingly, the actress believes that TV is not a stimulating enough activity and prefers for her kids to spend time doing more engaging activities.
The actress’s other motivation is that media can be too influential on a child’s mind. And since Bialik cannot always control what her kids would watch, she prefers to ban TV altogether. That being said, we’re pretty sure one day her sons, Miles and Frederick, are going to binge-watch all 12 seasons and 279 episodes of “The Big Bang Theory”. We won’t blame them since we did the same.
Prolonged Natural Feeding
In Bialik’s parenting book “Beyond the Sling”, she outlines beneficial behaviors for parents such as prolonged natural feeding, aka prolonged breastfeeding. We can guess that not all parents are on board with this approach, especially after learning that Bialik nursed her youngest son till he was four.
The rationale behind Bialik’s insistence on prolonged natural feeding is that breastmilk provides infants with essential nutrients. It releases the love hormone, oxytocin, in mothers. When a mother feels like she is providing for babies, she forms stronger bonds with them. Not everyone would be on board with this parenting method, but one mother from the movie “Grown Ups” followed this approach. Considering “Grown Ups” is a comedy, we can safely say prolonged natural feeding will not become the new norm.
“Beyond the Sling”
We’re not quite sure why Bialik titled her parenting book “Beyond the Sling: A Real-Life Guide to Raising Confident, Loving Children the Attachment Parenting Way.” You see, Bialik seems to have a hard time moving “beyond” the sling altogether. In fact, one Bialik parenting rule is that mothers should wear the sling as much as possible to promote as much bonding time between the mother and baby.
Since Bialik is an advocate for “attachment parenting” (as per the book’s name), we can see why Bialik is not quite “beyond the sling”. Let’s just hope the actress has put the sling away as her sons, Miles and Frederick, are now all grown up, so she would be experiencing major back pain if she was still lugging them about in slings.
No Diapers
On this point, we can safely say that most parents will have a hard time agreeing with Bialik’s approach to parenting. Changing diapers is a challenge for most parents. The way Bialik gets around this one is by having no diapers at all. Bialik’s method here involves potty training – even for babies.
According to the actress, if parents are in touch with their young, they will notice certain signs that their baby wants to potty. Then, it is the parents’ cue to bring them to the potty. While it is an alternative way of doing business, we’re not sure how it works at outdoor venues or when the family is away from home. Looks like we’ll need to turn to the actress for more insight into that.
Co-Sleeping
Some of Bialik’s rules are so controversial that even the Public Health Agency of Canada has made public warnings against them. The Canadian Public Health warns against co-sleeping to prevent sudden infant deaths. According to the public institute, the safest place for babies is a crib or cradle. Bialik does not share their views.
Her belief is that co-sleeping is one of the main points of attachment parenting. Though Bialik has her Ph.D. in Neuroscience, we believe the Canadian Public Health on this one. As much as co-sleeping is snuggly, if the whole family is sleeping in one bed it can get crowded quickly. Also, since sleep disorders are now an epidemic, we’re going to keep chasing the kids back to their beds to get our much-needed beauty sleep.
Home Birth
Bialik endorses home birth, meaning that mothers should give birth in their own homes. The actress gave birth to her two sons at home with the help of a midwife. Home birth means less stress for fathers. They won’t have to stress about getting mothers to the delivery rooms on time. That said, we’re not sure that expecting mothers would be all that keen on home birth.
We think they would like to be around trusted professionals during labor. On the other hand, Bialik was literally “at home” for the birth of her two sons. There must be a reason why we use the expression “at home” to imply comfort but we’re sure that it did not enter colloquial language from women giving birth at home.
No Crying
This rule applies to the baby – not to the parents. So yes, parents, you can still cry. While it might sound odd or even improbable that babies shouldn't cry, Bialik believes it is possible. In fact, the “Blossom” actress states that it worked for her. According to Bialik, babies should not cry ever.
Instead, parents should learn emotional cues from their infants that signal when they need food, a diaper change, or attention.
Here it sounds like Bialik has a superpower, namely, mind reading. Perhaps, if we all complete our PhDs in Neuroscience like the actress, we'll all have the ability to read our babies’ minds and then we can enjoy soundless nights again. Or we will just have to deal with a baby’s most basic communication – crying.
Toy-Free Child
Actually, there might be something to this parenting rule. The concept of a toy-free child has been around for some time, and it is gaining some traction. There are even toy-free kindergartens. While it might seem hard to think of children not having toys, the thinking behind this concept is that toys limit children’s imagination. Bialik agrees with this concept, but she has additional reasons.
She believes that plastic toys encourage materialism in children so in her sons' bedrooms, you would not find any chunky plastic toys. Bialik preferred for her children to spend their free time pursuing creativity, playing an instrument, reading, and playing with experiment kits. For parents, there is one major plus to having a toy-free environment – no more standing on those awful multi-colored toy pieces.
Positive Discipline
The actress also believes in positive discipline. This means no physical means, no yelling, and no time-outs. Instead, Bialik believes that positive discipline is the route to rooting out disobedience or bad behavior. With positive discipline, parents explain in a calm manner why the child has done something wrong and rely on pure logic – and logic alone – to help rectify the child’s bad behavior.
Here we think that Bialik’s studies in neuroscience have something to do with this. Not because she has deftly figured out how to explain logic and reason to a young child, but because her children must be prodigy neuroscientists who can understand logic at a young age. For the rest of us, we have to rely on inferior methods such as reward and punishment.
Home-Schooling
While plenty of Bialik’s rules have drawn much attention and caused quite a stir, some of them are not that out there. Bialik chose to home-school her children instead of sending them to school. One of the motivations behind Bialik’s choice is that instead of sticking to a defined curriculum, she can base her children’s learning on their interests.
They can spend more time outdoors instead of in a classroom.
Plenty of parents will defend Bialik’s choice of education as home-schooling has picked up in the past decades. Also, before the current education system, plenty of children were home-schooled some centuries ago so it is not completely outrageous. Certainly, home-schooling is not the norm, but some parents, like Bialik, think it is the best approach to educating their children.
No Sharing
Many of us have been raised on the idea that ‘sharing is caring’, but not according to “The Big Bang Theory” star. Bialik did not raise her children to share. Bialik believes that society pressurizes us into sharing, and she would prefer for her children not to give into this pressure, simply because it is acceptable.
Instead, Bialik encourages her sons to wait their turn or not want something that is currently being used by someone else. While we can see that there might be something to Bialik’s principles of not sharing, there are plenty of occasions where sharing makes sense, like birthday parties, Christmas, and Thanksgiving. What would be the purpose of a birthday cake if you did not share?
Veganism
Since the age of 19, Bialik has been vegan. The actress brought her sons up on a vegan diet. This means you won’t find any dairy and meat products in the family house. One of Bialik’s sons developed a milk allergy so Bialik became even more convinced that dairy was bad for humans. Bialik believes that if she raises her children on a vegan diet, they will suffer from fewer health disorders long-term and they will save a lot on health bills.
While most people won’t agree with Bialik’s parenting rules, we must admit that the actress is a forward-thinking parent if she is considering long-term health bills. Now, that her sons are older, we wonder if they will stick to their mother’s vegan lifestyle or rebel.
Permanent Digital Detox
Most of us have recently caught onto the idea of a digital detox. While some of us have learned about the concept, we are still struggling to successfully introduce it into our lives. Some people who will never suffer from this problem are Miles Roosevelt Bialik Stone and Frederick Herschel Bialik Stone. Their mother actively discouraged the use of technology in their home.
So, no smartphones, Xboxes, PlayStations, or even TVs. One of Bialik’s parenting rules is that children should not spend time on devices but rather spend time reading and being outdoors. Fortunately, Bialik’s sons will never learn the pain of trying to get through a day without reaching for a device. Most of us will just remain addicted to our smartphones.
No Sleep Training
One of the first things parents of infants encourage is sleep training. It is so we can go back to having a full night’s sleep and feel rested, especially since we have to wake up for the daily grind. But in the Bialik/Stone household, sleep training was not a thing. Instead of implementing a rigorous sleep training method and trying to get infants used to our body clocks, Bialik believed that this training would be too disruptive to her babies.
According to Bialik, if babies sleep according to their own natural rhythms, they will feel less agitated and disturbed. While this sounds pretty reasonable, we just don’t know what the rest of us will say when our boss catches us taking a snooze 5 minutes after our shifts have begun.
Reading
If you know anything about “The Big Bang Theory” actress, it is that she really likes reading. This is hardly surprising as the actress has earned two degrees in neuroscience, which involves a lot of reading. If the actress didn’t like reading, it would be more surprising. Love for this pastime has seeped into the actress’s parenting ethos.
While raising her two sons, Bialik encouraged her children to read as much as possible. If they ever had a question or wished to investigate something, they would have to look what they wanted to up in a book. Let’s hope the Bialik/Stone family lives close to a library. Finally, the actress also reads aloud to them to strengthen the mother-child bond and to develop her children’s creativity.
Flexible Schedules
One of the most challenging parts of being a parent is trying to get children into a routine. For most of us who must work nine to five, we spend much time pleading with our children to sleep, eat, and wake up at certain times. In Bialik’s home, the actress did not have the same problems. One of Bialik’s parenting principles is not to set up a rigid schedule for her children.
The actress’s philosophy is that children will eat, sleep, and wake up when they need to. This means that children get naturally hungry and tired and by this logic, they will eat and sleep on their own. There was definitely a lot less crying during bedtime in Bialik’s home simply because there was no such thing as bedtime.
No Vacation Blues
Divorce can be hard on families and one of the most difficult periods for children from divorced homes can be vacation periods. However, vacation periods are not a problem for Mayim Balik. Though Bialik and her ex-husband, Michael Stone, ended their 10-year marriage in 2013, the couple continues to spend vacations as a family.
We can say that there are no vacation blues in this family, especially as the Bialik/Stone family even travel abroad together. Their divorce must have ended on friendly terms because we can’t see family vacations working for all divorced parents. For those who experienced brutal divorces, family vacations would not be pretty. We only wonder what Bialik and Stone’s romantic partners think of this. And more importantly, do they get to tag along?
No Baby Language
Every now and then, you get those parents and adults who refuse to see children as children and talk to them as if they were adults. Children are little adults after all. At least, the host of “Jeopardy” seems to think so. Bialik raised her children without baby language and the cute baby voice that accompanies it.
Of course, the actress is only human after all and the cuteness of children gets to us all, so every now and then Bialik would slip into baby talk. However, the actress would catch herself doing it, snap out of it, and revert to talking to them as adults. For the rest of us, we simply cannot resist baby talk and the cute baby voice.
No Niceties
Most of us can be accused of overusing niceties and polite phrases. Good manners just seem to make the world more pleasant. One of the more unconventional aspects of Bialik’s parenting ethos is to not teach her children these niceties or pleasantries. So, that’s right, you won’t be hearing Miles Roosevelt Bialik Stone or his younger brother saying “please” and “thank you” very often.
Bialik took this stance against niceties because she believes they are so overused that they lose their meaning. The actress instead tried to encourage her children to carefully choose their words so they could express themselves more clearly. One thing the Bialik Stone kids must have is a colorful vocabulary. There are only so many ways you can say “please” and “thank you.”
Family for Sustainability
Mayim Bialik’s parenting ethos has drawn the actress a lot of attention – and a lot of negative attention. And though most parents would hesitate to follow all these rules, there is probably one principle most Gen-X and Millennial parents would fully endorse – raising children to have a sustainability mindset. Bialik has brought up her sons to prioritize sustainability.
The actress has instilled values that get her family to reduce their carbon footprint. This means recycling, conserving water, using cloth and reusable napkins, bottles, and containers, and using public transportation – you can find pics of the actress and co on subways. In Bialik’s home, there is also composting and gardening to do which are other ways that her family reduce their carbon footprint.
No Medicines
It is hardly unexpected that the actress who chose not to use any painkillers during labor is not keen on medicine. There are probably few things more painful than child labor, so the actress is tough! Apparently, Bialik expects her family members to be equally tough. That’s right – there are no painkillers in Bialik’s house. Growing up, her sons were not given medication of any kind.
Even if they caught a nasty cold, they still got no medication. Nor their annual Flu shot. Bialik thinks our bodies are perfectly capable of fighting off viruses and infections. She thinks if we medicate ourselves, we interfere with our natural ability to fight sickness. While some parents are tough, few are tougher than Bialik. Even her sons’ immune systems have to toughen up.
No Vaccinations
Generally, Mayim Bialik has taken an apprehensive approach to vaccinations and their effects. Interestingly, while Mayim Bialik generally avoided vaccinating her kids, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she had her kids vaccinated. There was a bit of controversy that came up during this time as it was unclear whether Bialik wanted her sons to get the jab or not.
Afterward, Bialik stated her kids had been vaccinated and that theirs had just been delayed. Bialik maintains that she's not an anti-vaxxer, she just chooses to not speak publically on her beliefs regarding the jabs. We get where she's coming from — why add fuel to the fire?
Sugary Shabbat
While most kids look forward to the weekend so they can see their friends or have a break from school, we’re guessing one of the main reasons Bialik’s sons eagerly anticipate the weekend is to have a bite of sweet candy. Generally, “The Big Bang Theory” star thinks that children should have quite a bit of freedom, but this does not apply to what they eat.
Not only were her sons raised vegan, but they also had limitations on eating candy. As said, candy was reserved for Shabbat. While Shabbat is not generally associated with eating candy, in the Bialik household it is one good thing about the weekend. At least we know that Bialik has not had to spend a fortune on dentist bills.
No Chores Exemption
Mayim Bialik’s parenting rules do not sound that bad for most children. You are home-schooled so you don’t have to worry about bullies or fitting in. You have your own routine so you can wake up and go to sleep in your time. You can create your own schedule at your leisure. You also can learn what you enjoy. Most kids would want to be Bialik’s kids.
But that doesn’t mean simply having endless amounts of free time. There are chores to be done. They need to clean up after themselves and even have errands to run. Other family members can help the kids with their chores, but there’s no getting out of cleaning and tidying. This just proves that even in wealthy households like Bialik’s, there are chores to be done.
Take a Joke!
Mayim Bialik rose to fame with the two sitcoms, “Blossom” and “The Big Bang Theory”. Naturally, the actress can take a joke. Do not be deceived by her deadpan expression or serious demeanor on “The Big Bang Theory.” One of the more endearing qualities of Bialik’s parenting is she likes to have fun with her sons and enjoys a good joke.
She encourages a cheerful spirit in the house and enjoys getting up to games and crazy antics with her offspring like dressing up in costumes. The actress cultivates a cheerful spirit by keeping things light in the home. The brood mock and joke with each other. Even Mommy dearest is not exempt from mockery. This must be one of the perks of having a sitcom mom.
Yes Woman
We are all familiar with the movie “Yes Man”. Well, it seems that the star of the sitcom “Blossom” should really have been the star of the film’s sequel, “Yes Woman”. This is because Bialik believes in always saying yes to her young. She considers it effective in getting her young to stop crying. She simply says ‘yes’ and gives them what they want.
Saying yes all the time encourages a deep bond and emotional connection between the mother and child. Not everyone agrees. If babies and children do not get what they want and are left alone, they learn independence and figure out how to make themselves happy. Still, we all watched the film “Yes Man” and, like Jim Carrey, know the dangers of saying yes to everything.
Religious Raising
It is always interesting in the households of inter-religious marriages. It is not clear which religious customs the kids and parents will follow. Will they follow both, one, or none? The “Blossom” actress, Mayim Bialik, had no trouble figuring inter-religious marriage out. Bialik is a descendant of Jewish immigrants who left the Eastern Bloc. The actress was brought up as a Reform Jew but during her adulthood, Bialik ascribed to Modern Orthodox Judaism.
Interestingly, her ex-husband and father to her children, Michael Stone, was raised in a Mormon household. When they married in 2003, Stone converted to Judaism. Faith was and is important in Bialik’s home. That being said, the actress imparts religious practices and values to her children, but she has not pressured them into joining her faith.
Inexpensive Christmas Presents
Christmas and birthdays are most kids’ favorite days of the year. These celebrations mean one thing – gifts. And lots of gifts. However, for Miles Roosevelt Bialik Stone and Frederick Herschel Bialik Stone, these occasions are hardly noteworthy – and not worthy of losing sleep over. Though Bialik was raised a Reform Jew, it is not because of religious beliefs that Christmas is not an important occasion.
The actress and her family still get together and celebrate occasions like Christmas. Even family members are welcome to bring Miles and Frederick gifts. Bialik simply does not want to buy her kids lavish gifts during the holiday periods. She believes her children have all they need. While this is Bialik’s opinion, we’d like to hear Miles and Frederick’s thoughts on this.
Affection Even for Big Kids
Since Bialik is an outspoken advocate of attachment parenting, it is hardly surprising that she feels that children and babies need a lot of love. Attachment parenting means that parents form strong bonds with their young. The way parents form such strong bonds with their children is they have a lot of physical contact with their children.
You guessed it – that means a lot of hugging, kissing, and cuddling. Attachment parenting continues even when kids get too big to cuddle and kiss. However, Bialik believes that parents should continue to show affection to their children even when they are big and all grown up. She thinks parents just have to get creative with the way they go about it with bigger kids. We’re not keen – high school is hard enough.
No Denigrating Dad
Whenever there is a scandal, affair, or divorce of a high-profile individual, the public and paparazzi are just waiting there to move in with their theories and comments. Naturally, when Mayim Bialik and Michael Stone divorced after ten years of marriage, the public with their pitchforks in hand started picking at the possible reasons for the divorce.
One of the first things critics had a go at was Bialik’s unconventional parenting methods. Despite the backlash, Bialik didn’t let their criticism get her down. A new parenting rule she has implemented since the divorce is no denigrating of Dad in her house. The actress believes trash-talking the kids’ father will be harmful to them and affect them negatively. Bialik keeps things civil towards her ex-husband, even behind his back.
No Nagging
This is one parenting rule kids would absolutely love – to not have a mother constantly on their tails. Bialik believes that parents should not nag their children endlessly. In the “Jeopardy” host’s opinion, if parents are constantly on their kids’ case about eating, doing homework and chores, sleeping, and dressing well, this creates a stressful and anxious environment for the kids.
To some mothers, it might sound impossible to get through a day without nagging their kids. The incredible part is that Bialik’s kids, Miles Roosevelt and Frederick Herschel, have matured at a quicker rate. Bialik could probably be onto something with her zero-nagging policy. Most of us know that the world would be much more pleasant if we never had someone nag us again, especially our mothers and bosses.
No Adultsplaining
It is true, there is no such word as adultsplaining, but because there is mansplaining and womansplaining, we’re pretty sure there should be a term such as adultsplaining – especially, since parents have been adultsplaining for so long. Whenever a topic becomes too difficult to discuss or seems appropriate only to discuss between adults, parents resort to sugar-coating or adultsplaining.
Or they avoid the conversation altogether. This is not the case in Bialik’s household. Since her sons were young, she has believed in being upfront and direct with them – even about the more difficult conversations. We know what those are. While most of us wish we could be that open with our children, sometimes, we would rather let children enjoy childhood for the short time that they can.
Birth Bonding
We’re pretty sure that plenty of women will disagree with this one, but Bialik discourages the use of painkillers during the process of child labor. The “Big Bang Theory” star is adamant about not using painkillers before and after giving birth. While that might be a bit of a difficult pill to swallow for expecting mothers – excuse the pun – the actress on both of her deliveries did not use painkillers.
The star believes that painkillers might affect birth negatively. Known as birth bonding, some mothers do not take painkillers even after birth because this might stop the mother from bonding with their babies. Though Bialik has some odd parenting rules and others that are downright painful, we can report that Bialik at the very least is not a hypocrite.
Birth Preparation
Some people attend parenting and birth preparation classes. Often it is not just expecting mothers but expecting fathers who take the time to prepare for a new baby. In the case of Bialik, like everything, the actress’s parenting regime takes things to a whole new level. In the Bialik household, it is not only fathers and mothers who need to understand the mechanisms of labor and accept the new baby, but also other children.
With Bialik’s first son, the first video Miles Roosevelt Bialik Stone watched was a birth video. He also was present when Bialik went into labor with her second son, Frederick Herschel. Though Bialik’s parenting approach is unconventional, when her sons become fathers, they, at least, will be prepared for when their partners start having contractions.
Attachment Parenting
One of the core philosophies making up Mayim Bialik’s approach to parenting is actually one that has been around for quite some time. Though the concept goes back to the post-war period, it was only during the 1990s that guidebooks and parenting manuals were released on the subject. The central idea of attachment parenting is for the mother to form a strong bond and emotional connection with the baby.
This means mothers spend a lot of time with their young. When Bialik first heard the concept of attachment parenting, she thought it was for people who had taken leave of their senses. However, slowly she came not only round to the concept, but has also become a great proponent and advocate for this style of parenting.
A Bit Too Hands-On
After Mayim Bialik and Michael Stone divorced in 2013, the couple came under public scrutiny. While Bialik cited irreconcilable differences, a rumor went around that it was Bialik’s parenting philosophy that actually caused the couple’s separation. Of course, with public figures, everyone has an opinion about their marriage troubles and few people actually truly know what happened.
However, the actress hinted at her parenting style being too hands-on, and that it would discourage Stone from developing a connection with his two boys. Bialik confessed to always being ready to feed her sons even when she was exhausted, which in turn prevented Stone from having quality time with his sons. This may have also discouraged teamwork between the parents if Bialik took over too much of the responsibility.
Daily Prayer
An important religious ritual is praying. And even though Bialik has raised her children in an unconventional manner, she encourages the daily practice of prayer. The actress was raised as a Reform Jew and became Modern Orthodox later. Thus, it is not completely strange that the actress has adopted daily rituals like praying.
With her family, Bialik has tried to encourage the same practices, so even her sons participate in these religious rituals. So far so good as the family every day without fail participate in these practices. Interestingly, though there seems to be an absence of rules for the most part in the Bialik household, the actress asks family members to join her in prayer before she sleeps.
Pick Your Battles
Mayim Bialik may have a whole array of unconventional and even downright strange parenting rules, but some of her rules are completely reasonable. One of the “Jeopardy” host's philosophies is to pick your battles wisely. The star of the show believes that people only have so much energy and it is vital that we have enough energy to only fight for the things that are truly important.
This mentality has bled into her parenting practices. When it comes to disagreements or conflicts with her family members, she only uses her energy for those that are truly important. By the same token, Bialik does not hold on to petty issues or minor disagreements. On this point, wouldn’t every household be more peaceful if we followed this philosophy?
Singing
One of the habits Mayim Bialik has picked up from her childhood is singing a prayer before sleeping. The star of the sitcom “Blossom” was raised as a Reform Jew and growing up, the actress used to sing prayers before sleeping. While Bialik has since adopted Modern Orthodox Judaism, her ex-husband was brought up Mormon, and the family probably doesn't maintain all the rituals Bialik was raised doing.
That being said, the actress held onto singing. Her family members join together every night to sing a prayer before the actress sleeps. We can see why Bialik retained this practice. One must certainly feel peaceful after singing a prayer with your family.
Laugh a Little
Here is one parenting rule that most parents will agree on but few of us actually can adopt – to laugh a little. Honestly, life can be hard and there are many things, as trivial as they seem, that can get us down. One of Bialik’s personal approaches to parenting is to laugh a little and more often.
If something happens to one of her boys, the actress gets them to laugh about it so that they can get rid of unpleasant thoughts. Bialik also has a trick up her sleeve. She asks her kids to be creative with unpleasant things and gets them to see them in a unique way. This not only distracts them from the issue at hand but reframes it.
Naturally – No Raising Hands
Anyone who knows a little about Mayim Bialik’s parenting ethos would know that the actress would disagree completely with corporal punishment. The topic of whether children should receive physical punishment has become quite divisive. People, on both sides of the debate, are very outspoken about the issue.
According to Bialik, children should not receive any kind of physical punishment as this will not only cause physical harm but psychological harm.
The actress believes that there are a number of different ways of addressing issues with children. Physical punishment is not one of them. What Bialik used as an alternative with her kids was to foster open communication with her kids. The actress may have some secrets she can let us in on which to help us communicate to young children.
Safe Sleeping
One way Mayim Bialik does parenting differently is co-sleeping – this means she and the family would share the same bed or sleeping surface i.e. the sofa. Some health institutes and parents say that this practice is very dangerous but it seems that the actress is aware of this and has taken measures to practice safe sleeping.
This means that the actress makes sure that the sleeping surface itself does not have any dangers. She uses a specific pillow that is safe against cot death. Since she shared the bed with her babies and kids while they were growing up, she was conscious that she could hurt them but made sure to be careful with them while sleeping. If you are going to do co-sleeping, safe sleeping is the best approach.
Not Drinking Before Sleeping
In April 2019, the “Jeopardy” host, Mayim Bialik, got a lot of attention for her comments and discussion about terrible hangovers especially as people get older. During this discussion thread, it came out that the host/actress was not a big drinker and had never been one. Interestingly, one of Bialik’s parenting principles is to avoid drinking before sleeping as it might jeopardize her children’s safety.
This is because Bialik and the kids used to sleep in the same bed. Concerned about her safety at night, the actress does not indulge in a nightcap before bedtime. Even though Bialik may have gotten a lot of attention for the terrible hangover she experienced, the actress does call it quits on drinking too late into the night.
No Gifting Is Necessary
When it comes to giving gifts to her sons, the “Big Bang Theory” star discourages the practice. This is because the actress believes that material things do not bring happiness. On the whole, it is obvious that the actress is not a fan of consumerism. When it comes to special occasions, the actress does not expect friends and family members to celebrate these moments by bringing her family members gifts.
The sentiment Bialik has instilled in her family members is to appreciate and cherish their time and moment with family and friends. This is quite a touching sentiment. Though we can’t agree with Bialik on everything, surely, we can take a page from her book here. Time, after all, is the most precious thing we have.
Basic Life Skills for Kids
While most of Bialik’s parenting rules sound like a breeze for kids, this one must be hard on them. We mean, the kids are expected to learn how to take care of themselves when they are just kids. It really seems that Bialik’s parenting philosophy often involves seeing kids as little adults. In her household, Bialik taught her children from an early age how to cook, clean, do laundry, and sew.
Not only does the actress believe that they will foster a sense of teamwork in the family, but if the kids know how to take care of themselves and be self-sufficient, they will feel more confident. We’re pretty sure many kids and teens are pretty confident that they do not want to do any chores.
Quality Time
Mayim Bialik takes parenting to a whole new level, meaning she is deeply committed to her family. It is hardly surprising that the actress not only values quality time with her family but prioritizes it. Even though the actress has many things on her plate and has good reasons to put time with family off, it's the other distractions and activities that get the boot. Family comes first.
She schedules time in advance to spend with the family. She believes that quality time is vital for healthy, happy relationships because family members create happy memories together. Though quality time is important, it can involve really simple activities like playing a game together, going for a walk, or spending time outdoors.
Personal Time
Bialik does not follow the conventional parenting style. Her approach is attachment parenting which is almost like helicopter parenting to the max. It is perfectly reasonable to assume that the TV star suffers from burnout on the odd occasion. Did we mention that Bialik home-schooled her children? Of course, she would experience burnout. Who wouldn’t?
However, being the ever-attentive and forward-thinking parent, Bialik recognizes how important it is that she takes time out just for herself. The actress also devotes a portion of her time to doing things on her own, doing what she wants to do, and simply having a break from her family. When discussing quality time, Bialik said she needed it to recharge her batteries. If Bialik didn’t, she wouldn’t only be supermom, but also superhuman.
Lots of Positive Reinforcement
Can’t get your kids to do what you want? While many parents might be tempted to shout, nag, or plead with their kids to get them to do it, Mayim Bialik disagrees with this approach. Instead, Bialik maintains that understanding the true cause of misbehavior is one of tackling it. Bialik also explains that parents should set clear boundaries and expectations for their kids so that kids know what is expected of them.
This helps parents avoid criticizing their kids unnecessarily. By the same token, by complimenting your kids, encouraging them to do what you want, and praising them for doing it, Bialik believes that you are sure to get the results you want. Besides, your kids will be happier, and you will be less stressed.
Learning in Their Own Time
Recently, we have seen quite a change in the attitude towards learning. Now there are entire educational strategies that explain that every person has a unique learning style. We have also seen an increase in demand and availability of customized courses as opposed to standardized courses.
Though she wasn't the first parent to adopt this perspective on learning, Bialik is definitely one of the parents who believe in this approach.
With her own two sons, Miles and Frederick, she gave them the freedom to learn at their own pace. The actress did not put pressure on them to complete standardized tests or achieve certain grades. Bialik also did not expect them to have the same interests and reach the same level of competency in the same areas.
Mom Is the Primary Caregiver
This might not sit well for dads reading the article but according to Mayim Bialik’s parenting ethos, mothers are the primary caregivers. Like everything else Bialik does, when it comes to her children, she takes it to the extreme. In the case of accidents or injuries, Bialik encouraged her sons, Miles and Frederick, to approach her first.
If they need advice about dating, friends, school, or their love lives, the same policy applies. Mommy is the go-to person. We’re not sure about Dad’s views on this. But since Michael Stone doesn’t have much of a public presence, we’ll probably never know. While some fathers may not like it, some mothers may not either.
Unconditional Love – Always
Isn’t this implied when one becomes a mother? Of course, one of the generally accepted facts is that mothers experience unconditional love toward their children. While we don't deny that mothers have this kind of love for their kids, unconditional love means something a bit different to Mayim Bialik.
For the star of the “Big Bang Theory,” she believes that mothers cannot judge their children and as a result cannot criticize their kids. In fact, the TV star’s opinion is that if a mother criticizes or judges her kids she is not creating a safe environment for them. While Bialik brings a whole new meaning to the word ‘safe’ and to the concept of ‘unconditional love’ we can use the adjective ‘unconditional’ to describe her love for her sons.
Spending Time Outdoors
It is hardly surprising that spending a lot of time outdoors will form part of Mayim Bialik’s parenting ethos. The “Blossom” star is an advocate for veganism, sustainability, being environmentally conscious, and appreciating nature. It is not only Bialik who appreciates nature, but she has brought up her sons with this same mentality.
One of the main ways that Bialik cultivates this appreciation of nature in her sons is by spending a lot of time outdoors. In fact, Bialik doesn’t mind her children getting dirty as she sees it as a way for them to appreciate and learn about nature. There are plenty of pics of the actress and her sons traveling, by the sea, in parks, and fields, and simply enjoying the fresh air.
Constant Affection
Though the actress portrayed Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler in “The Big Bang Theory”, Bialik could not be any different from her onscreen persona. It takes Fowler several seasons to open up and form close bonds with the other characters. She has to learn that her emotional needs are too important and that life is not just about science. She also learns to be affectionate and to ask for affection and closeness from others.
In real life, Bialik is the complete opposite, especially with her family members. When her sons were growing up, the actress’s parenting philosophy was to smother them in hugs, kisses, and cuddles. Bialik has posted numerous pics of herself hugging and cuddling her sons. Even in public, her affection for her family is abundant.
Spiritual Enrichment
No matter the form, whether it is yoga, meditation, prayer, mindfulness, or singing religious verses, Bialik considers it important for her family members to spend time on their spiritual enrichment. If we accept that there is a soul, mind, and body, then it is completely understandable why Bialik would like for her family members to devote time to spiritual practices.
While Bialik and her ex-husband are from different religions, this has not impacted Bialik’s views of spirituality. Perhaps, it has made her more open to spirituality as a whole. Bialik also encourages her family members to explore the concept of spirituality and inner peace. When it comes to spiritual practices, the “Blossom” actress even considers gratitude and having empathy for and displaying kindness to others as vital aspects of spirituality.
Positive Talk
There may be a lot to criticize about Bialik’s unconventional parenting style, but one thing we could all agree with the actress on is trying to raise her children to treat others with respect and kindness. The actress also would like her children to be a source of positivity in the world. As the saying goes, “Charity begins at home.”
In Bialik’s home, family members cannot speak badly about other people. In other words, the actress has zero tolerance for gossip and unfavorable discussions of other people. Instead, Bialik has tried to bring up her children to always see others in a good light. Like most virtues, it is easier said than done, but kudos to Bialik and co for trying to be a source of positivity.
Traveling Kids
We have all seen those movies where the kids take full advantage of their parents being away to throw some crazy house party and when the parents come home, they face a terrible day of reckoning. Not only the parents, that is, but the kids face this day of reckoning too. Bialik’s family would not have this problem. When Bialik travels, she encourages her kids to tag along with her.
According to “The Big Bang Theory” actress, traveling presents people with a chance to learn and that means the kids too. While we are sure her kids are regretting all the house parties they have not hosted, we’re pretty sure they have learned plenty from their travels. But sadly, when the cats are away, the mice won’t have their day.
Minimalist Attitude
In recent years, we have seen the concept of minimalism getting much attention. Authors such as Maria Kondo have come up with minimalist rules and even terms – like the KonMari method. There are plenty of individuals who have now given up owning numerous possessions and limited themselves to 100 or 50 possessions. While Mayim Bialik is not this extreme, she does believe in following a minimalist approach.
She also raised her sons with a more minimalist approach. That said, Bialik’s approach is a bit different. Hers could be described as a more fundamentalist approach where instead of buying them lots of toys or obtaining too many possessions, she encourages them to engage in creative activities and do things for themselves like cooking and gardening.
Outdoor Learning Education Model
Anyone who knows the “Big Bang Theory” star well will know that she is an advocate for environmentalism. This is why the actress is a vegan and promotes sustainability. It would be hardly unexpected to know that Bialik believes in spending a lot of time outdoors. Of course, this does not only apply to her but to her brood as well.
But Bialik takes spending time outdoors to a new level completely – she encourages her kids to spend time outdoors as part of their education. So, if the family goes to the park, they should hunt for insects and creatures there and learn about them. It seems like one of her kids has the making of a botanist or zoologist if they don’t follow in Mommy’s shoes and study neuroscience.
Let the Child Lead the Way
Most parents’ jaws would drop if they heard that Mayim Bialik prefers to let children lead the way. While the conventional parenting method is to make sure your child covers a few basic subjects like math, science, and literature, Bialik allowed her children to study what catches their attention and they are truly intrigued by.
Perhaps, there is something to Bialik’s philosophy as it allows children to only spend their time with something that truly engages them, giving them time to really hone their skills and learn as much as possible. We all know it is hard to fake interest in something so Bialik might be on to something. That said, some of us simply wish our kids could be interested in something other than their smartphones.
Backed by Neuroscience
One piece of trivia most people know about the actress Mayim Bialik is that though she played a genius scientist on the sitcom “The Big Bang Theory”, Bialik is really a qualified scientist. She studied for her Bachelor of Science and eventually earned a Doctorate in neuroscience.
Most people will be shocked by her parenting methods, but it was her studies in neuroscience that actually prompted the actress to reconsider conventional parenting. Celebrity parents generally have a reputation for raising their children differently, but in the case of Bialik, she was an exception. It was her studies that convinced the actress that attachment parenting was the best way to bring up her kids.