‘Went the Other Way With My Sons’- Chris Evert Once Detailed How Different Parenting Style Made Her Sons….
At the age of 67, tennis legend Chris Evert is enjoying her single life, while all her ex-husbands have remarried. She is a proud mother to three boys, who have grown up to forge their own paths in their respective careers. A few years back, the 18-time Grand Slam champion talked about the difference in her and her children’s upbringing.
The former world number one’s upbringing was strict and conservative. Her father, pro tennis coach Jimmy Evert, was her biggest inspiration behind taking up the sport. She followed a strict schedule for everything, including family dinners and practice sessions.
Chris Evert talks about her different parenting approach
In an interview given in 2016, the American tennis star opened up about the parenting style that she used to raise her kids. And believes that her approach has made them kind and gentle.
She said, “Because my upbringing was so strict, so black and white with no grey, I went the other way with my sons. I listened to them, let them talk me into letting them stay up an extra hour at bedtime. I probably could have been stricter, but I’d tell them “just do your best”. As a result, they are very kind and loving.”
Rather than having a strict parenting style, Evert chose to be a lenient mother to her boys. She maintained her calm and composed demeanor on the tennis court as well, earning the nickname ‘Ice Maiden’.