Tyler Perry was on Michelle Obama’s ‘The Light’ podcast this past week, and during the conversation, Perry talked a little about life as a parent.
The 53-year-old filmmaker/actor shared a cathartic moment he had while parenting his 8-year-old son, Aman.
He remembered a time a few years back when his nanny was trying to get Aman to brush his teeth before going to bed. Unfortunately, Aman was not having it. He did not want to brush his teeth. Perry said Aman was giving the nanny a hard time.
He didn’t know I was in the door, I watched him for a minute, and then I had the nanny leave and I got down eye-to-eye and talked to him. I said, ‘Listen to me, you are not going to be this way. We love you. We are your parents. You will not behave this way. We taught you better than this. You are a better kid than this. You’re going to be a better man than this.’
And while he was talking to him, he started to get emotional.
Eventually, his son apologized and agreed to brush his teeth, with help from the nanny. During this time, Perry had to step away and collect himself on the balcony.
I went out on the balcony I was in tears because I realized that nobody had ever talked, got down and talked to me eye-to-eye and had a conversation with me that I could understand. There was just yelling and cussing and what you’re not and what you’re never going to be. So to have a moment where I had a chance to have a conversation with a child, who is my spitting image, I was not only correcting and leading him the right way, but helping my own little boy inside of me heal.
Don’t you love it? Healing is a beautiful thing. Just because you were raised a certain way doesn’t mean you have to carry the tradition with you.
Good job, Perry!
