You probably remember Jon Cryer from his starring role in the hit sitcom, Two and a Half Men. He appeared on 12 seasons of the show before it ended in 2015.
Now, some eight years later, the 58-year-old actor has landed another sitcom, Extended Family, which just premiered last week on NBC.
As the name suggests, the show is all about family, and during a new interview with PEOPLE, Cryer talked a lot about his real life parenting techniques. For those who don’t know, he shares a 23-year-old son with his ex-wife and a 4-year-old daughter with his current spouse, Lisa Joyner.
What I’ve learned from raising kids is that control is an illusion. You’re bringing people into the world and who they become and where they go in the world is really up to them. It’s a cliche, but it is all about letting go. It’s all about realizing the limits of what you can do and seeing how this soul goes through their lives and the world.
It does sound cliche, but he speaks the truth. Your job as a parent is to protect (as best you can) your child, teach them good values, and make sure they feel loved. It’s not your job to try to make them out to be the person you believe they should be.
And for those parents out there already dreading the day their kids grow up and move out of the house, Cryer says not to worry… it’s actually a good thing!
My older son is twenty-three, and I love being an adult parent, because I can be myself more with my son. I can know him as an adult. Obviously, I’ll offer advice when he asks. But other than that, we can just be together, and the relationship can just be.
