Back in October, we reported that the former Frasier star Kelsey Grammer had welcomed his eighth child at the age of 70. Now, Grammer is opening up to reveal the parenting advice that he would give his younger self if he had the chance to do so.
Grammer’s Parenting Advice
Grammer’s oldest child, a daughter named Spencer, was born in 1983. He later welcomed his eighth child Christopher two months ago.
“Maybe be a little more patient. I didn’t quite understand with my first child how a kid could cry all day,” Grammer told Fox News. “I thought, ‘Wow, this is really challenging.’ And I thought, ‘How am I gonna get through this?’ But I did, you know, and she did. And we were really close when she was a little girl. You know, I don’t even really see her that much anymore.”
“She’s a terrific kid,” he continued. “But yeah, you know what your lives, you know, they just go in different circles, and you start to just expand out from there. And once in a while, if we have a chance to get back together, it’s really nice.”
Grammer is also a father to daughter Greer, 33, with ex Barrie Buckner. He shares daughter Mason, 24, and son Jude Gordon, 21, with ex-wife Camille Grammer.
The former Cheers star married the ex-flight attendant Kayte Walsh in 2011. They are parents to daughter Faith, 13, and sons Gabriel, 11, Auden, 9, and now Christopher.
Grammer Doubles Down
In his latest interview, Grammer talked about the relationships that he has with each of his children.
“I think they’ve all had their own sense of what their dad was,” he explained. “I know that a lot of my older kids’ understanding of who I am comes through the lens of their mothers. Well, I disappointed their moms quite a bit.”
“So I suppose there’s a little bit of that in there,” Grammer added. “But I’ve done my best to kind of maintain or redefine a relationship with every one of my kids, and some to varying degrees of success. You know, it’s a mixed bag.”
“And still the door isn’t closed,” Grammer concluded. “So there’s always new ways to define what’s now to be. And I love them beyond description. I love them beyond words. And I hope that that is what carries the day for all of us eventually is that there is this connection that’s our family.”
Grammer’s Previous Comments
Earlier this year, Grammer admitted to having “neglected” some of his older children because he was busy with his career when they were young.
“I have neglected a couple of the kids in my life, especially the first two,” Grammer told People Magazine back in May. “I’m trying to make up for a little of it now. I’m still their dad, so you can always have [a] chance to show up.”
“I probably should have been a little more clear and maybe less tolerant with the older ones,” he continued. “I’m pretty tolerant with the young ones, but I’m clear about how there’s certain expectations and certain ways to navigate through a social situation: keep it close to the vest and play it straight, and you’re going to be well-served in your life. I’m a little more specific with them about doing their studies and being prepared. [I tell them], ‘What’s your job in life? Showing up.'”
Given how many children Grammer has, it’s safe to say that he’s something of an expert on parenting at this point.
God bless you, Kelsey Grammer!