Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg, who is the proud father of four children, is speaking out to offer parents some powerful but simple advice for sending their kids off to college.

Wahlberg Offers Parenting Advice

“It’s a beautiful thing just encouraging them to pursue their dreams, to take a chance on themselves and to dream big,” Wahlberg, 53, told Fox News.

“But, along with the big ideas, you have to do the little stuff to accomplish those big goals,” he added. “So, doing the work, betting on yourself, not being afraid of failure and just staying as close.” 

It may sound simple, but Wahlberg himself notoriously practices what he preaches – with crack-of-dawn wake-up calls for exercise and prayer. Consistency like Wahlberg is talking about isn’t simple, it’s work!

Wahlberg and his wife Rhea Durham, who he’s been married to for 15 years, are the parents to four kids: Ella, 20, Michael, 18, Brendan, 15, and Grace, 14. 

Ella is currently a student at Clemson University in South Carolina. Wahlberg made it clear that he could not be more proud of her.

“The best thing we could have experienced was going and visiting our daughter at parents’ weekend and experience that college life,” he said.

Wahlberg Crashes Frat Party

This comes one year after Wahlberg revealed that during parents’ weekend at Clemson, he and his wife crashed a fraternity party.

“They were having the most fun I’ve ever seen anybody have, ever. Even more than her coming to Vegas,” Wahlberg told Entertainment Tonight. “I was at the frat house and, you know, a couple of spots in town.

“It was nuts,” he continued. “Parents’ weekend was incredible.”

Wahlberg has been open about sometimes regretting not going to college himself.

“It made me feel like, ‘Wow, I had a big regret not finishing high school ‘til later on, but definitely even bigger not having that college experience,’” he admitted.

Related: Mark Wahlberg Visits Daughter At College and Has An Adorably Relatable Dad Moment

‘I’d Still Be In College’

That being said, Wahlberg believes he would have ended up on a very different career path if he had gone to school.

“I’d still be in college,” he joked. “I would still be at the frat house. I’d be a 25th year senior, yeah.”

Though Wahlberg dropped out of high school in the ninth grade, he went on to earn his GED in 2013.

“I didn’t want the kids saying, ‘You didn’t do it, so why do I need it?’” he later told People Magazine. “They are all wanting to do things in their future that require an education.”

Wahlberg has also indicated in the past that college could still be in the cards for him.

“I would love to go to USC and study film,” he said. “I don’t want to become a veterinarian or anything, [I want to study] things that further my career and broaden my horizon.”

Related: Mark Wahlberg Doesn’t Regret Moving Family From LA To Las Vegas – ‘Everybody Is Thriving Here’

Wahlberg Looking Forward To The Future

Aside from Ella, Wahlberg is also excited to see where his other children decide to go to college.

“It’s an invaluable time,” he said. “I can’t wait for people to get to share it, for my other kids to go off to school.”

When it comes to his wife Durham, however, she has a harder time thinking about her children going away to school.

“It’s much more difficult for my wife,” Wahlberg confessed. “Her sole purpose on the planet is to be a mom. She wants everybody in the house under one roof, never growing up. She doesn’t like change, and she doesn’t like the idea of kids leaving home.”

Wahlberg is clearly having a blast with every stage of fatherhood. It’s nice to see a Hollywood A-lister be such a devoted family man in real life!

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