Country stars Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan trade fatherhood tips: 'You lead by example'
Family means everything to Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan.
The country music icons praised their children and traded fatherhood advice while gathering with a few of their famous friends of Buck Commander at Bryan's farm near Nashville, Tennessee.
When the guys were asked about teaching "boys to be men before the world teaches them otherwise," Aldean admitted, "You’re a product of your environment."
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"The home and the parents are the biggest part of that. You lead by example," he told Hook & Barrel. "Being a parent and trying to navigate what’s going on in the world is extremely tough right now. I mean my kids are about to start school and with how things are, I don’t even want to do that."
Jason and wife Brittany Aldean are proud parents to one son, Memphis, and a daughter named Navy. The "Got What I Got" singer also has two daughters, Kendyl and Keely, from his previous marriage.
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Bryan, who has sons Bo and Tate with wife Caroline Boyer, said he often reflected on how his kids were watching his every move.
"Just last week I had to tell one of my boys, ‘I know you have seen me do this… but that doesn’t mean you do it.’ But it all starts with the father in the home — they lean on us as the example," Bryan said. "I did it with my dad. I mean my wife tells me once a week, ‘You sound like your daddy.’ When I know I have a hunting trip coming up, my dad used to do it too, my gear is all laid out perfectly and ready to go — I do it the same way he did it, and now my boys do it too."
He added, "I think too, through all their good days and bad, you have to uplift them. To teach them to cut themselves some slack.
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"I have seen this world put pressures on my boys that I never even thought about when I was a kid. Especially in my case, just because they are my children, I have to sit them down and remind that it will be ok."
The "American Idol" judge said he believes in "positive reinforcement and being stern with them. Also, they watch the way I treat my wife. When they see me wrap my arms around my wife, and love on her, they associate that with the way you show affection — they pick up on all of that."
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When Aldean was asked how he showed his kids love now that they're a little older, he simply gave the gift of time.
"I have two older daughters that got into volleyball. I didn’t know anything about volleyball. I wanted them to play softball," Aldean recalled. "But, I went to games and learned as much I could about volleyball, and we talked about it. For this group it’s hard. We all travel so much. When I am with them, I take as much advantage of it as I can.
"When I am at home, I don’t hang out much. I spend time with my family. I may sneak out to hunt [chuckles] from time to time. But for the most part, I am there with my family giving them my undivided attention."
The Buckmen includes "Duck Dynasty" star Willie Robertson, Tyler Farr, Adam LaRoche, Ryan Langerhans, Tombo Martin, and Ryan Busbice.