Ben Affleck is not going to give the nepo treatment to his kids — and fans think this kind of parenting is the right way to go.
In a recent episode of Today with Jenna & Friends, the actor made it clear that although he has no shortage of money, with a reported net worth of $150 million, he wants to teach his kids that they should earn their own savings instead of relying on their parents.
The short clip addressing a pair of shoes that cost a whopping $6,000 has now gone viral.
Ben Affleck shares the importance of working for your own earnings with his kids
During the interview, Affleck said he turned down his 13-year-old son Samuel’s request to buy the sneakers.
“He wanted these sneakers, and I was like, ‘These sneakers are $6,000, what are you talking about? What are you gonna do, mow lawns? You got $6,000?’”
The actor then said his son had insisted they had the money.
“I have the money! You’re broke,” was Affleck’s response.
Netizens were thoroughly impressed with the Hypnotic star’s take on things.
“If only more parents who don’t have Ben Affleck money had this mindset with their children,” one person wrote.
“Exactly the right thing to do,” another echoed. “Good for him. You want those shoes, you have to earn them.”
A third mentioned, “Kids need to start working a lot earlier than 16 years to instill a strong work ethic and core values. Some cultures and countries, they start working the moment they can walk.”
People on the Internet were impressed that the actor didn’t use his star status as an easy route for his kids
“That’s the correct answer for me,” a user on Facebook stated. “Work in order for to buy the item you want not by asking the money.”
“You have to teach your kids to work, no matter how much money mom or dad have made,” someone affirmed. “I agree with him that once they work that many hours, they won’t likely want to spend 6k on shoes.”
Affleck has also made it clear that this decision comes from a place of love.
“You love your kids,” he continued during the episode. “You want to give them everything and do everything for them,” adding that it would be a “disservice” not teaching them that they “have to work” for what they want.
Now that the lesson has been implanted in his son, Affleck says the 13-year-old is now “reckoning with that reality.”
Affleck’s son initially wanted his father to pay for $6,000 sneakers
“He’s looking at no shoes in his closet,” Affleck shared with hosts Jenna Bush Hager and Andy Cohen. “Well, he’s got shoes, just no crazy expensive fancy shoes.”
He continued, “And I’m like, ‘Well, if you want that, you can work 1,000 hours.’ You know what I mean? Minimum wage. And once you work 1,000 hours, you may not want to spend that on a pair of sneakers.”
According to Page Six, the jaw-dropping sneakers going for six grand were a pair of Dior Air Jordan 1 shoes, which originally retailed for $2,000. But as they became a collector’s item, the price skyrocketed.
Cohen then asked about whether his other kids work, to which Affleck said his eldest kids have started to learn the valuable lesson of saving and earning money with their own jobs.
“In fact, one just got a job, the kind of classic teenager working a shop job — I won’t say what it is,” he said.
The actor added, “My older one in college is working and trying to get an internship for the summer.”
The 52-year-old currently has three kids — Samuel, 13, Seraphina, 16, and Violet, 19. He shares all of his children with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner.
While there were some mixed opinions about Affleck’s relationships, most agreed his parenting skills were a green flag
