Welcome to So Mini Ways Yahoo Life ‘s __parenting series on the joysand challenges of child-rearing.
Brian Austin Green was 29 when his oldest son, Cassius, was born; hisyoungest, Zane, arrived this June, just a couple of weeks before the actortuned 49.
Speaking to Yahoo Life’s So Mini Ways, the former Beverly Hills, 90210 starand father of five says fatherhood hits differently as an older dad.
“At 49, I don’t have the same physical ability, obviously, to be as hands-onas I was when I was younger,” says Green, giving credit to his Zane’s “amazingmother,” dancer Sharna Burgess of Dancing With the Stars fame. “Sharna issuch a partner in all of it that it’s just been so enjoyable.”
Brian Austin Green opens up about his five kids and prioritizing his health.(Photo: Getty; designed by Quinn Lemmers)
Green also counts himself lucky that there’s no sibling drama within hismodern family. In addition to nearly 3-month-old Zane and 20-year-old Cassius,whose mom is actress Vanessa Marcil, he shares Noah, 9, Bodhi, 8, and Journey,6, with ex-wife Megan Fox.
“All of them are so obsessed with Zane and just so in love with him,” Greensays. “And there’s been no issue with that at all; there’s been no friction inthe situation. Things that could have naturally happened in having a baby withsomeone new — the younger kids that I have taking issue with that, becausethere’s a new one that they’re not completely blood-related to on both sides —it could have been so difficult and just hasn’t been. From day one, they’veabsolutely embraced Sharna and now embrace Zane. It’s been amazing. .”
As far as his parenting style, the TV star says that while he isn’t afraid tobe a disciplinarian, he firmly believes in giving his kids the freedom to bethemselves.
“I don’t own these kids,” he says. “I don’t want to push upon them my passionsor the things that make me me. I enjoy the fact that they are individuals andI love really helping them find the individuality, and their passions and thethings that make them them. I feel like my job as a parent is to make sure,morally, that they are good people when they grow up.”
Story continues
His parenting philosophy is this: “Just love your kids,” Green says. “Justaccept them for who they are and be loving and kind and supportive ofeverything that they do. Don’t let your own experiences in your own life getin the way of allowing them to experience and live their lives. Be OK withstepping back a little bit and not micromanaging the situation.”
He points to his older son Cassius as proof that he’s done something right.
“I feel so blessed and I’m so excited watching him navigate the world himself.Hearing from people like, ‘Oh, I’ve met him, and he’s just an amazing humanbeing,’ — I feel like, OK, that ‘s one down,” he laughs. “I’ve done goodwith one so far, so four more to go. If he is any sort of [testament] of whatit is that I’m doing and have done, then good on it so far. It seems to beworking.”
Fatherhood has also been a wakeup call for Green to prioritize his health sothat he can be there for his kids. Since his early 30s the actor has sufferedfrom ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease that can causeinflammation and ulcers in the digestive tract and is linked to an increasedrisk of prostate cancer, though he admits that he hasn’t always been proactiveabout undergoing annual screenings. He’s now partnering with Depend on itsStand Strong For Men’s Health campaign, in which a portion of proceeds fromsales will be donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation from now until the endof November.
“I hadn’t really taken my health that seriously as far as doing annualscreenings and all of that,” admits Green, who recently completed a prostatespecific antigen (PSA) test as part of the campaign. “And there was a bit ofstigma for me in doing a prostate exam because it just felt very invasive atthe time. But that was before this PSA test that is now possible; it’s asimple blood draw.”
Prostate cancer is diagnosed in one out of eight men in the United States, andis something that Green says “could affect myself and my family and my kids —and I personally want to be here as long as I can for them.”
Though Green says his ulcerative colitis only flares up every two or threeyears, one particularly debilitating episode came midway through Burgess’spregnancy earlier this year. The former teen heartthrob was bedridden for morethan six weeks and lost 20 pounds. That, coupled with past neurological issuesGreen has dealt with, has hammered in the importance of keeping on top of hishealth.
“I have five kids,” he adds. “I’m 49 years old. At some point I’ve got to stopthe thing of feeling like I’m a superhero and like nothing is going to affectme.”
—Video produced by Kat Vasquez
Wellness, parenting, body image and more: Get to know the ** who*behind the* ** hi with Yahoo Life ‘s newsletter. Sign up here