How HGTV's Chip And Joanna Gaines Parent Their Teenage Kids

Chip and Joanna Gaines might be most known for their southern renovations, but their family plays a significant role in the HGTV duo's brand. Though the parents have changed their minds about putting their kids on TV, fans of the Gaines family have watched their children grow up alongside their evolving HGTV empire since "Fixer Upper" kicked off in 2013.

As a refresher, the couple has five kids together: Drake, born in 2005, Ella, born in 2006, Duke, born in 2008, Emmie, born in 2010, and Crew, born in 2018. Their four oldest children have firmly entered into their teenagehood, so Chip and Joanna's parenting tactics have similarly evolved over the years, with the couple opening up about raising adolescents while being reality TV stars. "What we have realized about our kids is, they want to feel as normal as possible," Joanna shared with People. "So they don't ever talk about any of it. I think they love the idea of flying under the radar, feeling normal."

In this way, Chip and Joanna have made an effort to encourage their teens' individual identities while also owning up to their mistakes as parents. 

Chip and Joanna Gaines have become some of the biggest HGTV names since the success of "Fixer Upper," but the renovation duo has expressed that they don't necessarily expect their kids to follow in their famous footsteps. Instead, the Waco renovators encourage their teenagers to cultivate their own identities.

"Obviously at some point it'd be so fun to have one or two of our kids work with us, but that's definitely not what we're saying out loud to them," Joanna told People. "Chip is really good at saying, 'You need your own identity. When you're finished with college, go do some stuff on your own. Learn some stuff. And then if you want to come back years later and teach us, we're here.'"

This advice is especially applicable to their oldest son, Drake, who graduated high school in May of 2023 and started college the following fall. While Joanna has opened up about how emotional the change has been for her, supporting her children's individual paths is just one way that the mother parents her teenagers.

When talking with Scary Mommy, Joanna Gaines provided some additional insight into her parenting tactics when it comes to raising teens. While the interior designer once felt she should have all the answers as a mom, she's come to realize the importance of admitting and owning up to her mistakes.

"If we're talking about a certain issue and later on I realize, 'I don't think I handled that,' I'll always try to say sorry ... I also try to be the first to say, 'I'm sorry, I'm wrong,'" Gaines told the outlet. When talking to People in 2022, she shared that admitting her wrongs shows her children that she's human, just like them.

The HGTV star explained, "I want them to see the highs and lows, so when they're feeling anxieties about school or relationships, they know it's a safe place for them to come to me." While we love seeing how much Chip and Jo have thrived in their professional endeavors, their ongoing evolution as parents is the most heartwarming part for HGTV fans.