Usher recently opened up about fatherhood in The Cut’s first solo print issue, sharing how he uses music to bond with his four kids.
During the interview, the proud dad admitted that while he tries to shield his children from the hardships of life, he knows that’s not always possible.
“I try to coddle my kids to protect them from emotions and life and love and sex – you can’t!” Usher said. “They want to experience things too. Why make them feel as though they need to hide it?”
Rather than shying away from tough topics, Usher turns to music to help his children navigate their emotions.
“One of the greatest gifts I could ever give to one of my children is to be able to tell them, ‘I know exactly how you feel right now. Listen to this song,’ ” he continues. “My house is like a mini art gallery, and my kids are the features.”
Back in February, Usher also appeared on the cover of People.com, where he expressed his hopes for his children to grow up close and supportive of one another.
“But if I’m asking for anything, it is that my children will grow to love each other, and there’s enough distance between the boys who are older and the babies to be able to cover each other and know that they are protective of one another, that they are willing to challenge each other, to really be the structure that I wish that I had at times,” he said.
He added that he tries to be patient and talk things through with his kids, knowing that life will bring both good and challenging experiences.
“You are going to have experiences that are going to be good, or they have experiences that are going to challenge you. You need to have somebody that’s going to try to have patience with you,” he shared
Usher shares sons Usher “Cinco” V, 16, and Naviyd Ely, 15, with his ex-wife Tameka Foster, as well as daughter Sovereign Bo, 3, and son Sire Castrello, 2, with his current wife, Jenn Goicoechea Raymond.
