The Babble Interview: Gavin Rossdale
The chart-topping dad on life with Gwen, Kingston and Zuma.
by Tammy La Gorce
December 10, 2008
Do you raise the kids mostly in L.A.? Is L.A. a good place to raise kids?
Yeah, we do spend a lot of time in L.A. And I'm finding out as I go along that it can be fantastic. Obviously, I get nervous sometimes, because it can be a bit Beverly Hills. I don't like it when everyone's so privileged. But for the most part, people are really well balanced and smart and interesting and cool. I definitely don't heed the idea that the people here are all fake jerk-offs. You find cool people everywhere you go. I don't like the idea of, "Oh, you're from Kansas, you must be brilliant," or whatever.
What about preschool for Kingston? Are you enmeshed in the drama over which school you'll send him to, that whole scene?
I don't feel that much pressure about it yet. I want to home-school him. I feel so bad for him, because school is just so relentless. When you're two or three, the idea that you have twenty years of being told you have to get up and go to school . . . I probably went to the wrong school, because I used to hate getting up and going.
Are you kidding about home-schooling him? Or are you really considering it?
No, I probably wouldn't home-school him. I think social interaction with other kids is probably essential.
How do you feel about nannies and help inside the home? You must need a lot of it, given your schedule and Gwen's.
"I probably went to the wrong school, because I used to hate getting up and going."
We're pretty hands-on. We have some excellent nannies who help us, but for the most part our attitude is, it's fun to have them around. We don't want them to go off to boarding schools ever. We think they're tiring but fun.
What kind of music does Kingston listen to?
He likes anything with a good beat. He's big into drums. He likes my record. He likes Gwen's record. He plays some Pharrell and Snoop. Anything that's good for head-bobbing. He's a good head-bobber.
Do you and Gwen have date night? It must be hard to keep the romance up with two little ones around.
We just try and spend time together. When we're not touring it's a lot easier. Most music happens after five o'clock, so we find time to spend together, to do stuff together.
You're part Scottish. Are there any Scottish traditions that are important to you in your child-rearing?
Yeah — to enjoy haggis [laughs]. No, I didn't really grow up Scottish, even though our family name is McGregor. That's my Scottish tribe.
©2008 Tammy La Gorce and Nerve Media
About the Author
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Tammy La Gorce is a freelance entertainment writer living in New Jersey with her son and daughter. Her work regularly appears in The New York Times, GRAMMY and other magazines. |
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