Michael and Janet Jackson were known for growing up in a dark, disturbed household. The abuse from their father, Joe Jackson, took a significant toll on everyone in their family. Their childhoods were lost due to the horrifying actions he took towards his children.
With time, Janet has been easier on her dad, even calling him a “good man.” Still, she also made it a point to grow and treat her own children differently from how she was raised. In a candid 2024 profile with The Guardian, Janet Jackson candidly spoke about being a mother and how it’s “the most important thing I’ve done.”
“I wanted to have three children, but thought, ‘I should stop there, that’s probably all I can handle.’ Because you have to give all of yourself, you have to spread the love, and I wouldn’t want any of them to feel left out if I had three. Obviously, you have to work, but you don’t come first anymore. Your life completely changes. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Janet Jackson told the interviewer.
Janet Jackson Shares What She Learned About Parenthood After She Grew Up
Moreover, the Velvet Rope crooner made it a point to allow her son to have a normal childhood out of the spotlight, as opposed to her own upbringing. “I worked, and he doesn’t. And that’s it. I want him to experience being a child, because you don’t get to do this over. You’re an adult for the rest of your life, so I want him to enjoy each and every minute of being a child,” she continued.
Janet emphasized that she wanted to do things differently from her parents did. She quietly reflected that certain decisions would’ve made her a bit more well-adjusted to the world. Consequently, having a son is allowing her to live a little bit through him, to have the childhood she couldn’t have. Still, Janet Jackson shared gratitude for her parents, warts and all.
“Don’t you think you’ve learned from your parents?” Jackson prompted. “There are some things you wish your parents had done differently, and you say, ‘No, I’m gonna tell [my son] this.’ Because if they had done this with me, it would have been much better for me as a child. I hated it as a kid, but I’m thankful for it now. I have to give credit to my parents for keeping me grounded.”
The post Janet Jackson’s Childhood Forced Her To Make a Profound Motherhood Change: ‘You Don’t Get To Do This Over’ appeared first on VICE.
