Jada Pinkett Smith Is In A Partnership With Her Kids.

While Jada Pinkett Smith doesn’t subscribe to authoritarian-style parenting, she hasn't quite decided to be friends with her children either. Describing her relationship with 14-year-old Jaden and 12-year-old Willow as a “partnership,” the actress insists her kids find power in being individuals.

“I think that old school style of ‘I’m your parent and I’m greater than you’ doesn’t work,” Jada Pinkett Smith recently explained to People. “What I establish with my children is a partnership. I’m not necessarily dictating what is happening in their lives.”

Focusing on Willow, the 41-year-old’s youngest child with husband Will Smith, Jada added that by “instilling in [Willow] the power for individuality,” she helps them deal with life in the spotlight. “We … communicate with our kids in a way that our message overpowers any other message that they get out there.”

Certainly, Willow Smith’s individuality has blossomed in recent years, as evident in her evolving style. Check out photos of the singer, who celebrated her 12th birthday on Halloween, from 2005 to present......

“We can’t control what our kids learn anymore,” Jada Pinkett Smith added when asked about the divorce rumors that continually circle her and Will Smith despite their 14-year marriage. “We have to inform them and have real conversations … and create that foundation of them feeling assured in themselves.”

“I think for our children … they feel like we really care and they come to us and go, ‘Mommy, I’m having this problem,’ ” she added. “And it’s like, ‘Okay, let’s figure this out together.’ And it empowers them.”

While the parenting style of this celebrity power couple has come into question previously, I’m starting to think maybe there’s something to this approach. Willow Smith’s sense of style is undeniably unique, and I like that. Looking through her old pictures, I noticed she really started to strike her own path in 2008, at age 8.

As the mother of an 8-year-old boy who recently declared he will not wear anything besides jeans to school this year because “that’s what all the kids wear,” I wish I could steal a little bit of Willow’s ‘I’ll wear whatever I want’ attitude and thrust it his way...... Hahahahaha!!!!!

What do you think of Jada Pinkett Smith’s “partnership” approach?

How about Willow Smith’s style?