Elon Musk is a well-known innovator, entrepreneur and inventor. He has made his mark in many industries, and one of these is the area of family. Musk is the father of seven children, six of which are with his former wife, Justine Wilson. In May 2020, Musk welcomed his first child with his current partner, Canadian musician Grimes.
According to TMZ, Musk had his first child in 2004 with his first wife Justine Wilson. Subsequently, the couple had five more children between the years of 2006 and 2010: triplets Damian, Saxon and Kai, and twins Xavier and Griffin. While separated, Justine gave birth to their seventh child, a son named Kai, in 2020.
Musk has proudly shared photos and news about his children on social media. Twitter updates and Instagram posts feature his sons and daughter, who accompany him on trips to his sustainable energy lab, SpaceX. In a July 2018 tweet, Musk wrote, “I’m sure it’s quite tiring to observe me, but my children are all amazing individuals.”
A significant part of Musk’s parenting style revolves around encouraging his children to become independent, think on their own, and take initiative. In a 2017 New York Times interview, Musk noted that there are no bedtimes at the Musk family home and that his children were allowed to do whatever inspires them. He also emphasized that teaching entrepreneurial skills is essential, asserting that he teaches his children how to “start a business from scratch”.
Moreover, Musk is a firm believer in the power of technology, and he often encourages his children to explore coding. He claimed in the New York Times interview that he has taught all his children programming and that his first-born was able to code “at a basic level” before he went to school. Instead of pushing his children towards a specific profession, Musk encourages them to choose their own paths, but with a focus on learning.
Despite his hectic work schedule and long-distance parenting responsibilities, Musk is undoubtedly an involved father to his seven children. He safeguards their online privacy and establishes rules — even as he tries to give them freedom and autonomy. As a result, Musk’s kids grow up listening to their father doubting the importance of unreasonable school curricula and following their eclectic interests to make great life-changing achievements.
The Value of Curiosity for Children
Elon Musk attributes the culture of curiosity among his children to his wife, Justine. In an interview with WIRED when asked about his children’s curiosity elaborates, “There’s a lot of curiosity I will attribute to Justine. We had a culture of learning and growing and always trying to figure things out”. Musk had always been an eager explorer as a child. His enthusiasm is a trait he anticipates for his children and something he strongly advocates for.
In terms of encouraging experimental learning, the couple created a home library with the aim of broadening their children’s interests. Musk and Justine stocked the library with books on philosophy, astronomy, literature, linguistics, and other topics of interest. Self-exploration is further enhanced through their allowance to stay up late and explore their interests related to thoughtful discussions.
Musk also values his children’s input and opinions. He gave them autonomy to make decisions and take decisions at an early age, giving them a feeling of being heard which assists in the development of their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Musk is firm on reinforcing the idea that mistakes are meant for learning not for fear of getting it wrong.
Musk aims at cultivating resilience in his kids, understanding that failure is inevitable. He likes to ensure that his children take courage in the face of failure and be capable of bouncing back. Musk queries his children on their thoughts and offers his own perspective, creating an atmosphere of mutual respect. Such respectful conversation sets up a foundation for constructive conversations at a young age and critical thinking at a later age.
Encouraging Passion Based Learning
Musk is an advocate of passion-based learning and places an emphasis on it. He strongly believes that knowledge is the basis of development and pushes the idea of life-long learning across the board. Thus before his children opt for any profession, Musk introduces the concept of passion-based learning. He emphasizes the idea of choosing the right profession and makes sure his children understand that they can pick up any skill or any form of knowledge that they are passionate in.
At a 2018 South by Southwest Conference, Musk shared his parenting approach stating, “My priority is to make sure they have good judgement, take things seriously and don’t just think short-term but also consider the long-term consequences… I want to encourage them to look out further than just the immediate moment.” Indeed, the ideal of looking further than the moment to the person you want to become is directed to guide his children towards passions that allow them to become their most ambitions selves.
Musk does not merely stop at introducing a certain concept, rather he uses his influence to create tangible results. He asks his children to enroll in courses related to their area of interest and requires them to complete assignments as if they were enrolled in any university. Such learning further encourages them to think beyond the present and explore their own capabilities. The aim of such parenting style is to make his children explore, discover and become both successful and humble individuals.
Teaching the Highs and Lows of Work
Musk explains that he has endeavored to make his kids understand the highs and lows of work. According to him, he does not want his children to think that getting a job is an intimidating experience. Musk discusses the complexities of strategies and strategies of running a business with his children, emphasizing on the idea of starting and hard work.
In a recent interview, Musk stated that his aim is to teach his children the value of hearing negative feedback as it is essential in learning. He emphasizes to his children that failures should not paralyze you with fear, rather focus on where to go next. Musk believes that failure is an essential part of life, and his parenting style aims to build resilience and inculcate the ability to face failure and work on the solutions of such problems in order to achieve success.
Musk has been open with his children when it comes to discussing doubts and arguments. Musk encourages his children to act on their ideas and take risks. He views arguments not as disagreements but as an opportunity to express their own understanding of the problem. His 7 children grow up with an environment of taking initiative, highlighting certain solutions and hearing out each others’ opinions. This allows for open-mindedness and encourages problem-solving skills from a young age.
Encouraging Independence and Autonomy
Musk has been vocal about the importance of independence and autonomy among his children. He does not endorse parenting styles that involve hovering around children or strict guidelines. It is important to mention that independence and autonomy do not refer to a lack of rules. They are instead referenced as the balance between allowing children to make decisions while following specific thresholds.
Musk believes that remote control parenting cannot bring out the underlying integrity or persistence of children. His idea of independence means giving freedom to his children. He insists on the idea of giving freedom while encouraging the sense of reliability, trustworthiness and responsibility.
In a recent interview, Musk explained that he believes that children should have access to modern technology but also maintain a balance. According to him, children should maintain a certain level of social media visibility and should also be wary of how much time is spent on it. Rather, he encourages his children to focus on meaningful activities and develop interests related to them.
Musk ascribes the idea of independence to be a part of a growth process. In an interview with the New York Times, he acknowledges, “Growth doesn’t involves taking the safety blanket away. You have got to push your comfort level because if it’s presented to you on a platter, you won’t grow.” Thus, Musk firmly believes that being independent is vital in order to grow and this is exactly what he teaches to his seven children.
The Entrepreneurial Development of His Children
Musk loves to indulge his children and has exposed them to several business opportunities. In a series of 2018 tweets, Musk’s oldest son, 10-year-old Nevada, was showcased pitching a business idea in which he designed, built, and sold a set of plastic flamethrowers. Being an entrepreneur in his own right, Elon Musk endorses the idea of instilling a business mindset in his children, providing them with allowances to invest on their own.
Musk teaches his children how to think and how to question. He does this by introducing different forms of work starting from a young age. He demonstrates the idea of taking initiative and encourages his children to look beyond the surface level solutions. Musk often takes his children to SpaceX, treats them to Tesla car rides. He further emphasizes the need of understanding the “bigger picture” and the idea of forming a business strategy for any work.
Musk has a strong belief in the power of critical thinking in his children. As he understands that any firm decision taken is a culmination of rational and reasonable decision making, he exposes his children to situations where they can take rational decisions. Such an atmosphere supports the futuristic outlook of Musk’s children and boosts their ideas on taking reasonable and reasonable decisions.
Providing Meaningful Experiences
Musk is of the opinion that allowing his children to have meaningful experiences is key in inculcating positivity and enrichment. He encourages his children to develop and explore interests related to music, art, writing, engineering, and more. Musk does not merely look up to academic achievements but also focuses on developing his children’s interests by allowing them to explore their passions.
Musk also introduces his children to different forms of knowledge and learning. He often takes his children outdoors on African safaris, provides them access to cars and planes. He further encourages his children to volunteer and participate in educational trips, social campaigns and other activities that allow them to open up to different cultures and ideas.
Musk further highlights his belief that having an impact is greater than just earning money. He encourages his children to focus on how their work is creating a large impact in the world. While aiming for success for his 7 children, Musk is determined to provide meaningful experiences and learning at a young age.
