Jerry Seinfeld Believes Best 'Gift' Parents Can Give Children Is To 'Let Them Struggle'

Mar 24, 2022 by apost team

Jerry Seinfeld is the creator and star of one of the most popular American sitcoms of all time: “Seinfeld.” The star began his career as a stand-up comedian, specializing in observational comedy and played a semi-fictionalized version of himself on the show. He created the series alongside Larry David and it aired on NBC from 1989 to 1998. In 2004, he was named the 12th greatest comedian of all time by Comedy Central.

The comedian also wrote, produced and starred in the 2007 children’s film “Bee Movie.” The film was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature. Seinfeld is also the host and creator of the web series “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.” The series features cars from Seinfeld’s own collection of vehicles, and he interviews his guests while they share and drink or meal together.

Seinfeld married his wife Jessica in 1999 and they share three children together. The couple had their first child in 2000, a girl named Sascha. In 2003, their son Julian was born and he was followed two years later by his brother Shepherd in 2005. Being a dad has been a life-changing experience for the comedian. Throughout his experience as a parent, Seinfeld has learned a lot and has some advice of his own on parenting. 

The couple’s parenting styles complement each other and they work together as a great team. With their kids getting older, the Seinfelds are being confronted with their babies graduating high school and going off to college. Fortunately, their youngest is still at home. Keep reading to learn more about Seinfeld’s career and his thoughts on parenting.

In 2007, Seinfeld sat down with Oprah to discuss his film “Bee Movie,” but he also opened up about his famous sitcom “Seinfeld.” He shared how he felt after the show ended: “I'm just happy people liked it. I think of it as a gift: When you give someone a gift, you don't call him up every day and say, ‘How do you like it today?’ You enjoy the moment of giving, and that's the end of it.”

The series ended while it was still on top, but Seinfeld knew it was the right time. He said: “My managers and I still wonder: Did we stop at the right time? Before we ended the show, Jack Welch (former CEO of General Electric, which owns NBC) told me, ‘Your ratings are still rising.’ ‘Yes," I said, ‘but the only way to see the end of a hill is to go past it and realize you're going down.’”

When Oprah asked what made the sitcom such a hit, Seinfeld responded:

“It probably helps that I had a long early career; things didn't just happen for me overnight. I'd been working as a comedian since I was 21, and I didn't get the sitcom until I was 35; by then I'd been knocked around quite a bit. Then I did the show for nine years, and I wasn't going out every night afterward. So at 44, I was unleashed on the world for the first time as a famous person of means. By then I'd gotten a good education in life. But what I had, and more, landed in Eddie Murphy's lap when he was around 22. That's a different puzzle.”

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In a 2012 episode of “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” Seinfeld shared what enjoyment he gets from being a dad. “Being a dad is, you know, it’s a surfboard on a rainbow … you’re getting all you can handle of life,” he said. “What I like about having kids is when they’re on the toilet and you knock on the door, they just go, ‘Come in.’ Nobody else does that — nobody just invites you in when they’re on the toilet.”

The star’s wife Jessica shared: “He’s an incredible father. But the nicest way to say this is that he wasn’t a natural when our kids were born. He wasn’t immediately pushing strollers and carrying babies. He jokes that it took him a good ten years to warm up. He travels often and usually over weekends, so a lot of the early caretaking, sports, and activities were left to me. But Jerry’s strength is now, with our three teenagers. He’s patient with them. Where I am weaker, he is stronger, and we complement each other. I wouldn’t change anything.”

Seinfeld loves being a dad and has shared that he would have had more kids if given the opportunity. "If I was younger, I'd have six kids by now. I love it. I love having a family and kids and all the madness. There is no aspect of it I don't like. Even when it's horrible, I love it," he told Huffington Post.

Seinfeld revealed his thoughts on parenting as well, saying, "We refuse to let our children have problems. Problem-solving is the most important skill to develop for success in life, and we for some reason can't stand it if our kids have a situation that they need to 'fix.' Let them struggle--it's a gift."

Are you a fan of Jerry Seinfeld? What do you think about his thoughts on parenting? Let us know and feel free to pass this on to your friends and loved ones.