Was it that his performance as a doting father in the Pursuit of Happyness was too convincing? Was it the fact that his kids managed to build up respectable careers only when they were teenagers, or was it the fact that he provided us with an abundance of movies that all three generations could enjoy? Whatever it was, Will Smith made a place in our hearts as the family guy. The actor was cherished not only because of his performance but the personality that he maintained behind the cameras. Especially any time that he spoke about being a parent.

Will Smith not only took the centre stage in Hollywood for the longest time, but his kids did as well. Willow Smith, the actor’s only daughter, had audiences comparing her to Rihana when she was only ten years old. While the tour gave us a teaser of her brilliance, it was a big change for the little Smith and also the Oscar-winning actor.

How Will Smith preached about generational trauma way before time

The key to mental well-being has been a quest many have been trying to solve for years. While anyone is yet to discover a medicine to cure mental illness to date, it has become clear that the foundation for a mentally fit life is laid in childhood. While this is being highlighted now through various methods, such as Kate Middleton’s Shaping Us campaign, Smith has been advocating for it for a long time now. In 2017, the actor appeared in the ‘Footnotes of Adnis’ video. “We came downstairs and she had shaved her head bald,” Smith said as reported by Vulture.

To make matters worst, this happened during her ‘Whip My Hair’ tour. While any parent would get understandably mad, Smith remained calm. “That was the first part of the collapsing of my father’s suit that I was wearing that wasn’t mine,” he said. This is how Will Smith decided to break generational trauma way before it became a thing.

Why did Willow Smith shave her hair?

For a ten-year-old to amass such a huge following must have been stressful. And Willow Smith, who already had eyes on her owing to her father’s popularity, did not enjoy one bit of the hectic schedules and practices at that time.

She told her family that she wanted to quit and when they paid no heed; she decided to shave off the hair she was supposed to be whipping, the I Am Legend actress revealed in an interview with Glamour UK in 2022. Thankfully, that was the last time the actress had to go to such extremes to be heard by her parents.

What do you think about Smith’s take on parenting? Let us know in the comments below.