Sterling K. Brown and Ryan Michelle Bathé Reveal the 2 Times They Broke Their Own Parenting Rules (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Sterling K. Brown and Ryan Michelle Bathe.Photo:Mike Coppola/Getty

Mike Coppola/Getty

Sterling K. Brownand wifeRyan Michelle Bathéagree that they have to let their kids decide who they want to be.

As the couple gears up to launch their new podcast,We Don’t Always Agree, they tell PEOPLE about a few parenting rules they set in place before welcoming their two sons Amaré, 8, and Andrew, 12 — and the couple of times the parents broke them.

“There’s this idea I think that both of us agree on, most of the time, is that they’re not to be molded into versions of us. That they kind of are who they are when they come to you,” Brown shares with PEOPLE. “And we’re just trying to shepherd them to become the best version of who they already are, right?”

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Sterling K. Brown, Ryan Michelle Bathé and kids in 2019.Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

The proud dad then shares when his wife strayed away from this idea. “Ryan tried to make [our son] into a dancer for a hot second. He’s a very good dancer, a very good dancer,” he begins. “And he looked around in ballet class and he’s like, ‘I’m the only dude. I’m out.'”

Bathé chimes in, sharing that she has no regrets from the scenario, because, “It was so cute.”

The proud mom adds, “It was so sweet, and he was so good. He was like the best… He plays soccer now.”

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Sterling K. Brown, Ryan Michelle Bathe and family.Tibrina Hobson/FilmMagic

Bathé also tells PEOPLE why “a lot of things” the couple agreed on as parents were set in place before their kids came.

“A lot of things about parenting we got settled and agreed on before the children came, so whatever big issues we may or may not have had, we had hashed them out,” she shares. Because of this, “There were not a lot of surprises in terms of, ‘Oh, this is the kind of parent Sterling is,’ or, ‘This is the kind of parent Ryan is.’ I had no idea she was going to be so lackadaisical. I had no idea he was going to be the fun guy.”

One thing the parents didn’t initially agree on was the consequences for their kids and Bathé explains how Brown’s actions with Andrew helped them settle their dispute.

“That’s why he doesn’t like spiders to this day. That’s probably why,” she jokes.

Brown adds, “Yeah. It was like a timeout. He wasn’t behaving in the house so I was like, ‘If you can’t behave in my house, go outside.'”

source: people.com