As the father of five grown children, Donald Trump has certainly had his fair share of parenting experience. Raising a blended family of kids from three different mothers has also had its challenges — especially with the public speculating on who is Donald’s favorite child. But when Barron Trump was born, Donald got another chance to put his fatherhood skills to the test — including how to best handle a rambunctious kindergartner. On November 19, 2024, the Reverend Franklin Graham — son of the infamous Billy Graham — shared throwback footage of Donald preparing a 4-year-old Barron for his first day of school.
This older video from CNN shows @realDonaldTrump giving a young Barron Trump fatherly instruction before he goes off to school. He told him to get all A’s, and when he’s older, no drugs, no alcohol, no cigarettes, and no tattoos! That’s one thing we’re missing—more parents being… pic.twitter.com/40r2dc2V1A
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) November 19, 2024
In the clip, Donald instructs his young son to only get all A’s and gives him a stern warning about what to avoid in school as he gets older. He finishes his advice by telling his son, “No drugs, no alcohol, no cigarettes, and you know what else — no tattoos.” Although this parental guidance is far from the strangest thing about Donald and Barron’s relationship, it is still an interesting demand to be making of a small child.
Graham, for his part, praised Donald for laying down the law, saying in his post on X, “That’s one thing we’re missing — more parents being parents.” Although, how hands-on of a parent Donald has been is up for debate. In an interview with Parenting, Barron’s mother, Melania Trump, revealed, “[Donald] didn’t change diapers and I am completely fine with that.” Regardless of how many diapers Donald didn’t help with, it seems that he used a mix of varying parenting styles while raising Barron.
Donald Trump tried gentle parenting with Barron
As Barron Trump has gotten older, the relationship between him and his father, Donald Trump, has only gotten stronger. Donald can’t keep himself from bragging about his son or bringing up Barron’s dating life, which is a sign of true affection from the patriarch who is not known for sharing the spotlight. “It’s interesting to see how a man who normally needs to dominate any scene and hog any spotlight suddenly looks more subdued and low-key when his wife and son have center stage,” body language expert Judi James told The Irish Star while watching behind-the-scenes footage from a 2010 photoshoot.
Throughout the video, Donald can be seen encouraging Barron from the sidelines. When Barron gets a little rowdy and doesn’t seem to want to listen to the photographers, a gentle “Barron, be a good boy” from Donald seems to settle the toddler. “Trump seemed to understand the power of gentle persuasion and praise here, and watching Barron’s confidence … suggested his dad’s approach had been working well,” James pointed out. Now that Barron is away at NYU, it appears he is still following his dad’s advice of no drinking, no smoking, and no tattoos … for now.
