Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade Talked Raising Their Children to Be Their "Authentic Selves"

• Number one cutest celebrity parents Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade shared their approach to parenting in their new cover interview with People.
• "We don't want them to ever shape shift for anyone else's approval or acceptance," Union said. "We want them to be free to be who they are."
• "If we allow our kids to be their true selves," Wade said, "we don't have to worry about them conforming with anything or anyone. Why wouldn't we push our kids to be their authentic selves?"

There is no family lovelier than Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade's, and in their new cover interview with People, the couple opened up about their approach to parenting. "We don't want them to ever shape shift for anyone else's approval or acceptance," Union said. "We want them to be free to be who they are."

Union and Wade spoke to People about raising 19-year old Zaire and 13-year-old Zaya, who Wade shares with ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches, 7-year-old Xavier, who Wade shares with ex Aja Metoyer, 2-year-old Kaavia James, and 19-year-old Dahveon, Wade's nephew. "My focus when it comes to any of my kids is to let them know who they are so that when other people's opinions about them are formed, it's not hitting them," Wade said.

"If we allow our kids to be their true selves," Wade continued, "we don't have to worry about them conforming with anything or anyone. Why wouldn't we push our kids to be their authentic selves?"

"I was raised to assimilate," Union said. "I was raised to conform. But we are raising our kids to know they are worthy because they exist."

The couple discussed parenting Black children in a racist society, while reflecting on their own activism. "We're raising Black kids and every day in the world, they show us what we're thought of," Wade said. "You realize you can't protect them from everything. The only thing you can do is make sure they go out into the world with all the tools they need."

"It was a little infuriating to me that it took George Floyd's murder to inspire the bare minimum," Union added. "Change and progress is like a frozen snail's pace. But we still have to persevere. The work is never going to end."

Union and Wade also spoke about Kaavia James, Instagram's most beloved baby, and the upcoming book they wrote about her, Shady Baby. "People see themselves in Kaav," Wade said "Some days you don't feel like doing your hair. And some days you want to give people shade." 

"Shade is her super power because when Kaavia gives you a look, it's either you're not respecting her boundaries or something is happening that she doesn't like," Union said. "The main takeaway is that she's free to be this amazing, dynamic, shady at times, loving at times Black little girl when the world has not been so kind to Black girls and women."