Earlier this month, Brad Pitt finally got joint physical custody of his six children with ex-wife Angelina Jolie, and now a report says that the actor already knows how important it is to have his kids back in his life.

Last week, on Dec. 18, Brad was able to celebrate his 55th birthday with five of his six children, as 17-year-old Maddox decided not to show up. This coming after an earlier report revealed that the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star isn’t close with his oldest son. But even with that, a source tells Us Weekly that having his kids with him “was incredibly significant,” as it was the first time his kids had spent the night with Brad since “the custody deal was reached.” As part of the agreement, Brad’s visits with kids Maddox, 15-year-old Pax, 13-year-old Zahara, 12-year-old Shiloh, and 10-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne are monitored.

Brad Pitt Kids
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“The visits will continue to be monitored until the therapists agree that it’s no longer needed,” the source explains. “This is a transition time for the entire family, and it’s being done with a lot of input.” The source adds that “the kids have a routine at Brad’s house, with a very strict bedtime and limited screen time, including iPads.” Limited screen time? How else are the kids supposed to watch their dad yell “what’s in the box?” on a loop? This is what the internet was made for. Then again, Brad is 100% invested in becoming more than just a friend to his children. “He doesn’t want to be the good-time dad, which would only complicate coparenting issues,” the source says.

According to the source, Brad gets that “the custody issues will continue to linger,” but he “knows he’s on the path to having the kids back in his life in a much more meaningful and significant way.” It is all about small steps. And Brad isn’t the only one spending time with his kids after the custody agreement, as Angelina was also recently spotted hanging with her kids. The 43-year-old went Christmas shopping earlier this month with Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne. No word yet on what they purchased or if the price tag made a difference, but as far as the latter goes we’re going to go with a no.