Denzel Washington's Best Parenting Quotes About His 4 Kids

Denzel Washington knows what it takes to be a great dad. Even though he makes mistakes like every other parent, the Training Day actor is dedicated to supporting and loving his four kids, John David, Katia, Malcolm and Olivia. His best parenting quotes are proof of that!

Denzel shares his family with his wife, Pauletta Washington. The award-winning actor and the Wilma actress married in 1983 and welcomed their eldest son, John David, the following year in 1984. Their daughter Katia arrived in 1987, followed by the births of their twins, Malcolm and Olivia, in 1991.

The Equalizer star was able to give his children everything they wanted in life thanks to his profitable career, but that doesn’t mean Denzel and Pauletta spoiled their kids as they were growing up. In fact, the doting dad said they did the complete opposite.

“They live well, but we don’t just give them anything they want. When our twins turned 16, I bought them used cars,” he once told OWN magazine. “I got them into athletics, which has also been important. They’ve learned about hard work and fair play.”

Denzel noted he was able to accomplish his goals as a dad because he constantly prioritized his kids over his Hollywood work. “It starts in the home. If the father is not in the home, [a child] will find a father in the streets,” he shared with The Grio in 2017. “I saw it in my generation and every generation before me.”

While the Academy Award winner takes pride in his role as a dad, Denzel dished he actually gives “complete credit” to his wife, Pauletta. “When it comes to the kids,” he told OWN, he couldn’t feel luckier to have the Philadelphia actress as the mother of his kids.

“Early on, we decided that we wouldn’t drag them around to all the places I go,” he explained to the outlet. “Pauletta was the consistent one who made breakfast every day and took them to school. She taught them their prayers.”

Keep scrolling to see Denzel’s best quotes about being the dad of his four kids!

On Raising His Kids With Rules

“I think children are born good. But a child doesn’t know right from wrong, so moral instruction is important,” the Flight actor told the Guardian in 2010. “I remember my eldest boy saying ‘Dad, I always thought you were so strict ― now I appreciate it.’ Free will can be a double-edged sword. By the age of 21, my son could see that.”

On Having Pauletta As the Mother of His Kids

“My children are good people. They are not perfect, but they are generous and humble and kind. My wife did that,” Denzel said while praising Pauletta during his chat with the Guardian. “There is no secret to the perfect marriage. I have been married 27 years to Pauletta. Everybody has their ups and downs; we’ve had ours. It’s hard work, you know. But we made a commitment. A spiritual foundation helps everything ― marriage, work, peace of mind.”

On Passing Down Traits From His Parents

“We try to instill the positive influences we got from our parents: in our case, church, school, humility, volunteering, the importance of helping others,” he told the Guardian. “I have four children: the eldest is a professional footballer; Katia, my eldest daughter, has just graduated from Yale law school. They’ve all gone to college.”

On Balancing Work With His Family

“I joined in as often as I could. When my parents were together, my father worked a lot too. He always had two or three jobs, so he was never home either,” he once shared with OWN magazine. “Children adjust. My kids knew that I was always trying to get home to be with them. I’d tell them, ‘You have school Monday to Friday, and I have work. We both have our jobs to do.’”

On Being Good Examples

“My father was a preacher – a kind, spiritual person. My mother owned a beauty shop. I grew up working in New York City barbershops and in church, which are where you find the best storytellers,” the Man on Fire star dished to the Guardian. “Dad wasn’t educated ― he was a country boy. He encouraged his children to go to high school and then get a good job. My mother was a city girl, raised in Harlem. She was a go-getter and wanted more for us. My parents were inspirations by example.”