Walton Goggins Says He's Never Had An Argument With His Son – Um, What?
Walton Goggins at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in March.The White Lotus star Walton Goggins has given a fascinating insight into how he parents his son – and it’s fair to say it’s raised a few eyebrows. Appearing on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, Walton told host Amanda Hirsch that he’s been a parent for 14 years, and has “never had like an argument with my child, ever”.The Emmy nominee proceeded to tell a story about a time when his son, then 10, was “being an asshole” and Walton’s wife had left town for a couple of days. He and his son had a conversation about the “two different roads that he could go down”.“One, your life would look like this. And the other, your life would look like this,” Walton recalled of the conversation, adding that he then told his son it was “the first big decision you’re ever going to make”.The Fallout actor said the conversation was very “measured” and “calm” and he eventually told his son: “This is how you’ve been acting, and you can continue to act that way, and this is probably what your life is gonna look like.“Or you could wake up with gratitude and really look around and be thankful for your life and participate in our life as a family, as an active member, and your life could look like this.”Walton said that he told his son to really think on it, because “your decision is going to reverberate throughout the rest of your life”.Understandably people – especially parents – have thoughts. Posting on Reddit, one critic said: “I want to believe him, I really do! Having raised 3 great kids, it just ain’t that easy! Or his wife is pulling out all her hair on his behalf. Please don’t downvote me. I like this guy.”Another responded: “I hear ya, and as a busy actor, I mean how much parenting is he doing?”Others loved the story, however. “Who is cutting onions in here?!?” said one fan. Another asked: “Um can he write a parenting book???”Thankfully for the parents out there who have argued with their kids (most, I’d imagine), therapists think it’s pretty healthy behaviour to have disagreements with them. Here’s why...The case for arguing (sometimes)Discussing Walton’s comments, Fiona Yassin, family psychotherapist, and founder and clinical director of The Wave Clinic, told HuffPost UK we don’t know the backstory or how his relationship with his son has been built, but added “it’s unreasonable” to expect others to agree with us all the time.“Modelling healthy disagreement within the family – and showing how to repair after conflict – is really important,” she said.Part of the transition from pre-puberty into puberty, and then adulthood, involves practising behaviours, the therapist explained, and young people need space to explore what works, and what doesn’t. “Early on, they might follow their parents’ lead, then shift to following their friends. Sometimes that ‘jacket’ fits, and sometimes it doesn’t. This is how a young person starts to develop their own value system – understanding who they are, rather than always looking into the mirror of their parents,” she explained.When not arguing could be worse than arguing...“When parents don’t model healthy fracture and repair – especially in the parent-child relationship – we risk creating an environment where disagreement becomes an unspoken taboo,” said Yassin.“It becomes a kind of ‘crime’ within the family. For some, this leads to a life stance centred on pleasing others. But there’s nothing inherently virtuous about that because it often means compromising one’s own values and boundaries.”She added that in these environments, teens might grow up along “powerful individuals” and be unable to challenge them respectfully or express a differing view. “So while it might sound ideal to live in a household without bickering or arguments, the reality is that we learn a lot through the messy parts,” she added.The therapist said modelling how to navigate things that don’t go smoothly “helps build responsibility, accountability, and independent thinking”. It’s a crucial skill for kids to learnPsychotherapist James Lloyd told HuffPost UK that “for most families, arguments are perfectly normal and can even be healthy”.Disagreements give children “a chance to learn how to express themselves, understand others’ perspectives, and repair connection after conflict”.“The key isn’t avoiding all arguments, but creating an environment where emotions can be safely expressed and worked through together,” he said.Oh, and if you’re reading this Walton, the therapist added: “If he ever fancies a swap, I’ve got a few kids here who’d be happy to test his streak.”Related...Here's Why White Lotus Fans Think There Could Be Beef Between Walton Goggins And Aimee Lou WoodWalton Goggins Gets Candid About Why Filming The White Lotus Was So 'Difficult' For HimWhite Lotus Star Walton Goggins Has Complicated Feelings About Chelsea And Rick's 'Love Story'
