I wonder where they’ll find that scrappy drive – Kerry Washington opens up on parenting
Kerry Washington is reflecting on how her children are building their own sense of drive and resilience, and how it compares to her own upbringing.
Speaking on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang, the Kerry Washington opened up about her three children with husband Nnamdi Asomugha, and the values she wonders they will carry forward.
She said she often thinks about the “scrappy hustler” mindset she developed growing up in the Bronx, and how that shaped her approach to life and work.
“I think about this because I feel like they don’t have that thing of being from the Bronx,” she said. “They weren’t born in the neighborhood that I think produced it in me, so I wonder where they’ll find it.”
Still, she noted that she already sees resilience in them, especially through sports. “My kids are really resilient, and I see it mostly in sports,” she said. “That’s like their opportunity.”
Washington also spoke about being present at their games, admitting she is very involved from the sidelines.
Poehler asked if she cheers, and Washington confirmed she does, adding that her enthusiasm is not always appreciated at home. “Much to the dismay of my children, because I’m like a loud cheerer,” she said.
When it comes to handling disappointment, she shared that she tries to follow her children’s lead instead of rushing to fix things.
If they lose, she focuses on how they are processing it rather than immediately trying to smooth it over. “I try to figure out how they’re feeling about it and ask a lot of questions,” she explained. “I don’t try to make it better immediately.”
She added that she often prefers to sit with them in the moment rather than push them past it. “I try to sit on the bench with them and just look where they’re looking,” she said. “Just give it some time.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, Washington spoke about how her children, including daughter Isabelle, 11, son Caleb, 9, and her stepdaughter, 20, help bring lightness into her life. She said each of them is developing a sharp sense of humour, something she enjoys watching evolve.
“I want to be really clear, I love when my kids get a good burn on me,” she said, clarifying that respect remains important in their home.
“I see some of these other households where there’s no discipline or respect, that does not fly in my home. But a good, well-timed comedic burn, it just makes me love them more.”
