The Unconventional Way Kristen Bell & Dax Shepard Are Raising Their Daughters

Less than a month after Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's controversial Instagram anniversary post, the Hollywood couple were back in fans' bad graces. During a November 2025 episode of Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast with guest Reese Witherspoon, Shepard shared a shocking parenting technique he and Bell are using with their daughters, Lincoln and Delta — the latter whose name Bell is actually upset over.

Apparently, the kids are allowed to talk back to adults and be disrespectful, something Shepard noted was "un-southern." It was behavior that surprised a friend of his, who brought up the subject to the "Idiocracy" star. "She's like, 'Yeah, your kids will let it rip.' Like, they seem to have no kind of respect, is what she's saying," Shepard told Witherspoon, also saying that his kids were "feeling a little entitled." Shepard wasn't surprised by this revelation, and even agreed with his friend's assessment of his kids.

This isn't some gentle parenting situation, though. Shepard explained that he is raising his daughters in this unconventional manner because he wants them to be able to stick up for themselves, should they have some kind of creepy male boss or something. "I want them to always advocate for themselves," he explained. Granted, there are probably better ways to teach that, while also making sure kids behave respectfully. "There is a price to pay," he admitted, "so all these things are trade-offs." 

Surprising absolutely no one, the reaction online to this parenting style was not well-received. Users on X (formerly Twitter) responded to news stories about Dax Shepard's comments and held nothing back. "This is why Hollywood sucks and their kids will be terrible parents too," one person posted. "Hollywood nutjobs," said another. A third wrote, "That in a nutshell is the biggest issue in America ... parents that are their [kids'] buddies and NOT the parent."

People have always found weird things in Kristen Bell and Shepard's marriage, but now that they're parents and opening up about raising two daughters, their parenting styles are constantly scrutinized. Back in July 2025, when Shepard had Seth Meyers on the "Armchair Expert" podcast, he revealed he lets the curse words fly in front of his daughters — and allows them to use profanity as well, under a few conditions. "They are allowed to swear, not with impunity, but when it's called for," Shepard said, adding, "and they land it and it's in the house and not out at a restaurant." Shepard then explained that swear words are just noises you make with your mouth, and each person can decide what the terms signify to them.