Gene Simmons worked hard for decades to build his fortune. However, the Kiss rocker doesn’t believe in giving his children the world on a silver platter.
Simmons explained that his son Nick Simmons and daughter Sophie Simmons — whom he shares with Shannon Tweed — had to earn an allowance growing up.
Gene Simmons’ Strict Parenting
The “Gene Simmons Family Jewels” star opened up about his strict parenting style during an interview with Us Weekly, telling the outlet that everything was a negotiation in his household.
“When the kids were growing up, we had to negotiate,” he said during the interview, which was published on Friday, May 8. “[They’d say], ‘Dad, I love you. Can I have 20 bucks?’ Um Okay? I appreciate the ‘love’ part. Yeah, that’s good. What do you want to do for the 20 bucks? What are you going to do?”
According to the father of two, taking out the garbage and mowing the lawn was the equivolant of “15 bucks,” for example.
“You got to make sure they understand that money doesn’t grow on trees,” Simmons continued. “And I didn’t make up these rules. I’m just aware of it, because sooner mom and dad, your safety net, go away, and we’re not going to be here forever, and then life doesn’t care that you’re a nice person. You got to show me what you got.”
He went on to explain his belief that, as the breadwinner of the family, he was owed a level of respect.
“And every morsel of food you put into your little chubby cheek mouths is my food. Every breath of air you take is my air, at least in this house. So we had really strict rules. There was never any allowance. For doing what? For being alive? You’re training losers,” he told Us Weekly, adding, “The word ‘no’ means no.”
Simmons added, “The word ‘no’ in these, let’s say, progressive times, and these woke times is children are allowed to roll their eyes or go into their rooms and slam the door, and that’s not allowed. It’s not your door. It’s my door.”
Who Are Gene Simmons’ Kids?
Both Sophie, 33, and Nick, 37, have followed their father into show business.
Daughter Sophie, a songwriter, has written popular songs for bands like Train, the proud dad boasted.
“Sophie and Nick, I have to say, are much better, much more moral and ethical human beings than I ever was,” Simmons told Us Weekly. “Sophie is approaching 2 billion downloads of her songs. She writes and produces, does all that for other artists, the rock band Train and lots of others, a lot of K-Pop stuff. She did that all by herself. Taught herself, never asked my opinion about how should I write songs? Self taught.”
Simmons added that Nick is also in the music industry.
“Likewise, [Nick] has had his music on the Prodigal Son TV series and Ozark … and just finished his first album with Paul Stanley‘s son Evan,” he said.
It seems that Simmons’ strict parenting has created a close bond between the reality TV family.
“You know, between all the houses that we have all over, the kids are almost always here on the weekends, and they’re grown,” he explained. “You know, they’re grown man, grown woman … And who else do you know that age [saying] ‘I gotta go visit my mom and dad.’ Oh, they are. I couldn’t tell you.”
