Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard are facing scrutiny online over letting their two daughters roam around a Danish theme park for seven hours during a family vacation to Copenhagen.
Bell, 44, revealed how she and Shepard, 49, took a hands-off approach to parenting as they allowed their two girls, Lincoln, 11, and Delta, 9, to wander the Tivoli Gardens amusement park without supervision.
‘We stayed at this hotel that was right at Tivoli Gardens. The hotel opens up into the theme park and so we just were kind of like, “Are we going to free-range parenting and roll the dice here?”’ she told Jimmy Kimmel.
‘So they woke up at like 6am every morning and scanned their bracelets to go outside. We didn’t see them for seven hours. They were just running around Copenhagen.’
It didn’t take long before the pair came in for criticism of their actions online.
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard have are being slammed after they let their two daughters roam around a theme park for seven hours while they were on a family vacation to Copenhagen
Tivoli Gardens is Copenhagen’s famous theme park, located right in the heart of the city. It is the third-oldest operating amusement park in the world
‘I’m GenX and even though I had and loved my limited supervision as a kid, I would never let children that young run around a theme park unattended,’ wrote one person.
‘Safety aside, that’s not fair to the staff and other guests at the park. You’re basically expecting everyone else to care for your children. Hire a babysitter to take them to the park for the day if you need that alone time.’
Another critical viewer shared a chilling tale of their own after their parents were seemingly as relaxed as Bell and Shepard.
‘My parents were Gen X and had this approach. Super laid back. I ran around the fair, theme parks, and my neighborhood unsupervised or with other kids. I was almost abducted on at least two occasions,’ they explained.
‘I was invited into countless numbers of cars by creepy men, and I was followed around in stores/events by older creepy men more times than I can count. While I loved having freedom, I will NEVER let my kids go unattended in public places like that. I’m lucky nothing happened to me,’ they advised.’
Another commenter was equally as chastising: ‘Isn’t anyone aware of massive child abductions happening worldwide right now? Many have taken place at well-known family amusement parks that are well guarded! I’d rather my children know I’m next to them to protect them rather than let them experience risky freedoms at such young ages.’
Kristen Bell shared her tales of relaxed parenting to Jimmy Kimmel who seemed surprised
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard tried out a hands-off approach to parenting while on a family trip to Denmark. The pair are pictured with Lincoln, 11, and Delta, 9,
Bell was discussing the family vacation with Jimmy Kimmel, right, who seemed shocked at their relaxed approach
The commenters were not the only ones who were surprised at Bell and Shepard’s lax approach to parenting with chat show host Kimmel expressing his own surprise.
‘And that was ok?’ Kimmel asked Bell with a laugh.
‘Apparently, they’re both alive, we all returned home,’ she quipped.
The actress said the freedom she and Shepard experienced as parents was ‘heaven.’
‘We just had coffee, we played Spades, and then around 3 o’clock, we’d be like, “Anybody see them?” And then one of them would run up and need a Band-Aid,’ Bell recounted.
Kimmel still appeared incredulous at their actions at how their children were allowed to wander around a theme park without adults in tow.
‘And they were allowed on the rides without an adult? That seems like most of the rides have a thing…well that’s here, maybe not over in Denmark.’
‘No, it’s real loosey goosey over there,’ Bell explained.
The actress has long been open about her and Shepard’s parenting style.
Bell, 44, revealed that she and her husband, 49, gave their daughters, Lincoln, 11, and Delta, 9, the freedom to wander Tivoli Gardens, a popular amusement park, without supervision
The pair have often employed some unusual parenting tactics over the years
In 2022, she told how their girls had finally moved out of their parents’ bedroom and into their own shared room.
In an interview with E! News, the Veronica Mars star said the girls have ‘graduated’ from the tri-fold mattress they were sleeping on in their parents’ room and are now tucked away in their own beds.
‘So you can congratulate me – we did it, they now sleep in their room on beds right next to each other and they cuddle with each other instead of us,’ she said.
The revelation that the entire family had been sharing one room sparked quite a discussion when the pair discussed it on his Armchair Expert podcast.
At the time, Bell was also promoting Hello Bello’s nighttime gummies, adding to the conversation surrounding her candid parenting insights.
The sleep aids have melatonin in them, which the actress said ‘would knock them out quicker and they’d be great.’
The actress said the freedom she and Dax experienced as parents during the trip was ‘heaven’
In 2018, Bell caused further controversy when she revealed to Parents Magazine they would lock their then three-year-old in her room when she wouldn’t go to bed.
‘I’m sorry, I know that’s controversial, but we lock it when she gets in there, and we stand outside and say, ‘We love you, we will talk to you in the morning, but now, it’s time for sleep.’ And after about 10 minutes, she’ll wind herself down. And then, before we go to bed, obviously, we unlock it.’
The new bedtime routine seems to be working for both kids and parents.
‘We do not want to go to sleep when they want to go to sleep, so we would hook up our headphones by Bluetooth to the television, put on a show and they would be on the floor like trying to fall asleep.’
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