Tamron Hall Is OK With Her ‘Conservative Parenting’

When Tamron Hall was growing up in Luling, Texas, her parents didn’t play when it came to respect. “I was raised by a phenomenal mom and beautiful stepfather, but they were very, very strict,” says the TV host. “You couldn’t question anything.” And while Tamron gives her son, Moses, 5, a lot more autonomy, she firmly believes in boundaries. “I want him to have agency to speak up, but I also want him to understand respect.” To that end, she uses time-outs whenever Moses is in a “spicy mood,” as she calls it. “People see that as conservative parenting these days, but I’m ok with that,” she tells me. “It works for me and my kid.” 

I think a lot of parents are trying to straddle that line between enforcing the rules and giving their kids some freedom. Tell me about the last time you doled out a time-out.

We were at dinner and he said, “I’m not sitting down. I’m leaving this restaurant.” I said, “We’re all sitting here together. Please sit down.” And he said, “No.” He’s 5. So, we walked to the bathroom and I gave him a time-out. I said, “You have to stand right there for three minutes.” People came in and out. And after three minutes, I said, “Let’s go.” It doesn’t always work but we’ll practice time-outs even when we’re out and about.

The last time Parents interviewed you, Moses was a teeny-tiny baby. How have you changed since then?

I’ve evolved in the sense of recognizing what’s important. And I don’t mean that in this cliché, oh, “family means the world to me and work is on the back burner” way. That’s not at all what I mean. Pre-Moses, things felt enormous and I had to live up to certain expectations but I’ve learned that, many times, life gives you a second or third chance at most things. This has given me a greater perspective on what really matters. And my biggest responsibility is this child I’m helping to form.  

Congrats on your new children’s book, Harlem Honey: The Adventures of a Curious Kid. It was inspired by Moses and centers on a boy who moves from Texas to Harlem, New York, and has to adjust to his new home. 

It’s a celebration of curiosity and an opportunity for parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents to talk about fears. How do you face your fear? My kid is a slow burner. Once he’s in the room, he’s full blast, but it takes time to get him to say hello. I find myself often feeling socially awkward or afraid to walk into a room. Even though I live my life on TV, if you catch me at a party, I’m probably like the mouse in the corner. And when I had my son, I recognized some of those same traits, what we refer to as being shy. I was deeply challenged by how to raise a kid who is properly cautious, but also feeding curiosity.

So you wrote a book about it! That’s amazing. How do you practice self-compassion?

I work out at home. I’m not booking boot camp appointments. But I pull out my mat. I love having a window of meditation in the morning and at night. I pray before I step out of my bed, before I move. I pray, not just for my family, but for people who I will never meet, because we’re all connected. Before I walk out of the doors of my talk show, I ask the universe for words that will reach people, whether those words are meant to entertain or inspire.

You’re balancing a big job with motherhood. How do you disconnect? 

Cooking has become very therapeutic for me. I cook dinner four or five times a week, which people are shocked by but I pre-plan. I love sitting down for dinner. It doesn’t always work out in sync. Sometimes Moses has to start a little earlier, but I’m OK with that imperfection. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. I love that phrase because life is good and it’s good even when it’s challenging. And I’m not seeking this perfect formula anymore, professionally or personally.

A Final Thought

Let that be a lesson to all of us. The pursuit of perfection shouldn’t be the goal. It’s completely unrealistic and sets us up for failure. I love the idea of “good enough” as a form of self-compassion. Especially if we want to raise kids who understand that it’s OK to make mistakes as long as we can move on from them. Here’s to letting go of high expectations and enjoying life a little more.