Fatherhood can radically change a man. The fact of the matter is, your kids take everything from you. All the parts of you, good or bad, mold the children. Consequently, setting a good example is as crucial as ever. Kevin Costner knows very well what this impact can be for young ones. He has seven of his own, all on their own unique journeys. As a result, he has to engage with all of them in their own special way.
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Recently, the 70 year old actor spoke with PEOPLE in promotion of his partnership with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. There, Costner highlights the biggest lesson that he faced in raising all seven of his children. Ultimately, it's realizing that there are no clones in the family. Everyone has their own distinct quirks, himself included. As a result, it requires precision and attentiveness. That way, he's nourishing them in the ways they need.
Kevin Costner Shares The Most Valuable Lesson He's Learned Raising Seven Kids
You love them all the same, but they are all different, so you find ways to do that without treating them all the same," he says. "You've got to take into consideration their differences. If you just keep coming at them in a certain way, and you're not getting through, it's up to you to change a little bit. Maybe your messaging, maybe how you do it. You have to adjust to their individuality."
Out of his seven kids, three of them are adults, Annie, Lily and Joe. Moreover, Costner has his son Liam with former partner Bridget Rooney and teenagers Cayden, Hayes and Grace to his ex-wife Christine Baumgartner. It's not always easy to reunite with all of their wild schedules. However, it still remains a point of emphasis for the family. "It's here and there now," Costner admits. "Trying to gather them all [together at the same time] is very difficult as they all move through the directions of their life."
