The model and actor recently shared her theory about the concept of childhood and it’s getting a lot of mixed reactions.
In a new TikTok, Julia explained that childhood was “only invented in the 18th century” and before that, kids were “just regarded as little adults.”
“That’s why in a lot of old paintings the children don’t look the same way that we show them today, you know, with the like angelic features and all that stuff. They didn’t do that back then,” Julia said.
And it turns out that Julia is all in favor of bringing back that old school mentality when it comes to raising children today.
“I think that the idea of childhood was invented as a way to just get parents to spend a lot of money on shit that kids don’t [need],” Julia shared.
She continued, “It’s not really teaching your kid anything, you just end up raising a kid that’s like helpless and doesn’t know what to do.”
In fact, Julia says her 19-month-old son Valentino isn’t interested in his toys at all and is more interested in what she’s doing — so she’s put him to work.
“I suggest everyone buy their kid a little mini mop, a mini broom, and start teaching them those life skills really young,” Julia recommended, adding, “So that when they enter the real world, they don’t have to outsource for everything, and they know how to do things for themselves.”
The video sparked hilarious comments from viewers, including some from parents who joked they were already having their babies do their taxes and home electrical work.
And while it’s possible Julia was referencing the Montessori method of education, which puts emphasis on children becoming independent and developing real-world skills, it honestly just came off as a little intense.
You can hear all that Julia had to say below.
BuzzFeed Daily
Keep up with the latest daily buzz with the BuzzFeed Daily newsletter!