Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard are being criticized online for letting their two daughters run around a Danish amusement park for seven hours during a family vacation in Copenhagen.
Bell, 44, told how she and Shepard, 49, took a hands-off approach to parenting, letting their two daughters, Lincoln, 11, and Delta, 9, roam unsupervised around Tivoli Gardens amusement park.
“We stayed at a hotel that was right next to Tivoli Gardens. The hotel is adjacent to the theme park, and so we were like, ‘Are we going to do free parenting here and take a chance?'” she told Jimmy Kimmel.
“So they woke up every morning at 6am and scanned their bracelets to go outside. We didn’t see them for seven hours. They were just running around Copenhagen.”
It wasn’t long before the pair faced criticism online for their actions.
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard are being criticized after leaving their two daughters to roam around an amusement park for seven hours during a family vacation in Copenhagen
Tivoli Gardens is Copenhagen’s famous theme park, located in the heart of the city. It is the third oldest still operating amusement park in the world
“I am a Gen Xer and while I had limited supervision as a child and appreciated it, I would never let such young children run around an amusement park unsupervised,” wrote one commenter.
“Safety aside, that’s not fair to the staff and other guests in the park. You kind of expect everyone to take care of your kids. Hire a babysitter to take them to the park for a day if you need that alone time.”
Another poster told a chilling story about their parents, who seemed just as relaxed as Bell and Shepard.
“My parents were Gen X and had this approach. Super laid back. I would run around the fairgrounds, amusement parks, and my neighborhood, unsupervised or with other kids. I almost got kidnapped at least twice,” they explained.
“I’ve been invited into countless cars by creepy men and followed into stores/events by older creepy men more times than I can count. While I loved being free, I will NEVER let my children go into such public places unsupervised. I’m lucky nothing happened to me,” they advised.
Another commenter was equally scathing: ‘Isn’t anyone aware of the mass child abductions currently taking place around the world? Many have occurred at well-known family theme parks that are well-guarded! I would rather my children know I am there to protect them than to experience risky freedoms at such a young age.’
Kristen Bell shared her stories of relaxed parenting with Jimmy Kimmel, who seemed surprised
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard tried a hands-off approach to parenting during a family trip to Denmark. The couple is pictured with Lincoln, 11, and Delta, 9,
Bell discussed the family vacation with Jimmy Kimmel, right, who seemed shocked by their laid-back approach
Commentators weren’t the only ones surprised by Bell and Shepard’s lack of commitment to parenting their children. Talk show host Kimmel expressed his own surprise.
“And that was okay?” Kimmel asked Bell with a laugh.
“Apparently they’re both still alive, we all went home,” she joked.
The actress said the freedom she and Shepard experienced as parents was “heaven.”
“We were just having coffee, playing spades, and about three o’clock we’d say, ‘Has anyone seen them?’ And one of them would come running up and ask for a Band-Aid,” Bell said.
Kimmel still seemed incredulous that their children were allowed to run around an amusement park without adults.
‘And they were allowed on the rides without an adult? It seems like most rides have a thing…well, that’s here, maybe not in Denmark.’
“No, it’s really a wild goose over there,” Bell explained.
The actress has long been candid 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 roam unsupervised around Tivoli Gardens, a popular amusement park
The couple has often used unusual parenting tactics over the years
In 2022, she shared how their daughters had finally moved out of their parents’ bedroom and into a shared room of their own.
In an interview with E! NewsThe Veronica Mars star said the girls no longer sleep on the triple mattress they slept on in their parents’ room, but now sleep in their own beds.
“So you can congratulate me: we did it, they are now sleeping in their room on beds next to each other and they are cuddling with each other instead of with us,” she said.
The revelation that the entire family shared one room led to quite a discussion as the couple discussed it in his room. Podcast by Armchair Expert.
Bell also promoted Hello Bello’s nighttime gummies at the time, adding to the conversation about her candid insights as a parent.
The sleeping pills contain melatonin, which the actress said “would knock people out faster and would be great.”
The actress said the freedom she and Dax experienced as parents during the trip was “heaven”
In 2018, Bell caused even more controversy when she revealed Parents Magazine They locked their then three-year-old daughter in her room if she didn’t want to go to bed.
“I’m sorry, I know it’s controversial, but we lock it when she comes in, and we stand outside and say, ‘We love you, we’ll talk to you tomorrow, but right now it’s time to sleep.’ And after about 10 minutes, she’ll calm herself down. And then, of course, before we go to bed, we open it again.”
The new bedtime routine seems to be working for both the kids and the parents.
“We don’t want to go to sleep when they want to sleep, so we connected our headphones to the TV via Bluetooth, put on a program and they lay on the floor as if they were trying to fall asleep.”