25 Little-Known Details About How Madonna Runs Her Household

Madonna has never been shy about sharing the ins and outs of her home life. What may surprise people is that, although she's perhaps the biggest name in pop music, she actually has some old-fashioned, conventional rules that must be followed in her house. A few of the ways she runs her household may be a little outlandish to some people, but in many cases, her approach to parenting is stricter than the average person's. Her own strict upbringing has definitely influenced the way she's raising her children.

As of 2018, Madonna is the proud mother of six kids. Lourdes Leon is the eldest at twenty-one, followed by Rocco Ritchie, who is seventeen. Lourdes is her daughter with ex-partner Carlos Leon, while she had Rocco with ex-husband Guy Ritchie. Her other children-David Banda, eleven, Mercy James, eleven, and twins Esther and Stella, four, were all adopted from Malawi.

With Lourdes away at college and Rocco having moved out, Madonna doesn't have all of her kids under one roof anymore. But we still have quite an idea of what life was like for them when they were living there. Keep reading to find out some of the surprising ways in which Madonna runs her household.

25 Silence Is Prized In The House

A former nanny to Madonna's children has claimed that silence is something that is prized in Madonna's house. The singer supposedly requests absolute silence at home when she is sleeping. We guess when you work as hard as Madge does, your beauty sleep is important. “Madonna won't allow anybody to make noise in the house while she's sleeping-not even running water for showers,” Melissa Dumas has said. Dumas is said to have been the family's nanny between 2005 and 2006.

24 Madonna Doesn't Do The Cooking

Madonna herself has confessed that she's the last person in her house to cook. “It's not in my DNA,” she said. “My kids all cook really good… after a long day at the office I want to come home and find my dinner on the table.” When asked if there's anything she can cook, Madonna revealed that if she absolutely has to, she can boil and scramble eggs, cook pasta, make coffee, put together sandwiches and even concoct Rice Krispie treats.

23 The Kids Can't Dress Exactly Like Their Mother

Now that Madonna's eldest daughter, Lourdes Leon, is all grown up, she presumably has more say over what she wears. But growing up, her clothes were up for discussion. Madonna told British Elle, “My daughter is going through a phase of wearing jeans so tight she can't bend her knees in them. I have a go at her say, 'Can't you wear something else? You have a closet full of clothes and you wear the same pants every day… '”

22 Her Kids Have To Be Tidy

A music legend, Madonna can afford several housekeepers in all of her properties, but that doesn't stop her from expecting her kids to clean up after themselves while they're living under her roof. In particular, she does not stand for them leaving their dirty laundry lying around and not picking up their own clothes off the floor. Once, Madge confessed that when Lourdes failed to keep her bedroom clean, most of her clothes were taken away as punishment.

21 The Boys Must Not Come Into Contact With Their Dad's Romantic Partners

A lot of parents feel strange when it comes time for their children to meet their ex's new love interests. But while most people just put up with the awkwardness, Madonna has reportedly banned her sons from coming into any contact with anybody that Guy Ritchie may be romantically involved with. The online source indicates that it's only the boys and not the girls of the family who are forbidden from spending time with Ritchie's love interests, as he's their dad.

20 Madonna And Guy's Separation Is Not Discussed

The Daily Mail reported that Madonna has decided to refrain from discussing her divorce in front of her children, and to also ban any discussion of it in her house. While forbidding people from talking about things usually only makes them more likely to talk, we can understand why she doesn't want the family to focus on negativity, and situations that may be painful to bring up. Madonna and Ritchie, the father of her son Rocco, divorced a decade ago in 2008.

19 She Might Impose A Strict Curfew

Madonna is known for her rebellious image, so it's surprising that she might actually impose a strict curfew on her kids. An insider who's “close to the family” told NY Daily Newsthat Rocco has a lot more freedom while living with his father in London than he does living with his mother. “He can meet his friends, eat fast food, he doesn't have an early curfew. The story is his father manipulated him [into moving in with him], which couldn't be farther from the truth.”

18 Television May Be Banned

We know that there was a time where television was totally banned from Madonna's household. “TV is trash,” she said, as reported by the Manchester Evening News. “I was raised without it. I didn't miss anything. TV is poison. No one even talks about it around here. We don't have magazines or newspapers in the house either.” She made these comments over ten years ago, so we don't know for sure whether her house is still a television-free zone.

17 Education Must Be Appreciated

It should come as no surprise that Madonna's kids have access to things that millions of other kids don't. When it comes to education, she wants them to take their studies seriously and appreciate the opportunity they've been given. In particular, Madonna has told her kids that they have to know how to start and finish a project, or in other words, follow through with the commitments they make. She also highlights that they won't be able to make it in the world if they don't take their education seriously.

16 Holidays Aren't Always Celebrated In A Traditional Way

“Traditional” doesn't come to mind when you think of Madonna, and the way her family celebrates holidays is no exception. Recently, she shared a picture of her kids in Malawi, where the family spent Thanksgiving. While there may not have been a turkey or pumpkin in sight, it seems like Madge still captured the spirit of the holiday all those miles away. “What I am Most THANKFUL for!” she captioned the photo. “My Children have led me down roads and opened doors I never imagined I'd walk through.”

15 Only Clean Toys Are Allowed

The older kids in Madonna's house might be too old for any toys now, but we understand that the singer is fussy about what they could play with when they were younger. In a list given to Ritchie about what the kids were and weren't allowed to do in his household while under his custody, Madonna requested that they receive no toys that are spiritually unsound or ethically unclean. It's not clear what she meant by this, but many believe she was referring to toys that weren't cruelty-free and ethically produced.

14 There Is No Dating Before A Certain Age

In another surprising move for the provocative Queen of Pop, Madonna has given her kids rules in the past about when they're allowed to date. She famously told Today that her daughter Lourdes would not be allowed to date until she turned eighteen. Funnily enough, Lourdes actually started dating when she was sixteen, so Madonna had to eat her words. She let her daughter go on the dates, but sent a bodyguard along with her to make sure it all ran smoothly.

13 Her Kids Have To Follow Her Meal Plan

Not only does Madonna refrain from doing the cooking herself, but she also has a say in what the kids eat. She follows an organic plan filled with vegetarian and macrobiotic foods, and it was reported that while Ritchie was still married to her, he had to eat that way too. The Daily Mail claimed that Ritchie felt the diet was giving the kids an unhealthy and unrealistic attitude toward food, since all sugar, sweets, salt, preservatives and dairy were banned.

12 Communication Is Key

Communication between families is important, and Madonna understands that. That's why she was adamant about keeping up the communication with her kids when she first split up from Ritchie. In her infamous list, she asked that she be allowed to talk to her kids three times a day. Also, the times had to be set by her. We're not sure whether the kids living under her roof also have to make specific times to talk to her or not!

11 Special Blessed Water Is Available

Some reports claim that Madonna provides all her kids with access to special water that aligns with her religion, was blessed by religious leaders, and is super expensive. This is another of the demands that the singer is said to have given ex-husband Ritchie after the divorce-that her kids drink only this specific water, even if they're diluting fruit juice. Another rumor claimed that Madonna wanted to fill her swimming pool with this water, but nothing has been confirmed.

10 The Books She Wrote Get Preference At Bedtime

A lot of people don't know that Madonna can add “children's author” to her list of credentials. Her books may not have performed as well as the Harry Potter series, but they are successful. When Madonna and Ritchie split, she asked that when bedtime came, he only read her book, The English Roses, to their son David. The story follows the lives of five girls-Nicole, Amy, Charlotte, Grace and Binah. We're not sure why Madonna chose this book and not the other ones she wrote.

9 Good Hygiene Is A Must

Like many parents out there, Madonna is fussy when it comes to her kids' hygiene. She wants them to be clean and regularly disinfect their hands. This is something else that she explicitly stated to Ritchie after they parted ways. It seems that this rule is a little less out there than some of Madge's other rules. Shouldn't all parents want their kids to have clean hands, especially before eating, after handling animals or after using the bathroom?

8 There Are Rules Regarding Smart Phones

While Madonna's kids could afford to update their smartphones every week, the singing icon actually has some strict rules regarding iPhones, and when her kids can have access to them. With daughter Lourdes, Madonna decided she couldn't have a phone until she was fifteen. And then when Lourdes was given a phone, Madonna joked to the NY Daily News, “Ever since my daughter got an iPhone she stopped talking to me.” It's also been reported that Madonna took Rocco's phone away because she thought it was interfering with his studied.

7 And The Clothes Allowed In The House

This is probably one of the stranger rules that Madonna asked of Ritchie after the divorce. She expressed that the kids were not to be given clothes that were made out of man-made fibers. Really, she wanted the kids to only wear the clothes that she sent them, but if that couldn't be done, she wouldn't tolerate them wearing anything other than clothes made of natural fibers. This means that all her kids clothes-at that time, anyway-had to be made of materials like cotton and wool rather than polyester.

6 There Aren't Rules When It Comes To Madonna's Social Media

One area where Madonna doesn't impose strict rules? What she shares on her own social media pages. The singer is well-known for sharing photos of her kids, and that includes sharing photos that they're personally not happy with. Reports indicated that Rocco wasn't happy when Madge posted a picture of him with his hair in two ponytails, sitting on her lap, on her Instagram page. She captioned it “Blonde ambition” before sharing it with her millions of followers.

5 Sometimes The Kids Come On Tour

Madonna may have a problem with her kids watching TV and reading newspapers, but she doesn't seem to mind when they join her on tour. Sources have claimed that Rocco spent nearly half of 2015 on tour with his mom, and has even been known to join her on stage from time to time. It was also said that because Madonna is so dedicated to her work and driven when she's on tour, she doesn't have as much time as she'd like to spend with her kids.

4 The Boys Are Not To Be Photographed While With Guy

One of the rules that Madonna reportedly set out in her list to Ritchie following the divorce was that their boys were not to be photographed while with their father. The exact thought process behind this rule isn't known, but we can understand Madonna wanting to spare her kids the many lenses of the paparazzi. Along with the Jolie-Pitt kids, the Kardashians and Blue Ivy Carter, Madonna's six children are among the most famous celebrity kids.

3 She Encourages The Kids To Follow In Her Footsteps

None of Madonna's kids have showed an interest in pop music (that we know of!), but Madonna still encourages them to work hard and pursue their passions, just like she did. She's not a stage mom, but she does try hard to motivate them to be the best versions of themselves. After the life she'd led, we can't imagine her tolerating any of her kids not working hard and not having the courage to follow their dreams.

2 But Their Other Ambitions Are Supported Too

As long as they've inherited her work ethic and drive, Madonna supports the individual passions that her kids have. She also uses whatever contacts she has to help them get a leg up in their chosen fields. When David Banda wanted to study at the Benfica Youth Academy and play football, she moved the family to Portugal. And as Rocco is interested in being a painter, Madonna has organized a network of contacts to help him thrive in London's art scene.

1 She Makes Sure They're All Aware Of Their Privilege

Having grown up in a strict household herself, Madonna wants to ensure that her kids don't grow up to be spoiled and entitled. Most importantly, she wants them to be aware of how blessed they are. She has taken all six of her kids to Africa, which has no doubt opened their eyes to the realities faced by those less fortunate. “I love when my kids are in Africa,” she said. “Their selfless behavior, compared to the normal complaining in the privileged world we live in, is great to see.”

References: therichest.com, nowtolove.com, dailymail.co.uk