'No Topic Is Off The Table' For Kristen Bell's Kids, But What Does That Mean For Other Parents?

Actress Kristen Bell recently opened up about her parenting style when it comes to open discussions on tough topics with her daughters, Lincoln, 9, and Delta, 8. In a recent interview with REAL SIMPLE's Game Changers print and digital issue, she revealed that "no topic is off the table" when it comes to her parenting.

But is there such a thing as being too open and honest with younger children? When does it become an issue for other children outside of that home?

Bell credits being honest with her daughters as a key to her parenting style. The "Frozen" actress admits that this might be "shocking" to some people, but it makes sense for her way of parenting. "I know it's shocking, but I talk to my kids about drugs, and the fact that their daddy is an addict and he's in recovery, and we talk about sex," she said. "There are all these 'hard topics' that don't have to be if you give the person on the other end your vulnerability and a little bit of credit."

As a mother of four, I truly love the fact that she's honest with her daughters, but I do think her position in the public eye makes it more critical for her to be open and honest than if she wasn't a well-known celebrity. With both her and her husband, Dax Shepard, being famous, it's more likely that her children would hear about their father's drug addiction from a stranger or read about it online, as opposed to say, my children if that was my household's situation.

Let's play a little game of devil's advocate. I'm in total agreeance with the fact that Bell wants to be able to have an open dialogue about any topic with her kids, although I feel that 8 and 9-year-olds may be a bit young for certain topics. Because let's face it, children talk to other children all day long at school, and what her kids may find as a normal conversation topic, another child's household may not talk about such things which can create some confusion. Maybe Bell tells her daughters that their open conversations don't get spoken about outside of the home, but what if she doesn't?

A great example of this could be that one young child was told that Santa and the tooth fairy aren't real, but that child's best friend still believes in both, and the two argue over who's right and who's wrong. The child who still believed then goes home and asks their parents about it, or maybe accuses them of being liars. Then we have a dilemma on our hands. Most children are taught at an early age that honesty is the best policy, so then what?

In Bell's case, she's openly talking about sex and drugs with her daughters, but that's not a normal conversation topic for many households with children so young. I stand by the thought that what's best for one house isn't always what's best for another, and there's no one-size-fits-all parenting style, but they don't say "it takes a village" for nothing.

On the topic of what Bell thinks shouldn't be discussed, she said, "There should be no topic that's off the table for people to talk about." She also discussed why she feels vulnerability is underrated. "It's the most attractive characteristic on the planet. I believe that vulnerability only begets vulnerability," she said.

"We have so many issues as humans. Each and every one of us is so hard to get along with. It's true. But if you can maintain a sense of vulnerability, people read you in a different way. You are more successful in every aspect of your life."

Perhaps, it's her belief about letting her vulnerability show through in her parenting that helps her want to be completely honest with her girls regardless of the topic or their age. I can't fault her for that. I just wonder about the "what ifs" when other children are brought into the mix.