Novak Djokovic’s wife Jelena has shed light on her approach to parenting, admitting that she is worried about the world their children are growing up in. The couple, who were high school sweethearts, got married in 2014 and welcomed their son, Stefan, later that year.
They also have a daughter, Tara, who celebrated her seventh birthday last month. Ahead of Stefan turning 10 in a few weeks, Jelena has admitted to having ‘fears’ about parenting but is not letting her concerns dictate her approach to raising her two children.
In an interview with Zena, she said: “I have fears like every parent, but I do my best not to let them control my behaviour towards the children. Circumstances have changed, but the world and the process of growing up and maturing have always carried with them uncertainties.
I want to believe that if we give children a good foundation, which is the security of a family environment, unconditional love, acceptance, that they will have a stable base to deal with the challenges that the future brings.”
Jelena added that she was worried about striking the right balance between protecting her children and giving them space to grow, admitting that she will not know if she has been successful until they begin to navigate life as adults.
“I haven’t taken the exam for achieving balance in parenting yet, so I’m not sure if I passed or failed it,” she said. “They say that test comes when children grow up and when their time for independence comes.
“We will see how it will be. I think that today it is very difficult to find a balance in anything because society cultivates the mantra ‘never enough, more more more’ and then you see a lot of exaggeration in everything.
Djokovic has also opened up on his approach to raising children, admitting in an interview with Blic that he argues with Jelena over his decision to ban them from having phones.
Their children have protested it, claiming they are the only ones at school without their own phones. Djokovic, however, says the ban is intended to teach them about not following the herd mentality.
“My children still don’t have a cell phone, my wife and I argue,” he said. “They complain: ‘At school everyone has one except us’. It’s not easy and this is reflected on other levels as well.
“If everyone does something, the herd behaves like this, you have to follow them. Well, it doesn’t have to be like that. This is where I think we differ from others, because we are stubborn and active.
