Tina Knowles reveals why she made Beyoncé and Solange see therapists as children
Their mother made sure they were equipped for lives in the spotlight
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Your support makes all the difference.Tina Knowles, mother of super-talented siblings Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Solange Knowles, has shared some of her top mothering tips.
Having been performing since she was just eight-years-old, Beyoncé has forged a hugely successful career for herself. So much so, that it would be easy to imagine a lot of sibling rivalry between herself and younger sister Solange as they were growing up.
However, this has not been the case. Instead, the Knowles sisters have become notorious for their loving bond and ability to support each other both professionally and personally.
The reason? Their mother, Tina Knowles, nipped any signs of sibling discord in the bud early on by taking them both to see a child therapist.
During a Facebook live discussion with reporter Maria Shriver, Knowles revealed that as a child she often felt as though her own mother loved her brother more, and so she made a concerted effort to avoid the same experience for her daughters.
To do so, the House of Deréon designer explained that she often took time off to spend with her girls, paying careful attention to Solange who somewhat lived in her elder sister’s shadow.
“I had days that I devoted to [each of them]. On Wednesdays, I took off from work and that was Solange’s day. She was a lot younger than Beyoncé and it was tough because [Beyoncé] was five years older and Beyoncé was this little superstar in our city,” Knowles said.
Knowles also revealed that she actively sought assistance from experts and even took her daughters to see a professional therapist when she felt as though Beyoncé’s fame could be affecting their relationship.
“I took them to counselling so that, very early, the counsellor could help Beyoncé be more sensitive to Solange,” she explained.
“She couldn’t stand her for a minute. You know, they were little, [Solange] was all in her stuff, trying to hang around her and her friends and Beyoncé was really irritated but it made her more sensitive to who her sister was and what she had to deal with because of her.”
Despite facing some criticism from family members for taking her daughters to see a therapist, Knowles was adamant that it was for the best.
“My family was like, ‘you’re going to make them crazy because they’re too young for you to take them’, but I wanted Beyoncé to be sensitive to the fact that Solange had to deal with being a little bit in her shadow.
“It made her way more sensitive and protected and they’re still fiercely protective of each other.”
The grandmother-of-four also added that she spent a lot of time making sure they never felt insecure when there was another girl around, instead teaching them that they were “the most beautiful things going.”
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