Actress Tori Spelling faced backlash after sharing a controversial parenting hack on her podcast, “MisSPELLING.” The 51-year-old mother of five admitted to dressing her 7-year-old son, Beau, in his next day’s clothes before bedtime to save time in the morning.
This revelation, made during a conversation with singer Debbie Gibson on August 27, quickly ignited a heated debate on social media platforms about parenting practices and childhood independence.
On the podcast episode, Spelling explained her nighttime routine better. “It’s so bad. I’ve gotten so lazy with my youngest one because there’s so many, that at night I put him in his clothes for the next day,” she said with a laugh.
She added that she’s “convinced him that it’s cool to do that,” and told Beau they could save time by getting dressed early so he could sleep in later. Spelling also admitted that this routine allows her to get a bit more rest, too.
This confession led to a flood of comments on social media, with many users expressing their disapproval. One user wrote, “This isn’t something to be bragging about. The kid should be able to dress himself.” Another criticized, “He could dress himself at 7 if she wasn’t to lazy to teach him [sic].“
Some comments were more severe. One user stated, “I mean the ignorance of admitting publicly you’re a neglectful parent and neglectful can land you a CPS case just remember that. It is abuse [sic].” Others raised practical concerns. One parent noted, “My son sweats so bad at night that he’d wake up soaked the next morning. Eww [sic]!“
However, not all reactions were negative. Several parents related to Spelling’s approach. One user shared, “I’ve known several families that do this.” Another commented, “My daughter always asks to do this and I allow it. Not a big thing [sic].” Some even saw it as a smart strategy. “Lazy? My kids dress for school the night before all the time. They are 13 and 17,” one parent said.
This recent controversy comes amid significant changes in Spelling’s personal life. In March, she filed for divorce from her ex-husband, Dean McDermott, with whom she shares four other children, aside from Beau: Liam, 17, Stella, 16, Hattie, 12, and Finn, 11.
According to legal documents, Spelling cited irreconcilable differences and sought sole physical custody of the kids while open to joint legal custody.
Back in an April 2024 episode of her podcast, the actress talked about co-parenting with McDermott post-separation. She discussed the challenges they faced, particularly during her ex-partner’s time in rehab.
“It was a lot, and I didn’t feel like he was doing well. Like, there was still a lot of anger and aggression, and so I didn’t go back,” Spelling revealed. Despite the difficulties, she remained optimistic about maintaining a positive co-parenting relationship with McDermott.
According to the actress, the kids are happy to see their father again and are proud of his progress and the work he’s done on himself. They also like his girlfriend, Lily Calo.
Even as some people question her parenting choices, Tori Spelling continues to celebrate her children’s milestones. Like most modern moms, she posts videos and carousels during birthdays.
She also recently shared photos on Instagram of Beau’s kindergarten graduation. “Beau Beau 🐻is officially a 1st grader,” she wrote, accompanying images of herself and her son at his end-of-year party.
Ultimately, the bedtime clothes discussion serves as a reminder of the diverse approaches to parenting and the ongoing debates surrounding what constitutes effective and responsible child-rearing in today’s fast-paced world.
