NBC
Because of the global pandemic, many parents have had to work with teachers in order to help their children through online-only schooling, and music superstar and The Voice coach Gwen Stefani is no different. In fact, when teaching her children, she made an interesting discovery about herself and her kids.
While appearing on Zane Lowe’s Apple Music conversation series At Home With, Stefani talked about how she discovered she and her children have dyslexia. Her sons, Kingston, 14, Zuma, 12, and Apollo, 6, were having trouble reading while learning at home.
“One thing that I’ve discovered through having kids is that I have dyslexia — everyone has things that happen and mine was that,” Stefani said. “And I feel like a lot of the problems that I have had or even decisions that I’ve made for myself stem from that, because now the children — obviously, it’s all genetic — they have some of those issues.”
Stefani Discovered Having Dyslexia While Teaching Her Children
Stefani opened up about discovering she has dyslexia while teaching her children and also said that her sons have access to a lot of help.
“But now they get all these benefits,” Stefani said. “They have these incredible teachers and schools and they don’t have to have shame about it. They understand that their brain functions in a different way. All of our brains do, you know what I mean?”
The superstar shared that she had a hard time in school because of her learning disorder, though she didn’t know that she had it at the time.
“I was a good girl,” she said. “I didn’t do any bad stuff. It was just really hard for me to function in that square box of school that everybody was supposed to be understanding. And my brain didn’t work like that; it still doesn’t. But it works in different ways that are probably a gift that other people can’t do.”
Stefani Also Opened up About Her Anxiety
During the conversation, Stefani took the time to open up about having anxiety and speak about how that’s affected her life, specifically speaking about the early years with her band.
“At that time I had written that whole record not even knowing how to write a song and I had literally laid my entire life out for everyone to hear,” she shared. “And then I’m still in the band with Tony [Kanal] who I was so dependent on, because of probably my dyslexia. I didn’t know any of this until now.”
She added, “But, I think that I didn’t have any confidence in myself at the time, but when I would write a song or I would get on stage, it just felt so right and the only thing that was going right for me.”
Stefani has recently been working on new music after being inspired by co-coach on The Voice, Kelly Clarkson, who has also been recording a new album. Stefani also recently announced her engagement to Blake Shelton.
“Life’s gotten so good right now actually having a best friend who I can be in love with and just share everything with and trust,” she said. “It’s just been such a different chapter.”
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