Ron Howard Was Most Concerned about His Kids' Values — Inside His Decision to Protect Them

Ron Howard is not only a successful director, screenwriter, and actor but has also produced numerous blockbuster movies. However, his most incredible pride in life is his four children, who he chose to raise differently.

Ron Howard met his wife Cheryl when they were both students at John Burroughs High School in Burbank, California. Theirs was an instant connection, and after meeting her, he knew she was the one.

They had an excellent start to their relationship, and the "Welcome to Hollywood" actor would later muse that since meeting Cheryl, there has never been anyone else for him.

For their first date, Howard took Cheryl to see a re-release of Stanley Kramer's "It's a Mad Mad Mad World" before they grabbed some pizza at the now-defunct Barnone's in Toluca Lake. They married in 1975.

Years later, the couple still stands strong in their marriage, and the two have been named one of Hollywood's longest-running couples. But such a long marriage is not easy to maintain, and Howard shared that their most entrusted secret to staying married that long is communication.

Despite being a Hollywood star with roles such as Richie Cunningham on TV's "Happy Days" and taking home numerous awards for appearances in various films, Howard has also aced another aspect of his life — parenthood.

HOWARD CHOSE A SHELTERED LIFE FOR HIS CHILDREN

Howard and Cheryl may be winning at marriage, but they also boast a distinctive parenting style from many other Hollywood stars. The parents of four welcomed their first child, daughter Bryce Dallas, on March 2, 1981.

The "Inferno" actor always knew that he wanted his kids to have a protected life away from the cameras. So when Bryce was only five, the family relocated to a farm in Greenwich, Connecticut. He shared with Lorraine, as Closer Weekly reports:

"I'm not so crazy about them getting into the industry, to be honest. It's tough, particularly for women. We even moved our kids out of Los Angeles and raised them East outside of New York City because we just didn't want them exposed to it."

But despite his reservation about introducing his children to the industry, he added: "But if I saw that it was their burning desire to try this, then I would do everything I could to help them become good."

In Connecticut, the couple welcomed their twins, Paige and Jocelyn, in February 1985 and son, Reed, two years later. Howard took it upon himself to help with house chores and says he found himself cooking more and taking care of his wife.

The couple also adopted a unique way of naming their kids, with their middle names representing the place where they were conceived. Bryce is named after Dallas City, while Paige and Jocelyn share a middle name, Carlyle, after the Carlyle Hotel in New York City. Reed's name, Cross, is a street in London where the family once lived.

Moving to Connecticut was a tough decision for the Howards as they did not have family or friends there, but it was a choice they made out of love for their children. Today, the Howard children greatly appreciate their parents' choice of sheltering them from the industry lifestyle, allowing them to have normal childhoods.

Bryce shared that her dad often encouraged them as kids to play outside instead of watching TV, which somewhat helped tap their creative sides. These parenting choices are why Howard describes himself and his wife as "totally reasonable, thoughtful parents who made solid decisions at every turn."

However, life at the farm was not always fun and games for the Howard children. They were all assigned roles in the home, with Bryce's being mucking out the goat pen on the weekends. But away from the less welcome weekend chores, Bryce shares plenty of beautiful memories with her dad from her childhood.

For instance, Howard shared the story of how, when his kids were still very young, the family needed to take a 17-hour flight. He recalls feeding Bryce vegetarian sushi, but soon after, she threw up on her father's shirt, and he did not change it for the entirety of the flight.

Bryce has since taken on some parenting lessons from her father, including being a great teacher, incredibly patient, and explaining things to her children instead of rushing through the answers.

MEET THE HOWARD CHILDREN

Bryce Dallas Howard is the "Parenthood" actor's first child. Born in 1981, Bryce spent the first five years of her life in Los Angeles before the family relocated to Connecticut.

She followed in her father's footsteps, appearing in the films "How The Grinch Stole Christmas," "A Beautiful Mind," and "Apollo 13" as a child. She also snagged roles in "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" and "Spider-Man 3." However, her big break came when she landed the role of Ivy Walker in the period thriller "The Village."

She has also appeared in "Rocketman," "The Help," and "Jurassic World," among many others. Besides acting, she is also a director, with "Call Me Crazy" and "Solemates" to her name. She has had a successful career, and her dad could not be more proud of her writing prowess. He told the Wrap, as Closer Weekly reports:

"I'm going to jump in here as a dad. Underneath it all, she's a really excellent writer. Always was. She could write her way out of a problem."

But away from her career, Bryce is a wife and a mother. She married Seth Gabel in 2006, and together, they have two children, Beatrice Jean Howard-Gabel and Theodore Norman Howard-Gabel.

The "Rush" actor's second-born are twins Paige and Joselyn, born in 1985. Like her father, Paige is also an actress and, after making her professional stage debut in the play "Mary Rose," went on to appear in "Arrested Development," which was also co-produced by her dad.

Her other acting credits include playing Angela in "90210," Veronica Lake in "Hollywood Con," Sandra Turner in "The Employer," Sue O'Malley on "Adventureland," and Jess in "Cheesecake Casserole." She is in a long-term relationship with Timmy Abou Nasr.

On the other hand, her twin, Jocelyn, has maintained a low profile and only appears in rare photos with the rest of the family members. She was never keen on pursuing a career in film, and after appearing in "Arrested Development" alongside her siblings, she never did play any other roles.

The youngest Howard is Reed Cross. Like his siblings, he also appeared on "Arrested Development" in 2003. He is a golfer and a doting father to a baby girl. He also has active YouTube and Instagram pages where he showcases his avid golfing skills and teaches others to play.