'They are a blank slate': Zoë Saldana says she and her husband are raising their three sons in a gender-neutral household so that they don't grow up believing in sex-based stereotypes
- Zoë, 40, further explained her gender-neutral approach to parenting this week
- She and her husband, Marco Perego Saldana, decided to raise their three sons without any gender stereotypes within their household
- They own both male and female toys for the young boys to play with at home
- The actress first opened up about their gender-neutral household in 2018 when revealing she and her husband divided up tasks equally
- 'My husband participates in a lot of tasks that were normally given to women and vice versa,' she said at the time
Zoë Saldana and her husband are raising their three boys in a gender-neutral household with things like 'female and male toys' in order to discourage their kids from buying into gender stereotypes.
The Guardian's of the Galaxy actress, 40, opened up about what exactly it means to create a gender-neutral household when speaking to US Weekly this week. But she admitted it has its challenges when raising young boys.
'I'm always gonna be honest and that is always the best way to welcome healthy and truthful discourse, especially around parenthood. … [The twins] made a comment two weeks ago like, "Boys are stronger than girls," because they're in that stage of comparisons,' Zoë told the publication.
Perspective: Zoë Saldana further explained her gender-neutral household this week when speaking with Us Weekly. Pictured is her family in May 2018
Focused: She and her husband, Marco Perego Saldana, decided to raise their three sons without any gender stereotypes within their household. Pictured is Zoë with Zen, two
'And you have to take a moment and kind of put together an answer that they will understand,' she continued.
She and her husband, Marco Perego Saldana, are parents to three boys: twins Bowie Ezio and Cy Aridio, four; and Zen, two.
Zoë confessed the goal to inform her children about breaking down gender norms, such as avoiding ideas like boys being stronger than girls, was to embrace them being a 'blank slate'.
'[To] not bring all this charge that you have as an adult and as a woman into their lives,' she said. 'They're a blank slate.'
In 2018, Zoë first opened up about her gender-neutral household to Us Weekly and why it was a priority for the family.
'We have a very gender-neutral environment where my husband participates in a lot of tasks that were normally given to women and vice versa,' she said at the time.
Their relationship is different from others as it was decided for Marco to take Zoë's last name and for her to take his last name when they got married in 2013. So she technically is Zoe Saldana Perego to his Perego Saldana.
'I get to do a lot of male things, which is, I don't know, put the TV together, fix things that break,' Zoë continued. 'We're sort of a very gender-fluid household. I think it's important to raise boys in that environment, and girls as well.'
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Changing the norm: Zoë owns both male and female toys for the young boys to play with at home. She and her husband also split up tasks so nothing is solely a 'mom' or 'dad' task
Balancing act: 'We have a very gender-neutral environment where my husband participates in a lot of tasks that were normally given to women and vice versa,' Zoë previously said
Love: In an interview last year, Zoë praised Marco as the 'perfect' partner. He decided to take her name once they got married instead of the other way around
Marco has been praised by Zoë as the 'perfect partner' previously in an interview with Women's Health because of their commitment to making women equal as men in the household.
'I have the most perfect partner in my life,' she said. The couple got secretly married after three months of dating.
'I've never met a male like my husband, who [believes] any woman is naturally his equal.'
This role is further depicted to their children when it comes to disciplining them.
'That "Mom's the boss" thing is not going to happen in our family, because that means he's [husband Marco Perego] the fun one, the good guy, while I'm the disciplinarian,' she said.
'I don't want my kids to look at women like, "Oh, god, they're so annoying! They always come with structure".'
