Every mom questions her parenting decisions from time to time, but in the end, she should trust that, in most instances, she knows better than anyone else what is best for her children. It’s important for mamas to ignore the haters, trust their guts and care for their children in the ways they feel are best. Celeb moms are scrutinized by the general population on a daily basis. Every decision they make, every pic they post and every statement they make is picked apart in gossip magazines, at local coffee shops and in the comment sections of their social media accounts.

Some famous mamas are criticized for being too permissive with their tots. They are called out for allowing their young daughters to wear makeup or for feeding their kiddos too much sugar or for spoiling them with too many toys. Other celebrity mothers are criticized for being too strict, and are judged for disciplining too harshly or for being too rigid with their rules.

Read on for 20 celebrity moms that are known for being strict with their kids. They may be tough on their little ones, but they are motivated by love, and we applaud them for laying down the law and doing all they can to raise their tiny humans in the ways they feel are best.

Joanna Gaines

Joanna Gaines and her husband Chip are considered by many to be the ideal parenting team. They are funny, relatable and wildly successful. Their five children, newborn Crew, 8-year-old Emmie Kay, 9-year-old Duke, 11-year-old Ella and 13-year-old Drake, reside with their famous mom and pop in a quintessential farmhouse. They eat regular home baked meals and are privy to sprawling country views. Their parents are loving and attentive, but many would also consider them to be pretty darn strict. Why? Chip has revealed that he and Jo “keep telling the kids they don’t get a phone until they go off to college.That’s a rule most kids these days would have a very hard time with. Time will tell if Mama and Papa Gaines are able to stick to their original plan. 

Mayim Bialik

Big Bang actress and mother-of-two Mayim Bialik has admitted that, when it comes to raising her boys, she’s one tough cookie. She recently revealed to People magazine, “I grew up strict and that seemed to have worked to me.” While she admits that she knows how to have fun, Bialik is proud of the fact that she’s teaching her two young sons, Frederick and Miles, the value of hard work. According to the actress, “I’m a fun mom. My boys think of me as fun, but I definitely have a lot of my parents’ strong worth ethic and emphasis on chores...When they ask for an allowance for their chores, I say, ‘I don’t get paid for my chores. I’m not paying you for yours.’”

Jada Pinkett Smith

Actress Jada Pinkett Smith has two beautiful children, Jaden and Willow, with her handsome hubby Will. Both of her kids have become stars in their own rights, but they still answer to mom and dad. Speaking about the unconventional way they have chosen to raise and discipline their children, Jada’s husband has shared, “We don’t do punishment. The way that we deal with our kids is, they are responsible for their lives.” “Our concept is, as young as possible, give them as much control over their lives as possible and the concept of punishment, our experience has been--it has a little too much of a negative quality,” Smith has shared. “So when they do things--and you know, Jaden, he’s done things--you can do anything you want as long as you can explain to me why that was the right thing to do for your life.

Jennifer Garner

Mother-of-three Jennifer Garner recently revealed to People magazine that she’s a “pretty strict” mom. She’s a huge proponent of healthy eating, and doesn’t allow her three children Violet, Seraphina and Samuel to nosh on unhealthy fare...at least not very often. She told the mag, I’m not worried so much about junk food, because we don’t have it in the house--although I don’t want to be a freak about it, so that they just want to get their hands on it at all costs. It’s more that you just want to make sure they’re getting a rainbow of flavors and of foods.”

Gwyneth Paltrow

It’s no secret that Oscar-winning actress and mother-of-two Gwyneth Paltrow is all about making sure her kids eat healthy, but that’s not the only thing she’s passionate about when it comes parenting.

Many children love to relax and unwind after a long day out playing or at school by lounging in front of the television. Paltrow isn’t anti-screen time, but she does have a pretty strict rule when it comes to what her son Moses and daughter Apple are allowed watch on the small screen. According to Ranker, any shows they watch must be in either French or Spanish so they can acquire foreign languages as they languish in front of their favorite shows. Now that’s strict.

Kourtney Kardashian

Mother-of-three and reality star Kourtney Kardashian recently revealed that she has decided to feed her littles Mason, Penelope and Reign a gluten and dairy-free diet. Speaking about the strict way she has chosen to feed her kiddos, she recently told Us Weekly, “I have noticed a great positive change in behavior with my children. Of course, we pick our battles and I do let the kids have popcorn at the movies or a churro at Disneyland, etc...But for birthday parties, which can sometimes be every weekend, I bring extra gluten and dairy-free cupcakes...and they are happy with that.” Speaking about her choice to ignore the haters out there who don’t agree with her parenting decisions, Kourt has shared, “I’m doing the best that I can, and I feel really confident in that. Unless someone has walked in your shoes, you really can’t judge. Everyone needs to make the best choice for their life.”

Julie Bowen

Modern Family actress Julie Bowen has three charming sons, Oliver, John and Gustav. She has admitted that they are a bit of a handful, but she keeps things under control and isn’t afraid of laying down the law. Speaking about how she has chosen to raise her boys, the newly single mother-of-three recently told Working Mother, “Being your kids’ best friend is not always the best parenting choice.” The star continued, “It’s not about everybody being happy all the time It’s about setting limits. In my house that makes my kids very unhappy, like tantrums-on-the-ground-twice-a-day unhappy. But the limits are set.”

Madonna

Mother-of-six Madonna has been criticized for being too lenient with her children. She has been photographed partying with her two oldest children Lourdes and Rocco, and some have wondered aloud if she’s responsible enough to care for her adopted tots David, Mercy, Stelle and Estere. The celeb mom does have a strict side, and once revealed that her daughter Lourdes “doesn’t have it easy.” In 2007, when her mini-me was 13 years old, the Material Girl dished, “No boys for Lourdes until she’s 18 years old. She’s a good girl though.” The singer continued, “Late-night TV, junk food and mess are not tolerated in my house. My daughter has a problem picking things up in her room. So if you leave your clothes on the floor, they’re gone when you come home.”

Candace Cameron Bure

Fuller House star Candace Cameron Bure has chosen to be hands-on when it comes to punishing her three children Natasha, Lev and Maksim. She wrote in a blog post for Christian Women Online, “I’m not afraid to admit it: We do spank our children. We get much of our parenting information from the bible--that’s my heart source. There are several passages that refer to disciplining your child.” It may surprise some that the woman who plays sweet and gentle D.J. Tanner could be so harsh in real life. Corporal punishment is a controversial method of discipline that doesn’t work for everyone, but Cameron Bure is confident in her parenting decisions.

10 Charlize Theron

Actress Charlize Theron took heat after pics of the actress disciplining her 4-year-old adopted son Jackson as he threw a tantrum went viral. Many child-rearing experts and fans jumped to her defense, reminding the world that it's okay to be firm with a child who is losing it in public. Speaking about being a parent, the star has admitted, "Raising kids is not through rose-colored lenses. There is a real grit to it." 

She freely admits she's not perfect, and wants her children to learn that life is messy sometimes. She has admitted, "It is interesting that we live in a time where we share everything and yet there's still so much stigma about the truth of how messy it is to raise kids, and the judgment that goes along with it." 

9 Cate Blanchett

Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett has four beautiful children with her husband Andrew Upton. She has admitted that she’s okay with being the bad guy sometimes. The actress has shared, “I don’t enjoy being the bad cop, but sometimes I have to be. My husband and I worry about our generation trying to be friends with their children rather than parents of their children.”

The celeb mom continued, “If you’re going to try and make your children like you, you’re in dangerous waters I think...I think I’m pretty loving, but what I do know is that you have to let them talk and you have to listen. I hope that when they’re 15, they’re still talking as freely to us as now.”

8 Courteney Cox

Courteney Cox has one daughter, Coco, with her ex-husband David Arquette. The actress has admitted that she is more strict about some things than she is about others. When it comes to the length of her daughter’s shorts, Cox has a say, but she allows her mini-me to make her own decisions about makeup.

The celeb mom has shared, “I know some people think I should rein her in with the makeup, but it’s a form of self-expression. As long as she’s not sexualizing herself, it’s really just what makes her feel good, but I want to keep an open relationship with her. I care more about what she’s watching than what she’s putting on her face.”

7 Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham is one posh mama who isn’t afraid to be strict with her four stylish children. She told E!, “We’ve always been strict with the children. They have great manners. They always say ‘please’ and ‘thank you,’ and I think that’s very important.”

The mother-of-four continued, “At the same time, they’re still fun. They still run around the house and they’re crazy and they’re singing and they’re dancing and they’re kicking footballs around, which I don’t allow them to do, but that seems to be one area that I can’t discipline them in. They will not stop playing football in the house.”

6 Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba heads up one of the most successful baby and child product companies out there, but she still has time to keep her kids in line. How does she make sure her babies are on their best behavior? She’s all about time outs. When her daughters Haven and Honor were still tiny tots, she dished to People magazine. “My kids are constantly snatching things out of the other one’s hand. So now it’s, ‘Stand in the corner and put your nose against the wall!’”

The star continued, “My two-year-old can last like 15 seconds before she’s like ‘Okay, I’m done!’ and them I’m like, ‘Wait, it’s not up to you!’ My 5-year-old can go for some time, like a minute or two.”

5 Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez shares twins Max and Emme with her ex-husband Marc Anthony. In some ways, her kids live an enviable lifestyle. They often join 'Jenny from the Block' as she jets around the globe to perform in sold out concerts and appear on popular television shows.

They may get to travel and take part in their mama’s lavish lifestyle, but still have rules they must follow. E! Online has reported that JLo isn’t a fan of screen time, and rarely allows her children to use electronics. She does, however, allow her tots some time on their iPads on Sundays, and, as a result, has dubbed the day “Sunday Funday.”

Julia Roberts

Celeb mom Julia Roberts allows her children Hazel, Phinnaeus and Henry to enjoy sweets and treats every once in awhile, but sugary snacks are not an everyday occurrence for her tots. This pretty woman believes in keeping the diets of her children filled with healthy and nutritional foods. With temptations lurking everywhere from soccer practice to birthday parties, it can be difficult for moms these days to resist giving in and allowing their babies to indulge their sweet tooths. Even so, according to Brightside, Roberts allows her little ones to enjoy the occasional dessert, but most days she tries to keep their diets free of added sugars and other unhealthy ingredients.

4 Jessica Biel

Jessica Biel and her man Justin Timberlake are the proud parents of one son, Silas. Their little lad is definitely lucky to have such talented and fun-loving progenitors. When it comes time for Jess and Justin to discipline their child, they make sure to take turns being the bad guy.

The mother-of-one and actress recently revealed to Popsugar that she and her baby daddy are “strict in different ways.” She then added, “We take turns.” One of the things Jess is strict about is making sure her son eats his veggies. How does she do it? She admitted on a Reddit Ask Me Anything session, “I hide vegetables in eggs, quiche, stews, soups, smoothies...I hide vegetables everywhere I possibly can.”

3 Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore shares two darling daughters, Frankie and Olive, with her ex-husband, Will Kopelman. The actress has admitted she’s a bit of a hippie, and is all about peace and love, (her production company is called Flower Films) but she isn’t afraid to discipline her kids if they misbehave.

When asked by Parenting what one word she would use to describe herself as a parent, she responded with “disciplinarian.” She went on to explain, “because I think it shows that you care. But that doesn’t have to negate being the silliest mom that ever lived.” 

2 Mila Kunis

Mila Kunis and her husband Ashton Kutcher may play goofy, fun-loving characters in the rom-coms they star in, but when it comes to real life, they aren’t afraid to be strict. In fact, The Independent reported that one year they decided not to give their children Wyatt and Dimitri any Christmas presents to help them avoid becoming too materialistic.

Speaking of the lifestyles both she and her husband lived as children, Mila has shared, “We both came from pretty solid poverty backgrounds and grew up very poor and are very much self-made and are very aware of what a dollar is worth...It’s a matter of teaching them from a very early age that, you know, ‘Mommy and Daddy may have a dollar, but you’re poor. You are very poor, you have nothing. Mommy and Daddy have a bank account.”

1 Megan Fox 

When it comes to technology, Megan Fox may be as strict as moms come. According to Brightside, she doesn’t allow her children to watch television or use the internet. The family watches movies every once in awhile, but not very often.

Her three babies Bodhi, Noah and Journey may not be huge movie or television buffs, but they are still enjoying happy childhoods, and don’t get punished very often. Fox told Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, “I don’t think I need to teach my children with harsh words or with punishment. I believe that if I love them the right way, there’s no need for that.”

Sources: People.com, Moms.com, UsMagazine.com, WomansDay.com, HuffPost.com, EOnline.com