From her emergence on the reality TV scene with Miami Ink in 2005 to her highly publicized romance with Jesse James to her marriage to musical artist Leafar Seyer to the recent birth of her baby, Katherine von Drachenberg has long made headlines for both her personal and professional life.

She’s a tattoo artist, TV personality, author, clothing designer, boutique owner, singer, and entrepreneur—and now she’s a mom. And although many fans have the perception of Kat that she’s dark and rough around the edges, she’s already proven she’s a doting mama to her new little boy.

Leafar Von Drachenberg Reyes was born on November 29th, 2018, at home with his mom and dad, attended by a midwife, but his notoriety began far before that. From the moment Kat announced her pregnancy to every time she posts an update to social media, people have questions, opinions, and plenty of criticism for this mom.

And the thing is, it’s understandable. Kat isn’t the average celeb mom, and she’s not averse to speaking out when she feels something needs to be said, which is why fans wouldn’t exactly be surprised to know that she wants to raise her baby differently than most. Here are 20 ways she plans to do just that.

20 She Will Be Focusing On Family

While many celebrities are open to meeting with journalists and photographers to document their babies’ first few months, Kat isn’t one of them. She posted on IG when her baby arrived, but she noted that the couple would be taking some time—the fourth trimester—to bond with their babe alone. Of course, that doesn’t mean Kat didn’t share some sweet pics of her newborn with his daddy, but beyond that, the two have kept fairly mum on social media. It’s frustrating because fans want to see photos of the baby, who looks a lot like his dad Leafar, but we also get that the new parents want time alone with their baby.

19 She Is Doing Her Own Research

Kat hasn’t been shy about sharing her opinions on all kinds of parenting tactics and habits. And while she hasn’t exactly declared that she’s going one way or the other on many topics, it’s clear that she’s going to do her research before she makes any moves. In an era when information is so accessible to us all, it’s refreshing that Kat is open to actually putting in the work instead of listening to popular opinion. While not every parent will agree with her choices, they should respect that she’s put in the time and effort to learn about a variety of topics.

18 She Is Shying Away From Meds

Before baby Leafar was born, Kat shared on social media that she planned on having not only a natural birth without medications but also a home birth. And while people had plenty of opinions about her decision, it’s clear that the new mama knew what she was getting herself into. She shared how at home she and her husband felt with the midwife they selected, after less-than-enjoyable experiences with their previous OBGYN. And while she’s asking for privacy as her family grows, she’s also said she has plans to release a home birth documentary sometime soon, which likely means that’s exactly how her own experience went down!

17 She Is Following Biology

Also early on after welcoming baby Leafar, Kat Von D noted that she planned to nurse her little one, but that she did need some help in the beginning. As many new mamas know, it can be tough to wait on your milk to come in when it seems like your baby is too hungry to wait! And Kat had the same experience, so she reached out to her doula for advice on where to get donor milk from a fellow plant-based mama. It was very important for Kat that her baby only got breastmilk, but she also knew if she had to supplement, she wanted it to be human milk from a vegan mom.

16 The Baby Will Very Likely Be Raised Vegan

Even though most sources state that breastmilk is the best and most natural food for a newborn baby, Kat caught a lot of flak on her social media accounts for explaining that she’s vegan and lives a plant-based lifestyle. Not only does the new mama not eat meat or any animal derived products—like eggs or dairy—but she also doesn’t buy leather or other animal-based clothing or other items for her life or home. Kat is often vocal about preventing harm to animals, but she also wants the best for her baby boy. That means baby Leafar was likely vegan from conception and will probably stay that way into toddlerhood and beyond.

15 Animals Are Friends

Since Kat is vegan, we already know that she cares a lot about animals. She also has a few pets—including hairless cats—so it’s evident that having pets is a big part of her life. It follows that baby Leafar will probably enjoy plenty of furry (and probably scaly and slithery ones, knowing Kat) companions as he grows up. With Kat’s commitment to being plant-based and her appreciation of the natural world—have you seen her goth garden?!—Leafar will be snuggling with his hairless kitty siblings in no time! And with their Victorian-style home and goth décor? Sounds like there could be some interesting animals hiding in the shadows there.

14 She Is Not Listening To Naysayers

Kat has had plenty of difficulty in her industry—both in terms of her tattooing work and her product lines for makeup and shoes—with naysayers trying to cut her down. From people who say she’s not that great of a tattoo artist to those who say her shoes aren’t going to sell or that her designs aren’t original enough, there’s been a lot of criticism to sift through for this star. But she hasn’t missed a beat with moving on past the fake fans—Kat doesn’t listen to the critics, and it’s rare that she even takes the time to clap back.

13 She Is Practicing Elimination Communication

While nailing down the original source seems improbable, there were comments on Kat Von D’s IG regarding her commitment to practicing elimination communication with her new baby boy. The practice involves trying to figure out your little one’s cues when they need to potty, in order to skip diapers entirely and take care of the baby’s bathroom needs without an extra strain on the environment. After all, even cloth diapers take a lot of resources (water, for one!) to manage, and we know Kat cares about that! But above all, EC focuses on a baby’s connection with his caregivers because it’s up to them to “read” his potty signals. Good for bonding, maybe, but kinda gross, too.

12 She Is Not Afraid Of The Dark

If you’ve ever glimpsed Kat out in public or have even skimmed her social media accounts, it’s evident that she’s a fan of everything black and goth. And while her personality certainly isn’t that dark—she’s super smiley and happy in pics with her hubby and baby—she and her husband both like things dark and edgy. Their wedding, for one, involved a lot of black and red and sharp objects. So we wouldn’t be surprised if baby Leafar’s nursery is painted in an entirely gothic style with stuffed gargoyles instead of teddies. And that likely means that the tot won’t grow up to be afraid of the dark or anything else “creepy”—just like the kids in the Addams family!

11 Expression Is A Must

While not everyone “gets” Kat’s style—or her husband Leafar’s—it really doesn’t matter to either of them. First of all, Leafar is a musician as part of the band Prayers, which has achieved its own level of success outside of Kat’s notoriety. And before Kat became a fashion maven and makeup icon, she was just a tattoo artist working in someone else’s shop. These days though, the couple has learned that their self-expression is the best way to make a living—something they’ll no doubt teach to their little boy when the time comes, too. Whatever he wants to do, mom and dad will make sure he follows his heart.

10 Her Creativity Won’t Be Quashed

Although becoming a tattoo artist isn’t the profession every parent wishes for their children, we’re guessing Kat’s family is pretty darn proud of their business mogul daughter. She carved out her own path where there wasn’t one already trod—and faced a lot of criticism along the way. But she didn’t let others tell her how to hone her craft, and she didn’t care when people suggested her cruelty-free makeup line wouldn’t catch on, or that people wouldn’t be interested in buying the shoes she’s designed. Clearly, her little boy will grow up knowing he should do what makes him happy and forget about fitting into a box.

9 She Is Putting Limits On Her Social Media Use

It’s true that before getting pregnant, Kat did share a lot more on her social media accounts. But after announcing that she was expecting her first child, Kat toned it down a bit. And that may have been due to the criticism she received when discussing her plans for her pregnancy, birth, and parenting. But either way, Kat knows that taking a step back from social media isn’t a bad thing—even if it means just sticking around for product launches and promotional posts instead of sharing personal stuff. Sure, she’s shared a bit about her life with her new baby, but she’s also been sharing details about upcoming projects and collaborations—keeping mum on the things she wants to keep private.

8 Dad’s An Equal Partner

Some of Kat’s few social media posts post-baby include snapshots of her husband holding their baby skin-to-skin and wrapped in a blanket in front of a very gothic looking baby carriage. Clearly, Leafar is just as involved in raising their baby as Kat is, and he’s gushed on his own social media already about how great it is to have this little guy in his life. Unlike many celeb couples, it seems like both of these parents are pausing their professional lives to be at home with the baby—something that’s great to see, especially because so many celeb parents have the opportunity and don’t take it.

7 The Baby Will Be Learning A Second Language Early

If you didn’t already know, Kat Von D was born in Montemorelos, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, and moved to Los Angeles when she was four. And although she may not be fully bilingual at this point, she does make it a point to share both English and Spanish posts on social media, often writing her own messages to her husband in Spanish. Beyond her heritage, there’s also the fact that Leafar—AKA Rafael Reyes—has heritage that stems from ancient Mexico. Therefore, odds are, this couple will encourage their son to become bilingual and speak both English and Spanish as he grows up.

6 She Is Practicing Open-Mindedness

With his mom being a super goth chick and his dad hailed as the creator of Cholo goth music, baby Leafar has been born into a unique family. But this uniqueness will hopefully encourage the little guy to embrace people’s differences and not judge them based on appearance. Clearly, despite her reserved and “angsty” style, Kat had enough room in her heart for her hubby and her baby, so for those who weren’t sure, appearances really aren’t everything. Kat’s nurturing will no doubt help her boy grow up to be open-minded and empathetic. The family’s love of animals will probably help, too!

5 She Will Encourage Baby Leafar To Find His Own Art

Both Kat and Leafar are musical—Leafar has his band and his own brand of music, while Kat has offered up vocals on one of his band’s tracks and others. Beyond music, both parents are super talented and stylish. But that doesn’t mean baby Leafar will have to follow in their footsteps. While Kat will clearly show her little guy a variety of music and art—she does love the Ramones and also owns an art gallery and boutique, after all—she also isn’t the type to push her child to fit into one of society’s molds. He can make his own!

4 There Are No Bad Influences

Kat may have grown up listening to music her parents didn’t approve of—and quit school as a teen to focus on tattooing as a profession—and she has maintained her edge all through her life. Keeping fans on their toes is kind of her thing, and she’s always doing something surprising. Which makes us think she won’t be moved by any trouble her little guy gets into—including listening to metal or getting a tattoo at age 14 like his mom. After all, an influence is an influence to Kat—nothing’s bad or good in that sense—so Leafar will have full reign to explore.

3 He Will Be No Stranger To Work

While we don’t expect that Kat will be tatting up her baby, he will likely be around when either his mom or dad or one of their customers are receiving a tat. And growing up seeing his mom’s work in action will probably have a positive impact on the kiddo—after all, he has to learn that nothing in life is handed to you, the same way his parents both learned that fact while working toward their own professional goals. And sure, being around the tattoo shop might make little Leafar a little less reluctant to get some ink himself, but it will also show him the value of hard work.

2 Leafar Will Have Friends All Over The World

Given both of his parents’ professional lives and their backgrounds, odds are Leafar will be a jet-setting little tot before too long. From traveling to shows with dad and his band to attending mom’s tattoo festival or a product launch abroad, Leafar will start earning his air miles soon enough. And Kat is also a fan of travel, so we see some family vacations to exotic locations in their future! That also means that the little guy will have friends literally all over the globe as he grows up—putting the entire world at his fingertips, something most parents only wish they could offer.

1 He Will Be A Business-Savvy Boy

Since his mom and dad, and countless other celebs, have pursued more than one professional path in their lives, it follows that little Leafar could wind up being a jack of all trades in that sense. Whatever he wants to do, he has his mom’s business smarts and his dad’s street smarts to help him out, and there won’t be any roadblock big enough to stop this guy. If his mom’s commitment to her parenting philosophies is any indication, her little boy will probably be just as self-assured and confident as she is—which is definitely a great way to parent differently than most!