“It’s okay to be mad”- Michael Phelps' wife makes feelings known on values she wants to instill in kids

Legendary swimmer Michael Phelps's wife, Nicole Phelps, has recently shared her thoughts on the values she wants to instill in their four children. The couple are parents of four boys: Boomer Phelps, 8; Beckett Phelps, 7; Maverick Phelps, 5; and Nico Phelps, 14 months old.

The 28-time Olympic medalist's wife recently appeared in one of the episodes of “Between Us Moms”, a podcast with Katie Krause Mork and Hallie Stevens Drake. Nicole, who is a former beauty queen disclosed her thoughts regarding emotionally constructive parenting and the core values that she wants to imbibe in her children. She mentioned:

“I think one of the biggest things that we focus on and we discuss a lot about within this household are emotions and making sure that all emotions are welcome. Nothing is forbidden. If you look at it from generationally, our generation, the boys, 'don't cry get up dust yourself off, get going'. I kind of do the same thing, I'm not gonna say that I don't say get up dust yourself off but it's more like 'Hey are you okay?'” she shared [10:53 onwards].

She continued:

“So, it's like, go for it, do what you need to do, but if you can continue moving forward, then we keep going... Working through emotions is one of the biggest values that I want to instill in the boys and that it's okay to cry, it's okay to share, it's okay to be mad, all of it is welcome. It's just how are we handling it.” [11:49 onwards]

33-time World Championship medalist, Michael Phelps, tied the knot with Nicole Phelps in June 2016. The Colorado native was one of the top ten contestants for the 2010 Miss USA, an elite pageant competition.

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Michael Phelps reflects on his unique parenting technique

Michael Phelps and Nicole Phelps at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports 2018 - Red Carpet - Source: Getty

Michael Phelps and his wife, Nicole Phelps, use a unique technique called the ‘lion breath’ to assist their children in becoming emotionally aware and mentally healthy.

During his interview with Fortune in December 2024, Phelps shared that he and his wife encourage the boys to take a deep breath and “roar like a lion” if they are outraged about anything.

“When they have big strong emotions—acting out and showing frustration—one thing we implemented a couple of years ago is this thing called a lion breath,” he said.

Phelps further stated that once they have let go of the anger, they can share their emotions better. The 23-time Olympic gold medal winner also mentioned that he used to follow the same technique and that it helps in expressing emotions 'instead of stuffing them down'.