Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's Unconventional Parenting: Letting Kids Drink Nonalcoholic Beer
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard have never been ones to shy away from sharing the more personal details of their marriage.The couple, who tied the knot in 2013, are often candid about their relationship and how they raise their two daughters, Lincoln, 12, and Delta, 10.In 2025, Bell, 46, revealed that she and Shepard, 51, are in what she described as an “opposites attract” relationship.“That doesn’t mean we couldn’t make it work or didn’t want to make it work,” she told People at the time.“It just meant we did have to have a lot of patience for each other to figure out what the compromises would be and a general understanding that we’re probably going to have different viewpoints on almost everything — and figure out a respectful way to have those discussions.”Read on for a look at the times the couple has overshared about their unconventional marriage and parenting style.Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard have been in couples therapy since they metKristen Bell and Dax Shepard (pictured above together in Miami, Florida, in 2008) revealed in 2015 that they had been in couples therapy since they first started dating in 2007. GC ImagesBell and Shepard revealed in a 2015 issue of Good Housekeeping that they had been in couples therapy since they first started dating in 2007.At the time, Shepard admitted there were things Bell “didn’t trust about [him],” as well as things he “didn’t trust about her.”“I just kept going back to ‘This person has the thing I want, and I have to figure out how we can exist peacefully.’ So we started [seeing a therapist together] right away,” he added.Bell, for her part, said there was nothing “to be embarrassed about” when it came to therapy, adding, “You do better in the gym with a trainer; you don’t figure out how to cook without reading a recipe.”Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard don’t have a prenupBell and Shepard (seen above together at the Los Angeles premiere of “Couples Retreat” in 2009) decided not to sign a prenuptial agreement before getting married, although Shepard admitted he “really wanted” one. WireImageBell and Shepard decided not to sign a prenuptial agreement before getting married — although Shepard admitted he “really wanted” one.During a 2018 appearance on “Conan,” Shepard recalled that when they first starting dating, he “had more money” than Bell and “owned the house that [he] lived in.”“She said to me at one point, ‘Would you like a prenup?’ because we were getting married. And I said, ‘No, I don’t want a prenup,’ but I really wanted a prenup, really bad,” he said.He joked that the tables had since turned, as Bell had “become much more successful” than him and had “much more money.”Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard let their daughters wear diapers until age 5 and wait to bathe them until they ‘stink’Bell and Shepard, who share daughters Lincoln and Delta, revealed that their youngest daughter wasn’t potty-trained until she was 5 and that they used to wait for their daughters to “stink” before bathing them. (Shepard is pictured above with one of their daughters.) Instagram/Kristen BellBell and Shepard’s youngest daughter, Delta, wasn’t out of diapers until she was 5 years old.In 2020, Bell told Today’s Parent via Zoom that the only way they could get her to pee on the toilet was by waking her up at 11 p.m. when she was a “zombie.”The following year, Bell revealed that she and Shepard used to wait for Delta and their oldest daughter, Lincoln, to “stink” before bathing them.She explained that they wanted to conserve water, but later clarified that the story was a joke, adding that she had “lost a lot of faith in the human race” over people’s reactions.Dax Shepard once sucked out Kristen Bell’s clogged breast milk ductBell (seen above with Shepard in Los Angeles this year) revealed that he once helped clear a clogged breast milk duct, saying she had “never been more in love in [her] life.” Billboard via Getty ImagesBell admitted she had “never been more in love in [her] life” than when Shepard helped clear a clogged breast milk duct.Discussing the moment on Ellen DeGeneres’ digital series “Momsplaining” in 2021, Bell recalled asking her husband for help: “I said to my husband, ‘I just need you to suck this out. We could talk about it. We could be weird about it, or you could just go ahead and nurse.'”“He was pulling out and spitting into this cup, and I’ve never been more in love in my life,” she said, before joking, “He spits. He doesn’t swallow. That’s what I figured out.”Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard let their daughters drink nonalcoholic beerBell and Shepard (pictured above in an Instagram post) revealed that they occasionally let their daughters drink nonalcoholic beer. Instagram/Kristen BellBell revealed during a 2023 episode of “The Kelly Clarkson Show” that her daughters, Lincoln and Delta, occasionally drink nonalcoholic beer, acknowledging that it “sounds insane.”Bell explained that the habit started when she and Shepard, who is a “recovering addict,” would go on walks while he carried Lincoln as a baby and drank nonalcoholic beer.“As a baby, she was pawing at it, and sometimes she’d suck on the rim of it,” she recalled. “So, I think it feels to her like something special, something daddy, something family.”Bell also defended the decision, saying, “I’m sort of like, ‘You can judge me if you want. I’m not doing anything wrong. That’s your problem.'”Kristen Bell wishes she were ‘more sexually active’ before marrying Dax ShepardBell (seen above with Shepard at an awards seasons celebration in Los Angeles earlier this year) admitted she wishes she had been “more sexually active” before marrying Shepard. Getty Images for Vanity FairBell said she wishes she had been “more sexually active” before marrying Shepard.During a September 2025 appearance on Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast, Bell admitted she wished she had “butterflied around a little bit more,” but added that Shepard had “brought out a ton of [her] sexuality.”“I was never this sexual before you,” she told her husband.Dax Shepard once said he ‘would never kill’ Kristen BellBell (pictured above with Shepard in an Instagram upload) previously faced backlash over a wedding anniversary post in which she appeared to joke about Shepard promising he “would never kill [her].” Instagram/Kristen BellBell faced backlash over her “tone-deaf” wedding anniversary post, in which she appeared to joke about Shepard promising he “would never kill [her].”In October 2025, Bell shared a photo of the couple hugging on their bed and wrote, “Happy 12th wedding anniversary to the man who once said to me: ‘I would never kill you. A lot of men have killed their wives at a certain point. Even though I’m heavily incentivized to kill you, I never would. ❤️.”The post drew backlash on social media, with users calling it “unbelievably tone-deaf,” particularly because it was shared during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.Shepard later addressed the controversy earlier this year, revealing that he had “no clue” the post had sparked such a strong reaction.Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard are raising ‘entitled’ daughters to ‘talk back’ and be ‘disrespectful’Bell and Shepard (seen above together in an Instagram post with one of their daughters) revealed that they are intentionally raising their children to “talk back” and be “disrespectful.” Instagram/Kristen BellShepard revealed on a November 2025 episode of his “Armchair Expert” podcast that he and Bell are intentionally raising their daughters to “talk back” to them and be “disrespectful.”After his friend remarked that his daughters “will let it rip,” Shepard agreed that “they seem to have no kind of respect … and feel a little entitled.”“I can understand where that seems completely unruly,” he said. “What I’m prioritizing … is when they’re 19 and their boss is a f–king creep, I want them to talk back. I want them to be disrespectful. I want them to always advocate for themselves, whether I think they’re right or wrong.”Kristen Bell cries weekly navigating ‘brutal’ marriageBell (pictured above with Shepard in a 2024 Instagram upload) admitted that navigating marriage and parenthood in the public eye is “brutal,” revealing that she cries “weekly.” kristenanniebell/InstagramBell admitted to Bustle Thursday that navigating marriage and parenthood in the public eye is “brutal,” revealing that she cries “weekly.”“It’s hard,” she told the outlet. “Do not think because I am on your television that it is easy for me.”Bell said she chooses to speak openly about her struggles because she doesn’t want parents with children “in the cyclone of puberty” to feel like they’re “the only one[s] doing this.”“For the good of the people, we should share our dirty stories, we should share our shame, we should share our hardships. But for the good of the one? My main job in life is to protect those two.” she added.Kristen Bell uses her daughters to spy on Dax ShepardBell recently revealed that she uses her daughters as “mole[s] on the ground” to keep tabs on Shepard (seen above with one of their children) while she’s away. Instagram/Kristen BellBell revealed on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” that she uses her daughters, Lincoln and Delta, to keep tabs on Dax Shepard while she’s away, admitting that her oldest daughter sends her “in-house paparazzi” photos.“Usually when I leave, they can be mischievous when they’re together, my husband and my kids,” Bell said. “Whenever I leave town, I usually receive, almost immediately, notifications on my phone, ‘You’re McDonald’s has been delivered.’ ‘Your Taco Bell has been delivered.’’They just eat fast food.”Bell joked that she has a “mole on the ground” in her daughter Lincoln, who keeps her updated on what Shepard gets up to while she’s gone.
