Will Smith is doing what many parents eventually do: looking back and realizing that some of the choices made with love didn’t always land the way they were intended.

In a candid new interview on “Heart Breakfast with Jamie and Amanda,” the Oscar winner got real about the parenting strategy he and Jada Pinkett Smith used while raising their kids and why he’s urging other parents not to follow in their footsteps. The 56-year-old said they leaned heavily into “radical honesty,” a style that seemed ideal at the time but ultimately opened doors they weren’t prepared for.

“We made a very, very, very terrible mistake with our children, and we went with radical honesty,” Smith said. “But don’t do it, I’m not advocating for it.” The idea was simple: as long as Willow and Jaden told the truth, they wouldn’t face consequences. “The only way you can get in trouble in this house is if we find out you did something and you don’t tell the truth.”

But in practice? That freedom backfired. “They do whatever they want and then just come tell you. It’s awful. Don’t try it. You want your kids to lie, definitely,” he added with a laugh. “You don’t want to know some of the stuff your kids are thinking of doing.”

Will shares 32-year-old Trey with his ex-wife Sheree Zampino, and 26-year-old Jaden and 24-year-old Willow Smith with Jada. All three children have grown up in the public eye, known for carving their creative lanes. From Willow’s eclectic, genre-bending music to Jaden’s bold fashion and philanthropic work, they are pursuing purpose and passion in their own ways. 

The comments come as Will reintroduces himself to the music world with his first album in two decades, Based on a True Story – Season 1: Rave in the Wasteland. The album’s lead single, “You Can Make It,” featuring Fridayy and the Sunday Service Choir, just hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart, his first chart-topper since “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” back in ‘98.

Even with decades of career wins under his belt, Smith is still learning in real time when it comes to family, and this moment is a reminder that parenting, like everything else, doesn’t come with a script.