“We wanted everyone to feel joy in the presence of our children,” Denise says. “To me, there’s nothing more frustrating than being around a child who’s annoying. We taught our kids proper manners.” Denise’s methods: consistency, boundaries, and constantly “reinforcing good conduct until it was behavior. Because they’re going to be adults a lot longer than they’re children.”
Denise Jonas, mother of the Jonas Brothers, in Good Housekeeping, July 2009
“Yeah, sometimes we’re running around like madmen,” says Nick. “And she makes us be careful in the hotel room—put back the towels, (straighten) the bed.”
Nick Jonas speaking about his mother in Good Housekeeping, July 2009
“Nor is Denise naïve about the temptations young rock stars face—even if the young rock stars in her family wear purity rings, symbols of a commitment to remain virgins until marriage. Denise says the boys never meant to be standard-bearers for the premarital-chastity cause; this was a private decision each made that has become very public. ‘They’ve been criticized for proclaiming things they never proclaimed,’ she says. ‘And what’s the criticism? They don’t want to go out there giving everyone an STD? What’s so terrible about that?’…..She’s realistic about the challenges…..’They are men. They have desires…But it’s just about growing up and learning what it means to be in a relationship.’”
Denise Jonas, mother of the Jonas brothers, in Good Housekeeping, July 2009
“The boys acknowledge that their mother can be painfully straightforward about the young women they bring home. ‘People always ask, ‘What’s a girls have to do to get your attention?’ says Joe. ‘She has to be good to Mom.’ And for her part, Denise tries to stick to just one non-negotiable quality for any future Jonas daughter-in-law: ‘She must sincerely and totally love my son!’”
Good Housekeeping, July 2009
Denise and Kevin Jr. and the family go to church, they live a life of service, and spending time together. “Denise and Kevin Sr. also try to prepare their boys for deeper success—a loving marriage—by modeling good behavior…..What she does is constantly show her boys that ‘marriage isn’t 50/50.’ The rule she lives be: ‘Marriage is really giving 100 percent of yourself, and not expecting anything back.’ It is also about loving someone for the attributes that he has. ‘(My husband) is not the best about bringing home presents, but he’s selfless.’”
Good Housekeeping, July 2009
