Common’s Mom Shares Parenting Wisdom, Reveals Common Didn’t Drink Alcohol In Front On Her Until He Was Almost 35
Dr. Mahalia Hines, the mother of Jennifer Hudson’s singer/rapper boyfriend Common, made a guest appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show to discuss her parenting insights. Mahalia, who authored the book Tomorrow’s Children: How to Raise Children to Stay Human in a High Tech Society, shared some of her strict parenting rules during the episode.
Mahalia emphasized the importance of maintaining a parental role rather than trying to be a friend to one’s child. According to her, Common did not drink alcohol in front of her until he was close to 35 years.
Stressed that parents should prioritize being right over being liked, as giving up authority can lead to a loss of respect, Mahalia said, “You are not your child’s friend — you are their parent. And your job is not to be liked, it’s to be right. One of the things I say, if you give up that authority, you’re gonna lose respect because they will begin talking to you and acting like you.”
For example, Mahalia revealed that Common didn’t drink around her until he was almost 35 because they had maintained a parent-child relationship rather than a friendship.
In her words, “My son did not drink around me until he was almost 35 — and that was at a dinner. The reason being, we aren’t friends. I’m not gonna sit around and drink with you.”
“We can be friendly, but we’re not friends,” she added.
Despite not being friends with her son, Mahalia highlighted the importance of being friendly while maintaining parental authority. During the show, Jennifer presented her with a thoughtful gift — a bouquet of flowers and a framed photo of a letter written by Common expressing his gratitude to his mother, featured in Tomorrow’s Children: How to Raise Children to Stay Human in a High Tech Society.
Jennifer and Common, who first sparked dating rumors in 2022, have a long-standing friendship. While their relationship was initially speculated, Common confirmed their romance during an interview on The Jennifer Hudson Show in January. Common later discussed his appearance on the show, expressing joy and authenticity in going public with their relationship.
“We had a little fun. I felt like, why not just be loving and honest with who I am and who we are. And it felt good, it was fun, we had a good time,” he said.
