Joanna Gaines Reveals Her Kids' Major Milestones Are Bittersweet: 'It All Went So Fast'
Joanna Gaines' kids have hit a huge milestone, which reinforces how quickly time passes. Find out what they're up to.
Joanna Gaines is discovering just how bittersweet it is when kids hit a major milestone as teenagers. Four of her and Chip Gainesâ five kids are now driving â and itâs such a huge reminder about how quickly time passes.
In a January 2025 interview with People, the former HGTV âFixer Upperâ star talked about how Drake, 19, Ella, 18, Duke, 16, and Emmie, 15, are moving into the older teen era.
âAll four of my older kids are driving now!â Gaines said.
She confessed that she keeps an eye on her young drivers. âI stalk them on the app Life360!â Gaines admitted. âIt tells you how fast theyâre going.â
Before long, the four older kids will be moving out of their home, but Chip and Joanna still have their youngest, 6-year-old Crew to keep them feeling young. âMy older kids are at that age where theyâre kind of starting the exit,â Gaines explained.
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With Duke currently in college and Ella starting in the fall, their house will be a little emptier in the near future. âI feel like it all went so fast,â she said. âHaving Crew makes me feel younger, and really anchors me. Itâs been such a gift.â
While she canât slow down time, Gaines noted that she can make the rest of those teen years with her kids more meaningful.
âKnowing that [the older kids] will be gone in the next few years, Iâve made a conscious decision to create micro-moments, to feel in the now with our family, just be really more intentional with our time together,â Gaines explained.
She added, âAnd hopefully, try and slow it all down a bit!â
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The Magnolia empire owner shared that she couldnât be more proud of all of her children, but sees the teenagers growing into fine young adults who now enjoy spending time together.
âTheyâre just turning into these wonderful human beings,â she shared.
Gaines added, âMy favorite thing is seeing them hanging out in a restaurant together as friends. Because when they were younger I was always monitoring their fights, and now theyâre dear friends, which is so cool.â
The former HGTV star also shared how Crew is a reminder to stop and take in the world around you.
âHeâs always looking out the window, the first to notice something. He has this childlike faith like, âIf I just look, Iâll find something,'â she noted. âA lot of us have that when weâre younger, but then I feel like we stop expecting wonder, because weâre so busy. And heâs just inspired me to live like he does.â
Gaines added, âEven though things are still really busy, my spirit feels more grounded.â