“Once they do it well, nothing feels better as a parent.”
Chad Michael Murray wasn’t alone in wanting a third child.
The 43-year-old “One Tree Hill” alum was already a parent to his son and daughter, born in 2015 and 2017, respectively, per People, when he and his wife were ready to consider having a third child.
But they didn’t want to make that decision unless their two kids approved.
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“We took a family vote, actually. We weren't going to have a third child unless everyone was on board, including the kids,” the actor said in an interview with Parade, published July 16.
“Our son wasn’t on board pretty much the entire time until then, finally, one day he goes, ‘You know, I’d like to have a baby in the family,” he continues.
Murray and his wife, Sarah Roemer, welcomed their third baby, a daughter, in 2023, per People.
And much to the couple’s surprise, their son is the “best one” with his new little sister.
“He’s so good all the time with her — and they love each other so much,” Murray told Parade after previously describing his son and older daughter as “best friends.”
Murray also revealed that he and his wife homeschooled for the first eight years before “starting school in Halifax” while filming “Sullivan’s Crossing.”
Murray is still teaching his kids the nuances of being famous
In his interview with Parade, Murray opened up about a “pact” he made with his wife before having kids.
“When Sarah and I got together, we made a little pact (that) we would keep the pack together — no matter what,” he said, referring to his family as “the pack.”
“We didn’t want to spend time apart because I wanted to have kids, and I wanted to be a father. I wanted to be Dad. I wanted to be right there. I didn’t want kids to then just miss six months of their life,” he added.
Murray went on to say that his “first priority” is keeping his three little babies “as protected as I can” — even when his son tries to sabotage that protection.
The “Freaky Friday” — and, soon, “Freakier Friday” — actor recalled a time when his son would go up to people he assumed were fans of his fathers before creating chaos.
“He would be like, ‘Just so you know, my dad’s Chad Michael Murray.’ And we’re like, ‘Oh, dude! Don’t do that. No, no, no, no!’” Murray told Parade. “They got excited, and we took photos, which is fine.”
Murray used that moment as a learning experience for his son.
“That’s not how we do things,” he recalled explaining to his son. “We just walk through life, and we treat everybody with love and respect. We just have a different job. But we’re all on this earth spinning around.’
As for whether or not he sees his kids following in his footsteps, Murray turned to his older daughter.
“[The] boy, probably not. I don’t foresee it,” he said, per Parade. “Our middle daughter? Yes, no question.”
“She’s just a natural. That girl’s got more talent in her pinky than I do in my entire [body]. She’s unreal. She’s next level, and I’m super proud of her, and she’s going to crush it,” he said of his daughter.
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The one-year-old, however, is “currently keeping us on our toes,” Murray joked.
