“Saturday nights with my future Olympian. I think I finally found someone who likes practice more than I did.”
When it comes to sending kids off to college for the first time, Joanna Gaines has some experience in the at department.
The HGTV star and business owner has already sent her oldest chid, son Drake, to college two years ago. And this year, she and her husband, Chip Gaines, are preparing to watch their daughter, Ella, go off to college for the first time as well.
And although this isn’t her first rodeo, Joanna told Chip that watching Ella go off to college is harder than watching Drake do the same thing in a new interview with People.
"Ella, our second kiddo, she's graduating this year,” Joanna told People in the interview published on July 8. “So we're going through that again with another kid leaving the nest and trying to stay emotionally stable.”
And for Joanna, seeing Ella fly the coop, is emotionally different, according to People.
"With Ella, we love to go to antiques shops, plant shops and go get coffee — that's our rhythm. I kind of feel like I'm losing a friend in my everyday life,” the mom of five admits.
"It feels like what's coming this summer will be a tidal wave of emotions, and I am not going to brace; I'm going to stand there and take it with him."
READ MORE: Chip Gaines says he had one rule for daughter on prom night, but she didn't listen
In addition to Drake, 20, and Ella, 18, Joanna and Chip are also parents to Duke, 17, Emmie, 15, and Crew, 7.
But despite knowing this will be emotionally difficult for her, Joanna said she’s excited about how excited Ella is to go off and do her own thing.
"She's excited about going somewhere and just being known for her," Joanna told People. "She's like, 'I don't want anyone knowing that you're...I just want to go and be myself.'"
"I'm excited for her to learn. She's about to see some stuff. She's going to teach us stuff,” Joanna continued, and Chip agreed.
"I feel like a grandpa learning,” the dad explained. “I don't feel perfectly equipped to manage some of these very interesting modern-day things that some of these kids are going through,” he told People.
“So she's going to get thrown in the deep end, man. I'm very excited about that. And in four years, the youngest of our original four will have graduated,” Chip noted, reflecting on what’s to come. “What are we going to do with this chaotic, crazy life that we've built for ourselves?"
As for their parenting styles since becoming well-known individuals in the design and entertainment space, Joanna and Chip also reflected on how different their parenting styles are today.
"In my mind's eye, it's almost like we're sitting at this big long table, and you're on one side, and I'm on the other side. Crew is this little prep-school kid somewhere in the middle," Chip explained to People. "And we've got one of those little holders that holds the little egg. And we're like, 'Excuse me, Alfred, can we please get another this or not?'"
"Like, this kid is going to have a totally different upbringing," Chip explained. “These prior four were out shoveling cow manure at [ages] 6, 8, and 10."
"It'll be a little different," Joanna added, according to People. "But I think we have a little more capacity now to think more 'future.' What we care about the most is being together and celebrating moments together."
