Angelina Jolie has revealed she tries to give her six children the chance to develop their own personalities and was surprised by the hostile reaction to her daughter Shiloh dressing like a boy.
Angelina Jolie is trying to raise her children as 'individuals'.
The 'Tourist' actress - who raises Maddox, nine, Pax, seven, Zahara, five, Shiloh, four, and two-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne with partner Brad Pitt - said she wants nothing more for her kids than for them to be comfortable with themselves.
She said: 'Hopefully I'm giving my children the sense that they are deeply loved and deeply safe. At the same time we are hopefully encouraging their individuality as they get to know who they are, and not getting in the way of that. That's why they are six very strong individuals.'
The Oscar-winning star revealed part of encouraging her children's individuality is allowing them to develop their own identities and admitted she cannot understand the recent controversy when she allowed her daughter Shiloh to cut her hair short and dress like a boy.
Angelina added to YOU Magazine: 'I don't think it's for the world to interpret anything. She likes to dress like a boy and wants her hair cut like a boy and she wanted to be called John for a while. Some kids wear capes and want to be Superman and she wants to be like her brothers. It's who she is. It's been a surprise to us and it's really interesting, but she's so much more than that - she's funny and sweet and pretty. But she does love a tie.'