Suri Cruise is pumped up.
Look at her arms raised triumphantly on the latest cover of Us Weekly. What does she have to be happy about? The fact that her parents actually keep her shielded from the press a lot of the time (unlike, say, Jayden James)?
Well, there’s no question that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ adorable little daughter leads a charmed existence. But just how big a role does TomKat’s controversial religion play in the life of Suri Cruise on a daily basis?
Suri Cruise – who was fed a mixture of barley water, milk and corn syrup instead of formula and breast milk – is too young for classes at the Scientology Centre, but the 18-month-old is constantly surrounded by believers, including her nannies.
Additionally, Katie Holmes, 29, and Tom Cruise, 45, reportedly have a hard time saying no to little Suri Cruise. But it’s not simply because they’re pushovers.
“It’s all about being positive and supportive,” says a friend. Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard advises parents to “try to be a child’s friend.” As for discipline, one former member tells Us that Scientologists do not scold their children, but rather explain that bad behavior is the “wrong action.”
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, says their pal, are lenient and do not like to give Suri Cruise too many rules: “Suri pretty much does whatever she wants, whenever she wants. If she fusses before bed, they let her stay up later. If they want her to go swimming and she cries, they take her out. If she whines about food, they’ll ask what else she wants to eat. They always want to please her.”
In other words, they’re pretty standard parents. Who would have guessed.