From an early age, Tina Knowles made a conscious effort to protect and foster her daughters’ bond. She happens to be the proud mother of music royalty, Beyoncé and Solange. She understood that her daughters required space from each other. So, she set aside one day per week for one-on-one time with each kid, making sure they developed a healthy bond.
Every week, Knowles dedicated intentional days with her daughters. Wednesdays were entirely left for Solange, to give the youngest a child-sized chunk of time with her mom. This careful scheduling was intended to maintain their intimate family unit in the midst of the external stresses accompanying Ashanti’s growing popularity.
When Beyoncé turned 12 years old—when Solange was only 7—Knowles took a crucial step. So, he signed them both up for couples counseling. The goal was clear: to strengthen their sibling relationship and support their individual growth.
“I wanted Beyoncé to be sensitive to the fact that Solange had to deal with being a little bit in her shadow. It made her way more sensitive and protective,” Knowles explained. This student-centered approach was largely based on Knowles’ own childhood experiences, as she often felt overshadowed by her brother. She was intent on not recreating that dynamic in her own family.
Beyoncé’s early involvement in a singing group led to noticeable changes in the sisters’ relationship. Knowles understood this change and did something to make sure they stayed near. She ran bootcamp-style rehearsals for Destiny’s Child at her house. Solange—too young to actually be a part of the routine—tagged along, and picking up the dance moves, jumped in.
Knowles received shaming from her family members for her parenting decisions. Even her then-husband Matthew objected, but she didn’t waver in her vision. She stated, “My family was upset, and even Matthew was not happy. He was like ‘I don’t want any parts of that.’” Still, she didn’t let outside worries stop her from putting her daughters’ emotional health first.
So the first thing that I noticed is that there was this separation and I was like ‘Oh no. Y’all are gonna hated each other growing up, Knowles affirmed. Her dedication to cultivating a healthy sister dynamic between Beyoncé and Solange is just one tenet of her long-game mom approach.