Father-of-Four Gavin Rossdale Jokes That Kids Are ‘A Nightmare’ And ‘Ruin Your Life’

He’s one honest dad! Gavin Rossdale didn’t anything hold back while recently talking about fatherhood and revealed his very honest thoughts about what it’s really like to be a dad to four kids.

On Wednesday, January 23, the 53-year-old told Us Weekly — at the 24th annual LA Art Show Opening Night Gala to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital — that parenting is “a nightmare” and kids “ruin your life.” The musician was, of course, joking (we think!) and added, “It’s wonderful. It’s the best. They just give you a new life.” The former Bush frontman has four kids: Daisy Lowe, a 29-year-old model he had with fashion designer Pearl Lowe, and three sons, Kingston, 12, Zuma, 10, and Apollo, 4, whom he shares with his ex-wife Gwen Stefani.

Like her ex-husband, Gwen, 49, has also experienced many years in the music business. But Gavin revealed that he’d rather not see his children go down the same career route their famous mom and dad did. “I think [pursuing a career in Hollywood] is a terrible idea because it’s such a crapshoot,” he told the outlet. “I try to instill in them … to think differently, think outside the box, and to pursue what they love. Everything else follows.” The “Glycerine” singer continued, “I may not be the best father in the world, but I made my kids think and be rational. You know, most people are other people’s opinions. And I don’t want them to be that.”

Gavin and Gwen officially split in 2015 after 13 years of marriage. The No Doubt singer once opened up about her divorce to Glamour, saying, “[Marriage] was the one thing I didn’t want to fail at. People can say whatever they want to about me, and I don’t get too affected. But I didn’t want them to think I was a failure. I had to work really hard at marriage, all the time, like everybody, but ours was extra hard, when you add that we’re from different countries, both of us being in music and celebrity.”