Sir Elton John and his husband, David Furnish, have been together for more than 20 years. They have two sons, Zackary and Elijah, and they are working hard to raise them to be humble and understand the value of money.
Sir Elton John is a famous musician with 32 albums and shows no signs of slowing down. At 73, he still gets many gig bookings.
Even though Sir Elton John has had a successful career for over 30 years, he is now focusing more on his personal life, including his marriage to David Furnish and their two sons, Zachary and Elijah.
Before becoming a parent, John and Furnish had a whirlwind romance that began in 1993. John said he returned to his home in Windsor and wanted to meet new people, so he asked a friend to organize a dinner. David Furnish was among the guests, and John felt an immediate connection with him. He liked that Furnish was a bit shy and dressed nicely.
The next day, they went on a date, which led to their long-term relationship. They were in a civil partnership for nine years and got married in 2014. They shared their wedding day with their sons, who were ring bearers, and posted about it on Instagram.
For John and Furnish, sharing their special day with their kids was heartwarming, especially since their journey to becoming parents was challenging. In 2009, they connected with a Ukrainian boy named Lev at an orphanage for children with HIV. They wanted to help him because he came from a broken family, but the government didn’t allow it since Lev was considered too old. Despite this, they continued to support and talk to him
Meeting Lev made John realize that he could become a father. He admitted he never thought he’d have kids because he felt too old. Shortly after, they had their first son, Zachary, in 2010 via surrogate, and their second son, Elijah, in 2013.
**Raising Kids Out of the Spotlight**
Even with their busy lives, the couple wanted to be very involved in their children’s lives. “We don’t want to leave raising our kids to nannies and housekeepers,” said Furnish. Becoming parents was the best decision for them, and their main goal now is to raise their sons to be happy and healthy.
John wrote a touching letter to his sons, saying how much they have changed his life. “Zachary and Elijah, you are the greatest gifts I’ve ever received. You’ve filled my heart with love and my life with purpose and meaning in ways I didn’t think were possible,” the singer wrote.
John and Furnish are proud of their family and want their children to always remember the love and support they will receive from their parents.
Since becoming parents, John has talked about how his views on life have changed. He and his husband now focus more on spending quality time with their sons than on material things. John admitted that they used to spend a lot before having kids, but now they have cut back and focus on only what they need.
The couple has also been teaching their children about the value of money and the effort needed to earn it. John knows his kids have a comfortable life but wants them to stay humble. He doesn’t plan to leave them his entire estate. Instead, he wants to provide a good life while keeping them grounded. He explained:
“Of course, I want to leave my boys in a good financial position. But giving kids everything can ruin their lives.”
From when their sons were toddlers, John has worked to teach them about money. At ages five and three, Zachary and Elijah might not have fully grasped their parents’ fame, but John and Furnish taught them about saving and spending.
Back in 2016, John shared that the boys would earn £3 ($3.74) for doing chores around the kitchen or garden. They would then split their money into three categories: charity, savings, and spending. As they grew older, their chores included cleaning their rooms, and they earned stars for each task they completed.
Although their children’s lives are far from ordinary, John and Furnish strive to keep things as normal as possible. John mentioned that their kids live like local children and are not isolated behind the gates of a mansion.
When asked about raising his kids in the spotlight, John acknowledged the challenges but said he finds the public “brilliant” and “not hostile.” He doesn’t mind taking photos with his family and enjoys spending time with them outside their home, like going out for pizza or a movie.
John makes sure not to miss important moments with his children due to his fame. He often picks them up and drops them off at school.
**Elton John Shows Off His Sons**
John and his husband usually keep their sons away from social media, but the “Rocket Man” singer recently shared a rare photo of Furnish, their sons, and their godmother, Lady Gaga. John expressed his sadness at not being able to join them for the photo but sent his love.
Why More Happy Couples Prefer to Sleep in Separate Beds
According to a survey, only 14% of couples sleep in separate beds every night. And while many of us might believe in the saying “couples who sleep apart grow apart” there are studies that show the opposite is actually true.
We at Bright Side believe that there are no wrong or right sleep arrangements, because to some, sleeping in different beds can be as pleasing as for others sharing a bed with their partner.
A poor night’s sleep can turn lovers into fighters.
According to research, sharing a bed with a partner that has restless sleep behavior can deprive you of 49 minutes of sleep each night. And, when one partner doesn’t get a proper night’s sleep because of the other, it will most likely result in a conflict between them the next day.
Actually, the study even confirmed that couples who tend to have a poor night’s sleep have more severe and more frequent fights than those who wake up well-rested. People who get a good night’s sleep, on the other hand, are more likely to be in a good mood, have lower stress levels, and be more patient.
Resenting your partner because you can’t get a good night’s sleep can be destructive to the relationship.
Snoring, fidgeting, and bed or blanket hogging are just a few of many reasons why some couples choose to sleep in different beds or even in different bedrooms. Lying awake listening to your partner snoring while you beat yourself up to fall asleep can lead to a build-up of anger, tension, and resentment toward your partner.
According to Jennifer Adams, author of Sleeping Apart Not Falling Apart, sleeping in a separate bedroom can even help a relationship thrive because both partners are not sleep deprived.
Each partner can tailor their sleeping conditions to their heart’s content.
Tina Cooper, a licensed social worker, sleeps in different bedrooms with her partner because of their opposite sleeping habits. “I’m a night owl, he’s an early bird. I need soothing sounds to fall asleep, and he likes silence. He likes a hard mattress, and I like soft and full of pillows. And because I don’t like the early day’s sunlight, my boyfriend gave me the master bedroom which gets less light and he has the second largest room that gets the sunrise he loves.”
How you spend the nighttime in your shared bedroom with your partner can also influence your daytime functioning, marital satisfaction, and psychological and physical health. And when 2 people with different bedtime preferences and nighttime schedules end up together, changing themselves just to please their partner’s needs might harm their relationship in the long run.
Sleeping in different bedrooms with your partner means that the 2 of you will have a place just for yourselves where you can relax after an exhausting day. This way, both of you can satisfy your needs without tiptoeing around and worrying about whether your partner might wake up because you want to watch the latest episode of your show before bed.
Even if you don’t remember waking up, disturbed sleep can have a negative impact on your overall health.
During the night, our brain cycles through the stages of sleep several times: light sleep, deep sleep, and REM (Rapid eye movement sleep). But when you interrupt the cycle by waking up during the night, it means that your brain spends more time in the light sleep stage and misses out on REM. And without sufficient REM your emotional well-being and cognitive performance suffer.
Interrupted sleep can also have short and long-term health consequences, like hypertension, weight-related issues, mental health problems, reduced quality of life, and other health-related issues.
People on Reddit share why they decided to sleep separately with their partner.
- “Because a good night’s sleep is more romantic than sharing a bed. I snore and toss and turn. He gives off literal village levels of heat in his sleep and I can’t stand the heat. I read, he can’t stand light. We keep different hours to an extent. A million reasons. We get along so much better this way.” — crankyweasels
- “My partner and I have completely separate bedrooms. We ’sleepover’ occasionally in each other’s rooms. However, we both sleep exponentially better apart. He’s a night owl and I’m an early bird. He wants only one sheet on him, I want 10 lbs of blankets. In addition, having a separate room allows me to decorate it however I want, have my own personal space, and keep it to the level of cleanliness I prefer. People look at us sideways when I mention the separate rooms thing, but it’s been a game-changer.” — eriasana
- “Different sleep cycles due to different work schedules. We are still madly in love and we both agreed to this because it’s the best for both of us.” — AFishInATank
- “Early in our relationship, 90% of our fights occurred in the bedroom. I like to sleep in a cold room with the fan on and white noise like a box fan. I also like to go to sleep with the TV on. She likes to sleep in a warm, still, cave in complete silence and darkness. We started sleeping in separate rooms and all of a sudden 90% of our fights stopped. Also, because we were getting real sleep, other fights turned more into heated discussions.” — ttc8420
What are your sleeping arrangements with your partner? Do you believe sleeping in different beds can help a relationship thrive?
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