Hanson is still popular and people still remember “MMMBop” when it comes on the radio. Now more than 20 years later, Isaac, Zac, and Taylor are not just musicians, but they are also fathers and combined they have 13 children, more than enough to make a Hanson 2.0 — and that may be a possibility because the brothers have noted that musicality and artistry run in the genes.
They’ve moved away from the big cities that celebrities usually call home, to raise their families in their home state, Oklahoma. Family is really important to this bunch, and apart from working together in the studio, they also spend a lot of time around each other on a personal level, along with their families, which means that their children are “really, really close.” They also feel that being part of a big family is like having a crew, and it’s taught them some valuable lessons about compromise.
Below are 20 photos of the Hanson brothers since they’ve become dads, and a glimpse into how their lives have changed now that they are family men.
BETWEEN THEM, THERE ARE A LOT OF CHILDREN (SERIOUSLY, THEY COULD MAKE UP THEIR OWN SPORTS TEAM)
There are three Hanson brothers, but there are a lot more children between them. Isaac and his wife Nicole have three children, and he is the brother with the smallest brood. According to People, Zac and his wife Kate have four children, and then Taylor and Natalie have an impressive six children — the couple welcomed their sixth child at the end of 2018.
With so many children (13 children combined for these brothers), this family is definitely never going to be short of company, and the siblings not only have each other, but also plenty of cousins to grow up with.
THE HANSON BROOD ARE ALL SUPER CLOSE AND SPEND A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER
It’s one thing being a part of a big family, and another actually being close to that family, and for the Hanson brothers, the latter definitely applies. Zac, Isaac, and Taylor are not just brothers, but they have also chosen to work together, and now their children are growing up alongside each other.
When the brothers sat down for an interview on the chat program Lorraine (via People), they spoke about their family bond. “We spend a lot of time together touring, in the studio and around each other, so our kids know each other really, really well,” Zac told the show’s host. “They’re really, really close.”
HAVING MULTIPLE CHILDREN HAS TAUGHT TAYLOR HANSON ABOUT COMPROMISE…
Taylor Hanson has also shared with Today’s Parent that one of the things he has learned from being in a big family, as well as having a big family of his own, is how to compromise.
“I think what’s really cool about bigger families is that everybody develops this innate ability to figure out how to compromise, work with others and realize that the entire world doesn’t revolve around you,” he wrote. This is a valuable approach to have in life and makes problem-solving that much easier, but he has also seen how his children have developed a sense of love and respect for one another.
…AND HE FEELS THAT HAVING SO MANY SIBLINGS ALSO GIVES HIS CHILDREN CONFIDENCE
Some people may think that growing up with so many brothers and sisters would result in a child not getting enough attention or love, but Taylor Hanson feels it’s the complete opposite. Hanson told Today’s Parent that a big family means a sense of belonging, and “you have a sense that you’re part of a crew.”
Hanson has seen first-hand how being part of a “crew” has affected his children, and he used his fifth child, Wilhelmina Jane, as an example. “You can see it in her sense of confidence: She is so comfortable being in situations because she sees a lot of love and feels safe,” he explained, adding, “She kind of looks around at the world and feels optimistic. In so many situations, she has somebody beside her that she trusts…”
THE HOLIDAYS ARE NOT ABOUT GIFT-GIVING, BUT RATHER ABOUT FAMILY
As you can imagine, having this many people in the family can get a bit much when it comes to giving gifts, and having to buy a present for every person will be costly and time-consuming. So, Isaac, Zac, Taylor, and their wives, came up with a solution; a gift exchange.
Taylor wrote a piece for Today’s Parent, in which he explained their holiday traditions — and how quiet things seem when one brother goes to spend the holidays with the in-laws. “For the past few years, we’ve stopped having every person give gifts… It gets out of control. You’d need a truck,” Taylor explained. “We do a gift exchange and, ultimately, it’s mostly about being together, lots of food and lots of Christmas classics.”
THEY TAKE THEIR CHILDREN ON THE ROAD WITH THEM
Growing up with a parent who is a musician can mean that there is a lot of traveling involved, as they head from one gig to the next to play for their audience. This could result in the parent spending a lot of time away from home, unless, like Taylor and Natalie Hanson, they take their children on the road with them.
Natalie has spoken about this on her blog (via People), writing, “Because of the timing of these shows and everything going on with us, we decided now was a great time to stick together and do this as a family. So, we are back on the road!”
TAYLOR AND HIS WIFE, NATALIE, ARE PARENTS TO SIX CHILDREN — AND THEY COULDN’T BE HAPPIER
We may have mentioned earlier that there are enough children in the Hanson brood to make up a band (a really, really big band at that) and Taylor Hanson and his wife, Natalie, are the couple who have contributed the most to the lucky number 13. Together, the couple shares six children, and when they first learned that Natalie was pregnant with their son, Claude Indiana Emmanuel, they announced the news on social media in the sweetest way.
Posting a photo of himself, his wife, and their five children, Taylor wrote, “What’s better than being a dad of five? Perhaps being a dad of six. Baby Hanson coming…and we are over the moon.”
THEY WANT TO RAISE THEIR CHILDREN AWAY FROM THE SPOTLIGHT, AND OKLAHOMA IS THEIR DESTINATION OF CHOICE
Many celebrities have complained about the difficulties of raising children in the spotlight, and the invasion of their privacy with the paparazzi constantly taking photos of them. But the Hanson brothers have made the decision to raise their families in Oklahoma, which has no doubt helped them to avoid a lot of unwanted attention.
“We love New York and LA, but we decided to continue building something in Tulsa,” Taylor told Today. “It’s more true to who we are and what we want to build into our kids’ identities. I’m a proud family man.” Isaac also shared his thoughts on why they made the move, explaining, “We didn’t want our kids raised in a place plagued by smog and plastic surgery.”
THEIR KIDS STILL THINK THEY ARE PRETTY COOL (AND THEY HOPE THAT DOESN’T CHANGE)
When children are small they think their parents are the most incredible humans to walk the planet. You can teach them so much, and they are easily impressed. But as they grow, they start to develop different thoughts and opinions, and sometimes this means that parents start to lose their cool factor.
Lucky for Zac, he hasn’t lost it yet. “I’m not yet lame to my kids. They generally like what we do,” Zac told Today. His brother, Isaac, also weighed in and noted that because he has a different profession to most parents in Tulsa, it has made him stand out from the other dads at school. His son, when he was 5, would tell people his dad played “rock ‘n’ roll guitar,” which led Isaac to assume that his kids still think what he does is “cool.”
AT THE CENTER OF TAYLOR’S FAMILY IS A SENSE OF ADVENTURE
At the center of Natalie and Taylor Hanson’s family is a sense of adventure, or so the musician says. When they welcomed their six child (no word on whether Claude will be their last), the proud dad gave an interview to People about the family’s latest arrival, and he touched on one of the special qualities at the heart of his family.
“Natalie and I have always kept a love of adventure and pursuit of rich experiences at the heart of our family,” he said. “There’s no greater adventure than welcoming a sixth little person to our tribe.”
IT’S IMPORTANT FOR THEIR CHILDREN TO SEE HOW HARD THEY WORK
The Hanson brood may still think that their dads are cool (and their chosen profession has been given their children’s stamp of approval) but it’s also very important to for the brothers that their kids understand they work hard. Sure, they may really love what they do, and they have gained fame and adoration because of it, but it’s still a job.
“I want my kids to know that what I do is work,” Isaac told Today. “It’s fun, it’s a great job, but it’s work. I think they see more of the blue-collar element of the job. There is less of the showy LA scene [in Oklahoma].”
ZAC BELIEVES STAYING YOUNG AT HEART IS THE BEST WAY TO HAVE FUN
Out of Taylor, Isaac, and Zac, it is Zac who is the youngest. He is in his thirties now (born on Oct. 22, 1985) but he still remains young at heart, and he believes that one of the best ways to achieve this is to have a lot of fun.
Taking to social media, Zac shared a photo of himself laughing with his children, and captioned the picture with this message: “Stay young at heart, life is more fun that way.” Although he chose not to go into more detail, we expect that his quote means he is an entertaining dad, who is always up for a laugh and an adventure.
ISAAC FEELS GRATEFUL TO KNOW THAT WHEN HE’S AWAY FROM HIS DAUGHTER, HER BROTHER PICKS UP THE SLACK
Isaac and his wife Nicole are raising three children, two sons, Clarke and James, and the youngest of their family is a daughter named Nina. The proud dad feels a warmth in his heart knowing that his sons love their sister, and not only that, they are also protective of her.
“When you are away from your little girl and you are reminded that she will always have big brothers who love and watch out for her,” he wrote on social media. “So lucky to have these little ones!” There are times when Isaac can’t always be home, but he finds comfort in the fact that his family is so close and his children genuinely care for one another.
MAYBE ONE DAY, THEIR CHILDREN WILL BE IN A BAND, TOO — THEY’RE ALL MUSICALLY TALENTED
If you were wondering whether musical talent runs in the family, and if one day there may be a second-generation of the band, it would appear that the answer to that question is “yes.” In an interview with Today, Taylor Hanson shared that his children are all interested in music.
“All of my kids are learning to play instruments,” he said. But it’s not just Taylor’s family who play. And when asked if fans could expect “another generation of musical Hansons?” Zac replied by saying, “There is definitely musicality and artistry in the genes. So, we will see what it becomes.”
AND THE HANSON BROTHERS WOULD BE OK WITH THEIR OFFSPRING BEING FAMOUS
Some celebrities would prefer if their children didn’t follow in their footsteps and would try to discourage them from having a profession in the entertainment industry because it’s one that involves a lot of rejection. But the Hanson brothers would be OK with their children making the same choices that they have.
Zac told E! News that in the family, there are “definitely several [children] that are musically inclined and musically capable.” He also went on to say that he would “absolutely encourage” his kids to do something with their music, as long as “they have the drive, if they’re saying, ‘I really wanna do this.'”
THE HANSON BROS HOMESCHOOL THEIR BROOD
Taylor Hanson and his wife Natalie have chosen to take their children on the road with them when he has to tour, rather than him having to spend time away from his family. On her blog (via People) Natalie spoke about their decision to go on the road, and she also explained that this meant they needed to be homeschooled. Or in this case, roadschooled.
Being on the road full time means that their road school was “back in session and so far so good,” she wrote, adding, “Once again our dynamics have shifted so much since everyone was small and even school feels like much more of a team effort…” She takes on the responsibility of homeschooling the children herself.
ZAC AND HIS FAMILY LOVE TO SPEND TIME TOGETHER IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS
The Hanson brothers spend a lot of time on their music, and they all love what they do. It’s also been a big part of their lives, as E! News notes, Zac was just 11 when he first had a taste of fame. But they have hobbies outside of their music too. Taylor Hanson likes cooking, and Zac Hanson loves to spend time outdoors.
Zac shared his love of nature when he took to social media and posted a sweet photo of his son next to a campfire. “I love to spend the day working outdoors and then finish it off with a fire,” he wrote alongside the snap.
THE BROTHERS SHARED THEIR FAMILIES WITH THE WORLD IN THEIR MUSIC VIDEO, ‘I WAS BORN’
The brothers are still making music, and when they released a track in 2017 called “I Was Born” — in celebration of their 25 years together as a band — they decided to pay tribute to their families by using them in the music video. According to People, apart from Taylor Hanson’s son, Ezra, all of the brothers’ children featured in the video.
“From the earliest conversations about this song, we imagined kids featured in the video to elevate the song’s message of unbridled optimism for the future,” Taylor told People. Zac also commented on the decision, saying, “Featuring our own kids made sense because we knew they would share an honest performance.”
A FAMILY COOKING COMPETITION IS A THING IN THE HANSON HOUSEHOLD
Natalie Hanson’s husband, Taylor, has some skills in the kitchen, and apparently, he and his daughter have family cooking competitions (but there’s no word on who won). Natalie shared a photo of the two of them on social media, and she gave fans a break down of what was happening, writing, “family cooking competition got really real…”
Taylor is a bit of a foodie, and he has spoken about this in an interview with F&W, sharing that his favorite cuisine is from Italy, “because of the simplicity and really great flavors.” His go-to meal is a risotto, but he also admitted that he loves to cook with good-quality meat and herbs.
NATALIE HAS PRAISED TAYLOR FOR BEING A FANTASTIC DAD
The Hanson brothers’ lives have changed a lot since they first came onto the music scene in the ‘90s and impressed everyone with their super-catchy track. They are now all married with children, and Taylor Hanson’s wife, Natalie, has praised her husband for being a wonderful father.
On Father’s Day one year, she shared a photo of her family, and spoke about Hanson in the caption, writing, “Happy Father’s Day to the guy who wrangles all my babies and everything else in our world like it ain’t no thang.” Raising six children must be tough, so it’s good to hear that Taylor picks up the slack.