The actor has a third child, a daughter, who he doesn't acknowledge as his own though a DNA test has proved otherwise.
Some people take being a father seriously while others are pretty much touch-and-go. But, when a dad has a specific parenting style it is because they spent enough time to develop one. It could be influenced by his own father's style or something completely new. Either way, a dad has to be a devoted one to handle his children in a specific way. For instance, Owen Wilson, a dad-of-three, is known to be a disciplinarian.
Father to Robert Ford Wilson, 9, Finn Lindqvist Wilson, 6, and Lyla Aranya Wilson, 1, he likes to think of himself as a cool dad. In an interview with Buzz.ie, Julia Roberts, Wilson's co-star in Wonder, said, "I was going to say we are incredibly cool parents but I don't know if the five children we have between us would necessarily second that emotion - it would depend on the day." To this Wilson, responded saying, "That does seem to be part of being a kid. You have to, at some point, roll your eyes a little bit at your parents, and sadly with me, it's already begun at age six, I'm getting that. I think I'm a pretty cool dad."
He was also asked if he picks up projects based on whether he thinks his children will see it one day, to which he said, "I don't know if it factors into the decision but this [movie Wonder, in which he plays father to a special child] will be one that I will be happy for my kids to see."
Wilson, who doesn't acknowledge his daughter Lyla as his own, talks mostly of his relationship with his two boys. During an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2017, the actor brought photos of his sons and even his goddaughter. He said that his parenting strategy was "old-fashioned" but he’s not “unreasonably strict." He just wants his kids to have good manners, according to Fatherly.com.
In a previous interview alongside Woody Harrelson, the True Detective actor had labeled Wilson as a "strict disciplinarian." "Well, they say that the number one thing is to be consistent, and I guess I try to do that a little bit. But, I actually remember [Woody] saying that a big thing, right before Ford was born is just to hug your kids a lot, and I do do that, which comes very easily because he’s very huggable. And so, it sounds corny, but you can’t hug your kids enough or give them that confidence that they’re loved," said Wilson, as per BreezyMama.
With Kimmel, he also joked that there would no "smoking pot" in his home even if Uncle Woody (Woody Harrelson) and Uncle Willie (Willie Nelson) do indulge in it. "My house my rules," Wilson joked. He also spoke about how his sons, both of whom are with different partners (former air marshal Jade Duell and personal trainer Caroline Lindqvist) are competitive like him and his brother Luke. As a dad, he wants them to compete over grades and being nice to their dad, but he knows they are most likely to emulate his bond with his brothers, Luke and Andrew, arguing over silly things like who picked the better go-kart name even in their 40s.
The Wedding Crashers actor also spoke about his relationship with his father, Robert Andrew Wilson, a public television station executive. "I take after my dad a little bit. My dad was not mechanical and I don’t have that ability to read directions and then put stuff together. I remember my dad with the toaster, he couldn’t even figure out how to turn that off. He’d just have to unplug it. He could never work the thing, so just pull the plug out," he told BreezyMama.
While the Midnight in Paris actor has a close relationship with his sons, he has never seen his daughter, Lyla, who was born to on-again/off-again girlfriend, Varunie Vongsvirates. His former partner, who claimed that he has never met Lyla, had requested him to spend time with his daughter and get to know her. He has been helping the mother and daughter financially by providing $25,000 a month but doesn't acknowledge her as his daughter. The last time he spoke to Vongsvirates is when she told him she's pregnant.
References:
https://www.buzz.ie/movies-tv/julia-roberts-owen-wilson-open-parenting-ahead-new-movie-263368
https://www.fatherly.com/news/video-owen-wilson-parenting-style-jimmy-kimmel/
https://breezymama.com/2013/10/17/woody-harrelsons-parenting-advice-for-owen-willson/
