Tina Knowles is a remarkable mom. She understood the importance of her daughters’ emotional well-being, so she took a preemptive approach. She put Beyoncé and Solange into therapy when they were only 12 and 7 years old, respectively. Knowles was alarmed to see the shift in her daughters’ relationship. She hoped to deepen their relationship while they weathered this creative turning point together.
As Beyoncé began to emerge as “this little star in the town” after joining a pre-teen singing group, Knowles noticed a shift in the sibling relationship. Knowing that this new initiative and collaboration might indeed foster a sense of competition, she resolved to do something about it.
I just started noticing this separation taking place, and I said ‘Oh no. Y’all are gonna grow up so tight. Knowles said.
He wanted to make sure that both daughters felt equally important, too, which is why Knowles set aside entire days where he’d give one-on-one time to each daughter. Because Wednesday belongs to Solange. On this day, she clears her schedule by taking personal time from work and focusing all her attention on her youngest daughter.
I scheduled days to interview each of them. On Wednesday I had the day off so I could concentrate completely on Solange,” Knowles said.
This delicate balancing act proved to be essential for Knowles, who spoke of her childhood experiences. As a child, she always felt that her mother preferred her brother, a situation she didn’t want for her daughters. She wanted Beyoncé to be sensitive to Solange’s feelings, especially since the younger sister often found herself in Beyoncé’s shadow.
What I was hoping for Beyoncé to do, though, was to be aware of the fact that Solange had the burden of having to live with being somewhat in her shadow. It made her immeasurably more sensitive, more protective,” Knowles said.
While she had everyone’s best interests at heart, this well-meaning counselor’s decision to bring the girls into group counseling made some of her family members pretty angry. Even now, counseling was taboo at that time. Knowles faced fierce resistance from her family as well as now ex-husband Matthew. He couldn’t have been clearer when he called it out, saying, “I don’t want none of that.”
Because of his experiences, Knowles was convinced that therapy would help Beyoncé and Solange develop a closer connection. She viewed it as an opportunity to foster their personal development. During this period, practices for Beyoncé’s singing group took place at the Knowles’ home, where Solange yearned to participate despite being too young for the group.
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