Yahoo Finance All About Chip and Joanna Gaines' 5 Kids
Chip and Joanna Gaines have five children: Drake, Ella, Duke, Emmie and Crew
Chip and Joanna Gaines might be best known for renovating homes on TV, but to their five kids, they're just Mom and Dad.
The couple got married on May 31, 2003, in their hometown of Waco, Texas, and have gone on to build a successful home renovation business. The Fixer Upper stars have since welcomed five children as well: Drake, 19, Ella, 17, Duke, 15, Emmie, 14, and Crew, 5.
The father of five has said he and his wife have been able to juggle their business and parenting responsibilities by finding the balance between enforcing rules and giving their kids some leeway.
"I grew up in an environment that was pretty much 'back by dark' — [my parents] didn't generally know what we were doing, and it was all good, clean fun," Chip told PEOPLE in 2018. "So I thought, 'Oh, I'm gonna be a wild parent.' "
He continued, "When I got to be a parent, I don't know what it is about it … I feel a little bit like a drill sergeant sometimes. Some elements of my personality, as a parent, I'm not real crazy about."
But no matter how much success the Gaines family might experience with their Magnolia empire, they always try to ensure their kids have a "normal" upbringing.
"They're so young and we want to give them the chance to have a normal childhood," Joanna shared with PEOPLE. "When we wake up in the morning, I think we're normal. But then you go to Target and it's definitely different. We're both in awe."
The couple are also trying to "instill kindness" in their children. "Every day we try to teach our own kids to be kind to themselves, to each other, to neighbors and especially to those who look like they are alone," Joanna told PEOPLE in November 2019.
Here's everything to know about Chip and Joanna Gaines' five children.
Drake Gaines, 19
Chip and Joanna first became parents when they welcomed their son Drake on Feb. 5, 2005. Drake was named after the Drake Hotel in New York City, where the couple went on their honeymoon.
Drake, who has taken an interest in baseball and watersports, appears to have a good sense of humor, often joking around with his dad. Fans got a peek into their father-son relationship during Fixer Upper's final season when Drake made a brief appearance on the show.
"Did you think when you were on the mound, 'I wish I was as handsome as my dad?' " Chip asked Drake after watching his baseball game.
"Uh, no, because it's already true," Drake quipped.
As Drake has grown up, Chip and Joanna have had to adjust to big life changes — like helping their eldest get his driver's license. "I was so excited leading up to it, and Jo was too, kind of," Chip shared with PEOPLE in 2021.
However, the excitement for Joanna was short-lived: "Then we get this kid his license, and the first morning he goes to drive, Jo bawls her eyes out. She was just devastated and wanted no part. She wants to hire him a chauffeur!"
In August 2022, Joanna reflected on sending her son off to college in an essay for Magnolia Journal. "Soon, our oldest son, Drake, will be leaving home for college," she wrote. "In the grand scheme of heartbreaking things, this one comes with a lot of gratitude and excitement … But still, my first child is moving away, and our family dynamic will change because of it, and that can feel like a loss of its own."
Joanna Gaines Instagram
Joanna marked Drake's high school graduation in May 2023 with an Instagram video showing pictures from her oldest's childhood.
“It feels like just yesterday that we were cheering him on as he took his first steps," Joanna wrote in the caption, "but last weekend, as he walked across the stage to receive his high school diploma (!!) we were cheering him on as he took his first steps into a world beyond what he’s known."
Ella Gaines, 17
Chip and Joanna welcomed their first daughter, Ella Rose, on Oct. 20, 2006.
In 2019, when Ella was 13, Joanna shared that her daughter takes after her. "Ella is like me," she told PEOPLE. "I think she'll follow in my footsteps and have her hand in a lot of things. Right now she wants to cook, be a lead designer and have a donut truck."
Ella has already forayed into the food industry, running a bakery from the family's kitchen. "Her new summer business is selling baked goods at the office when she goes to work with me," Joanna wrote on Instagram in 2018. "Tonight we stayed up late and she made Aunt Opal's banana pudding and the chocolate chip cookies from my cookbook."
The now-teenager also appears to have a green thumb. During an episode of Fixer Upper, Ella and her younger sister Emmie helped Joanna tend their backyard rose garden.
"I love teaching the girls about what all goes into gardening, but I would say my favorite part about it is just getting to spend some time with them," Joanna said on the episode.
In October 2022, Ella turned 16 years old and got her driver's license. The proud mom was emotional about the milestone birthday, writing alongside a video of their house decorated for the occasion, "My sweet girl turns 16. I'm trying my darnedest not to cry like a big fat mama baby when she drives off by herself tomorrow 🥹."
Duke Gaines, 15
The Fixer Upper stars welcomed their second son, Duke, on May 23, 2008.
Duke takes after big brother Drake and their dad with his good sense of humor. In season 5 of Fixer Upper, Duke, Chip and Tim Tebow were working on a wheelchair-accessible home when Duke decided to scour for scrap metal. He later turned in the metal for cash and went on a shopping spree.
"Duke and I went to work a couple of weeks back, we salvaged a bunch of metal and we kept some of that money on the side so that we could bless the Copp family," Chip shared on the episode. "And sweet Duke decided he wanted to buy just some necessities."
Duke wanted to give a tricycle and baseball cards to the family, but his dad got distracted by various items in the store. "Shopping with my dad is kind of impossible," Duke said.
"Why is it impossible to shop with me?" Chip asked.
"Because you look at everything and you're like 'Ooh we should buy this,' " Duke joked.
His sense of humor was on display again in October 2022 when he wore a giant inflatable minion costume from Despicable Me for Halloween. Joanna shared a photo of Duke posing with a group of friends wearing simple costumes, captioned, "Duke did not get the memo 😂. She also included a video of Duke hilariously trying to fit through a doorway.
Emmie Gaines, 14
Chip and Joanna's second daughter, Emmie Kay, was born on Jan. 5, 2010.
Like her older sister, Emmie has begun a food business of her own. She and her brother Duke sell produce and eggs door-to-door and have even asked their parents for a farm truck for the business.
"We printed labels for them, and once a week they go out and sell," Joanna told PEOPLE in 2019. "They're just like Chip: They don't take no for an answer!"
And with her big sister, Emmie is in charge of caring for the chickens on their family farm, something dad Chip is "really proud" of.
"We've got some baby chickens that Ella and Emmie are responsible for growing up to mature chickens," he said on an episode of Fixer Upper. "Those chickens were all hatched, they were being taken care of accordingly. Those girls were personally responsible for those things."
Emmie likes to bake as well, and she's even created her own cookie recipe. "She was determined to make up her own cookie recipe and I left the kitchen so she could surprise me (and so i wouldn't micromanage her work in the kitchen😅). Let's just say this was one of my favorite cookies I've ever tasted!" Joanna wrote on Instagram in November 2019. "I also love what she named them in her little cookbook, 'Emmie Kay's chocolate chip kisses cookie' ❤️."
Crew, 5
Chip and Joanna's fifth child, son Crew, arrived on June 21, 2018.
Chip announced his son's arrival on Twitter, secretly including the baby's moniker before sharing it publicly. "The Gaines crew is now 1 stronger!" he wrote. "10 beautiful toes and 10 beautiful fingers all accounted for, and big momma is doing great!" Crew's name is a break with tradition, as his older brothers both have names starting with "D."
Despite the age gap, Crew and his older siblings are very close. "I think it's sweet because they're older now, and I can see them wanting to be a part of this," Joanna told PEOPLE shortly after Crew's birth. "We're all rallying around this baby, which I feel is a sweet gift to our family."
Crew's energy has also given Joanna a new perspective on life. "I feel younger than ever because I now see the world like Crew sees it," she told PEOPLE in 2020. "I'm very thankful."
She continued, "When Crew is in the car with me, it's always, 'I see a sun, I see a tractor, I see a boat.' He's finding the simplest things, and in his mind it's an amazing discovery, but to us it's just stuff. When you look at things through the eyes of your children, it brings you back to that place of awe and wonder."
Crew has been following in his parent's footsteps since he was an infant. He has accompanied Chip and Joanna to work and has served as his mom's sous chef in the kitchen.
"He's my little sidekick," Joanna said of Crew when he was just 9 months old. "He comes to work with me every day and goes to all my meetings."
She added, "I always tell Chip, 'This boy is going to be able to run the company by age 5!' "
When he's not helping out with the family business, Crew is indulging his creative imagination. In October 2022, Joanna shared a video of the mother-son duo enjoying outdoor adventures together on Instagram.
"He woke up this morning and said he wanted to be a 'tire man' and then he changed his mind and wanted to be a butterfly catcher and that turned into becoming a fire maker," Joanna wrote alongside the video. "This little guy makes life fun ✨."
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