Mark Wahlberg Says His Kids Test His Patience

Mark Wahlberg may be the image of cool, but the star of the new Transformers flick told People his kids make his household a bit chaotic – and he relies on his faith to make it through.

The one-time young music star of Marky Mark and Funky Bunch and current box office power house has four children with wife Rhea Dunham – Ella, 10, Michael, 8, Brendan, 5, and Grace, 4. Wahlberg and Dunham, a model, married in 2009.

Wahlberg, a devout Catholic with a rough-and-tumble past, says of his large clan of kids: “I pray for patience. But the kids test me.”

He’s trying to keep his kids down-to-earth, a difficult task with a famous and highly-recognizable father. Said Wahlberg:

I want to give them all the things I never had but make sure they understand it’s not normal and that it takes hard work to get what you want[.] You have to provide them with the tools that will make them good people.

He also stated that he is dreading when his daughters become teenagers and start to date. Wahlberg and Dunham have two girl and two boys – and of his sons, Wahlberg told the publication they are obsessed with sports.

Part of his kids’ home education was Ellen and Michael witnessing their Dad’s painful tattoo removal in 2012 – in order to discourage them from ever getting inked up.

Of his history as a rapper, Wahlberg told Jay Leno in January that he was a “train wreck,” comparing his antics to this generation’s crop of pop stars: “They give Justin Bieber a hard time.” Before he was Marky Mark, Wahlberg dropped out of high school at age 14 and did a 45-day stint in prison at age 16.

Wahlberg got his high school diploma last year through an online program in Massachusetts. In a column published in the Huffington Post he wrote: “It has been both humbling and challenging, but I’m happy to report that I am officially a high school graduate, having received my diploma this summer.” Wahlberg went on to discuss his work to encourage youth education.

Meanwhile, Wahlberg’s Transformers: Age of Extinction had 2014’s biggest opening day yesterday, as reported by Variety. The flick brought in $41.6 million on Friday and is set for a weekend total of at least $104 million. This is despite the film’s long running time of nearly three hours and a less-than enthusiastic response from critics.

Mark Wahlberg may care less about critical response, when he can get valuable feedback at home. He and Dunham brought their three oldest kids to the New York City premiere of Transformers in New York City on Thursday.

[Image: Danny Moloshok/Reuters]