Sir Elton John's childhood left him 'walking on eggshells'

Elton John wants a different upbringing for his sons. Photo / Getty Images

Sir Elton John won't shout at his children.

The 72-year-old singer prefers to "discipline" Zachary, nine, and six-year-old Elijah - his kids with husband David Furnish - with calm discussions as he doesn't want them to have a "fearful" childhood like his own.

Elton admitted his distant father, Stanley's explosive relationship with his mother Sheila left him "walking on eggshells" and he didn't want that for his own sons.

He said: "I was determined I was not going to hit them, I was determined I was not going to shout at them. They were going to be disciplined, but they were going to be disciplined in a way where we talked about things.

"I don't want them to live any of their lives in fear and they don't. They're amazing children."

The I'm Still Standing hitmaker believes the "fear" he felt in his childhood had a huge impact on his life as an adult.

He told the Mail on Sunday newspaper: "Your childhood affects you so much as you grow older. It's the template of how you live your life.

"But not everyone had a bad childhood. David had a wonderful childhood, but my childhood was in a different era. It was in the 1950s.

Sir Elton John with his sons Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John, Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John and his husband David Furnis. Photo / Getty Images

"You go back and you think, 'Well, that's why I became who I am because I was frightened of everything'.

"Fear was ruining my life. I'm 72 now and I've come to the happiest point of my life where nothing is wrong."

And Elton's greatest achievement will be raising happy children.

He said: "The biggest responsibility in life is raising children, there's no question about it.

"And if you can leave this Earth having raised your children well and they're happy, that's the greatest thing you can achieve. Forget your work. Forget your talent or anything."