Elton John wants his son to have an "old-fashioned childhood"

The `Rocket Man` singer and his husband David Furnish became parents to baby Zachary Jackson Levon through a surrogate mother on Christmas Day (25.12.10) but despite their wealth, Elton is determined the tot will remain grounded.

He said: "I so value my own childhood now, and the sense of wonder and personal discovery that I enjoyed, that we want to give Zachary - as much as we possibly can - the same thing. A solid old-fashioned childhood, if you like.

"I know it`ll be hard with my life, but we want him to have that same normality and for things in life to have real value. So we don`t intend to spoil him - we`re going to try to give him a fun, carefree time of innocence, freedom, love and stability."

Although he has a huge personal fortune, Elton, 63, says he fears for today`s children because they live in such a materialistic world and don`t appreciate things.

He told Saga magazine: "I don`t know if kids get that sort of enjoyment out of things anymore. I don`t think you can do because your parents worked so hard when money was scarce to buy you a bicycle or your first record player.

"I don`t want to become Britain`s crustiest old man but I don`t think you can possibly have the pleasure now of growing up like we did. A trip to the cinema was a treat, a trip up to London was unbelievably exciting. A trip anywhere."

sections: Celebrities