Nelly and Ashanti take very different approaches to parenting

She told People magazine: "For me, obviously this is my first child.

"We have to boil everything and sanitise everything. Everything has to be organic. His sheets are organic, his socks, food-grade silicone, everything. I'm just very, very protective."

Nelly said: "I think I understand a little bit more about children. They learn more on their own."

The Hot in Herre hitmaker thinks Ashanti, 43, is "motherly overprotective" but he is more "safety overprotective" and insisted it is important for parents not to do everything for their children.

He said: "I know if they don't learn certain things by the time they reach a certain age, we're going to pay for that, I promise you. And it's going to backfire on us in a big way."

He jokingly added: "Right now I know she's loving it, but that boy turns 17 or 18, she going to be like, 'Why is he acting like this?' And I'm going to ask [Ashanti's mom and manager, Tina Douglas] for that video of him being three. And I'm going to say, 'You see this right here when he used to...'"

But despite their different approaches to parenting, Nelly thinks Ashanti is a "great" mom to their son.

He said: "I have no complaints. I wish all mothers could see the way that she get down a little bit. You wish every kid had that type of love."

In their reality series, Nelly and Ashanti: We Belong Together, Nelly told of how his family struggled financially and he wants to give his son a better life.

He said: "I'm just trying to be a better father than I had. And don't get it twisted, I love my father, but I've been through a lot."

But he noted that, with Tina, Ashanti has "some tough shoes to fill".

His wife laughed: "Yeah, Momager is a whole different beast. I'm very grateful."