Being a single dad isn’t easy for Ian ‘H’ Watkins, but the Steps singer wouldn’t have it any other way. His twin sons, Macsen and Cybi, are eight years old.
The Celebrity Escape to the Country star welcomed his sons via surrogacy in 2016. He split from his former partner Craig Ryder in 2017, when the boys were just one.
In one of his previous interviews, Ian opened up about the challenges of a single parent and why he didn’t hire a nanny to take care of his twins even though he could afford to.
Ian ‘H’ Watkins on taking care of his sons
Ian has realistic expectations when it comes to bringing up his two boys. He admitted to The Independent that his children “look like jumble sale kids” and their house looks like “it’s been burgled.”
Being brutally honest about the initial years of parenting, the Welsh singer said: “The first five years are complete and utter slavery, I’m not going to lie. People who put beautiful pictures of it on Instagram are absolutely lying – it’s carnage, it’s hell!”
My boys have manners and they’re caring and kind
He doesn’t deny that raising two sons of the same age is “ridiculously hard”, but finds it extremely “rewarding at the same time.”
Unlike other parents who brag about a clean house on Instagram their stories and set unrealistic expectations for fellow parents, Ian is brutally honest about his life as a single dad.
He said those who pride themselves on “beautiful voile curtains and white bedspreads ” or “tidy playrooms and immaculate children”, probably have hired help in the form of nannies, PR team and social media managers.
View this post on Instagram
Striking work-life balance
Ian’s parents live close by, so he had an extra pair of hands to help him on certain occasions. The Strictly Come Dancing star could catch a breath and prep for the next day whenever his folks would take his boys swimming, even if it meant one day a week.
He has nothing but the sweetest things to say about his sons. The single father couldn’t feel more proud when he said: “My boys have manners and they’re caring and kind.”
“They’re also demons, don’t get me wrong – but when they’re out in the right places, they do and say the right things 90% of the time. In the house, that switches and 90% of the time they hate each other, but there are glimmers of loveliness.”
They are a creative family
Ian’s creative skills have helped him and his boys overcome hurdles, especially during the pandemic which was mentally and physically “challenging.”
The singer and his sons would make “something out of nothing.” Their “crafternoons” would involve making “marble runs, bubble towers, water towers, aeroplanes on elastic.”
Celebrity Escape to the Country star follows a mantra that helped him embrace fatherhood – “one day at a time”, knowing “every day is different.”
View this post on Instagram
When he flexes his creative muscles in his art studio, such as while “painting a landscape”, Macsen and Cybi are by his side “getting messy with their crayons.” Too cute, isn’t it?
But the mess isn’t always fun to look at. The singer admits: “I’m very lucky that I have a playroom for them, so I can close the door, but I’m not going to lie, it looks like somebody’s burgled it most nights!”
Celebrity Escape to the Country airs Thursdays at 8 pm on BBC.
So, what do you think of this story? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think of this story.