Giovanna and Tom Fletcher Are Proof Celebs Don't Need to Be Afraid to Show the Honest Side of Parenting

It's worth me putting my hands up here and admitting I'm not a parent, but the way the Fletchers portray parenthood doesn't make it seem daunting, "too perfect" or as if I'll never be able to achieve what they have. It makes it seem like it's obtainable.

In the celebrity parenting world, there's one family that stands out to me as being relatable, honest and not afraid to hide the hard times.

The Fletchers.

This week, Tom Fletcher admitted family life with two kids was "bonkers", having to wake up at 5.30am every day and constantly dealing with a lack of sleep.

On the same day, Giovanna Fletcher, being her usual comical and relatable self, posted a selfie explaining she was trying to squeeze in some DIY while her youngest napped, yet it was "flipping tough" because she hasn't been able to do exercise in ages.

Those are just two examples of the way the couple constantly share the reality of being parents - those 4am wakeup calls, night feeds, expressing milk in public loos and even needing a filter on Snapchat to try and hide the eye bags.

Putting an old bed back together while Buddy naps. It's flipping tough and the most exercise I've had in ages!! Haha. Xxx

A photo posted by Giovanna Fletcher (@mrsgifletcher) on

#nofilter Where I go she goes! 🙈🍼xx

A photo posted by Giovanna Fletcher (@mrsgifletcher) on

Only wimps stay in bed... Waaaaaah! Xxx

A photo posted by Giovanna Fletcher (@mrsgifletcher) on

Unlike other celebrity parents, some might say the Fletchers are taking a risk.

But for me, they're one of the few celeb parent couples getting it right.

It's worth me putting my hands up here and admitting I'm not a parent, but the way the Fletchers portray parenthood doesn't make it seem daunting, "too perfect" or as if I'll never be able to achieve what they have. It makes it seem like it's obtainable.

And it doesn't scare me, because every family will have some bloody brilliant times, and then have times when they want to pull their hair out.

And I know it's not only me who thinks this, because many mums have commented showing how much they love it. They love seeing the couple are just like any other parent battling toddlers and babies and breastfeeding and weaning and crying and no sleep.

"It's so nice to see you representing normal mums as not everyone is dolled up to the nines at 10 in the morning with their perfectly trim bodies," one mum wrote on Giovanna's latest selfie.

"I know how you feel!" another mum wrote. "My youngest is napping and I'm trying to do some DIY as well Love how down to earth you are Gi."

Let me explain.

How often have you been able to relate to a celebrity - whether they're a parent or not? Among the makeup artists they have, events they attend and salaries they receive, it's hard for any non-celeb to relate to someone who lives that sort of lifestyle.

Tom Fletcher is touring with McFly and Giovanna (a former actor) has just completed a book tour for her latest novel. In some respects, their lifestyles couldn't be further away than an average parent.

But when it comes to parenting and the way they share what it's like on social media, they're on the same level as any other mum and dad.

And that's what's so refreshing.

Obviously it's the rise of social media - Twitter, Instagram, Facebook Live videos and Snapchat - that has given celebs like Tom and Giovanna the opportunity to choose what they share with the world away from the pristine life of a celebrity.

One well-known example was when Giovanna shared on Instagram when she was body shamed about her "mummy's bump" after giving birth.

Instead of hiding away, ashamed or embarrassed by the comments, she shared them. And by sharing them, she prompted the outcry of so many other mothers experiencing the exact same situation and realising they weren't alone.

Racking my brains, I can't think of another UK celebrity couple who share the small wins and the big battles of their parenting journey online as much as the Fletchers.

That's not to say other celebs don't share any snippets of family life online - they do - but they seem to highlight those "perfect" moments instead.

Take the Beckhams: they frequently post snaps of their four kids sharing the proud parenting moments they experience. They've shared Harper learning to ride a bike, the four siblings picking fruit together on a bank holiday and Brooklyn teaching Harper how to cook.

And why shouldn't they share these parenting wins? It's completely up to them.

But what about the moments that aren't so proud? The time their kids won't go to bed when they're asked? Or the time the siblings didn't all getting on well together?

They paint a picture of family life being perfect, which we all know is never the case. I find it so much more refreshing to see the bad times as well as the good, whether you're a celeb or not.

Perhaps the Fletchers stand alone in this relatable category because other celebrities live in fear that if they were to show the reality of their toddler having a tantrum in the supermarket or not being able to soothe a crying baby, they'll be viewed as bad parents.

But the main message the Fletchers are saying by showing us these moments - good or bad - is: "We're not perfect, and that's ok".

They're proving celebrities shouldn't be embarrassed. They're showing parenting can be tough.

But they're also showing that not hiding from the realities of it really pays off.

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