Christine McGuinness’ children were at the centre of an emotional podcast moment as she admitted the hardest part of parenting is preparing them to live without her one day.
As reported by the Daily Mail, the model, 38, fought back tears on Friday’s episode of Parent Unplugged.
Christine shares three children with ex-husband Paddy McGuinness. They are 13-year-old twins Penelope and Leo, and nine-year-old Felicity. She has said all three are autistic.
Christine and Paddy are no longer married.
Christine McGuinness has opened up about parenting (Credit: Shutterstock)
Christine McGuinness’ children sparked her most emotional confession
Speaking to host Charis Halsall, Christine said: “Oh, this is quite deep to start with. It’s realising that I am preparing my three children to live without me when I can’t live without them.”
Charis asked why she felt she was preparing them for that. Christine said the feeling comes with being a parent or carer.
She said: “It’s a job as a parent or a carer, anyway. You know, of course we want them to be happy, we want them to be successful and all of that.
“But really, we want to know that when we do go to sleep properly that they’re going to be able to cope and manage.
“So I think that was the biggest realisation is that I can’t live without these three kids and one day they have to live without me.
“So I need to prepare them to be as independent as possible, especially with their additional needs as well.”
Her comments captured a fear many parents understand. She wants to protect her children, but she also wants to prepare them.
Why everyday life still feels like a battle
Christine has also spoken about the realities of raising neurodiverse children. Last year, she discussed those challenges on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour.
She said her children all present differently. She explained: “It’s different for all three of them like it is for all autistic children.
“I always say if you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one, we’re not all the same.”
Christine said their personalities, play, socialising and communication all differ. But one issue affects all three.
She said finding suitable outdoor spaces remains a real challenge. Many parks and play areas do not offer sensory equipment, quiet areas or gates.
Christine stressed that those features matter for safety. They matter even more when children feel overwhelmed or overstimulated.
The diagnosis that changed how she saw herself
Christine has also discussed her own autism and ADHD diagnosis. She received that diagnosis at 33.
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