To feel anxiety-ridden by Joe Wick's new speech on parental anxiety?

[AllesAusLiebe]

Anyone else seen it on Instagram?

I only heard about this guy on here a few months ago and started listening to him, which I now regret!

Basically, he's created a 'helpful' video to respond to messages he's received from anxious parents in response to his numerous posts documenting his jetset lifestyle.

He claims that anxiety holds many people back from travelling with kids and eating out with kids and through that, you're missing out on 'making precious memories' (cringe). He claims that eating out with his young kids is great fun and they're not phased by sleeping in noisy bars(what?!) and restaurants because he and his wife have never enforced a routine and have been gleefully relaxed on their magical parenting journey.

He references being anxious about choking, jetlag and overseas diseases (all of which I'm guilty of) and dismisses these fears, too. They're actually very real fears, in my opinion. (Particularly having seen numerous people on my flight last week wearing face protection . . . !)

I only watched the damn video because I am an anxious parent with a son who has been tough going from day one and I thought it might help me chill a little. Instead, I'm feeling really conflicted. Part of me is pissed that this tool has made me feel lousy for not embracing some of the opportunities with my son that were available but part of me thinks it was a genuine attempt to help and I'm being too sensitive.

I'll try and link it if I can, if anyone is interested.

I'm on holiday now with a friend and we keep seeing these type of parents. Why can't we admit our lives will change with children. Holidays are one thing but we see people pushing buggies down main roads and carrying young infants down steep rocks to get to a bullshit hidden beach. They are running around all day in intense heat. Urgh. Please stop this madness. It's not ok to not drag your kids through this for your benefit.

Children need routine. Babies not so much but certainly after the age of one or two, they thrive on it in fact so it’s actually shit parenting to offer zero routine.

I actually think good parents do worry an awful lot, sometimes unnecessarily. If you don’t give a shit then there’s something wrong. Choking is a very real fear with under fives in particular, it’s good to be vigilant.

Overall I think he’s a twat .

I wouldn't take parenting advice from anyone except a qualified paediatrician, and even then, I'd be doing my research. Slebs love to pontificate about shit they know nothing about, don't they? Joe Wicks, parenting guru... maybe there's a book coming out soon...

@DesLynamsMoustache - that Wensley-darley video is comedy gold!

Not rtft but this is all self promotion of his brand. Take it with a pinch of salt.

I'm very laid back by nature. I have taken a small baby abroad, eaten out in posh restaurants night ( our hotel one whhich was in fairness empty).

I don't anymore. We went to A local carvery family type place last week at lunchtime . Whilst I was paying one child had knocked a whole drink over the table, both were screaming and sobbing, DH frantically mopping the table and kids down stressed. Basically going places with kids can be more trouble than it's worth.

We keep it as low key and simple as possible these days as that's what our kids enjoy/ thrive on. It doesn't mean I wouldn't love to go somewhere more exciting. There will be time when they are older.

I don’t understand why you would post a link to something that has made you anxious!

I think you (everyone, you, not just you!) have to take responsibility for what you listen to and take from it.

If the head of the NHS released a peer reviewed and clear robust study that children that didn’t sleep in a pram in a Spanish restaurant at 2 years old suffered in 99% of cases, then yeah - I’d worry.

Some random bloke mouthing off on the Internet his one opinion, totally not backed by research and based on his own kids (who I only know from this thread are under 2) - well, I’d laugh!

This man is no-one to talk about parenting. He’s the same as someone having an opinion on here, or at school gates, or down the pub. Worse perhaps, because he’s going to be looking for eye catching content. Which means you can assume at worst lies, at best, selective manipulation. I’d go with outright lies, frankly.

You do have a personal responsibility to realise that he is no-one. React accordingly.

I wouldn't take parenting advice from anyone except a qualified paediatrician, and even then, I'd be doing my research.

In the area of children’s health, sure, but I don’t see a paediatrician as any more qualified to talk about general parenting than anyone else.

Thanks @BullshitVivienne - you're the only person who's ever noted the reference :)

I think if it bothers you definitely unfollow.
I don’t think he intends to be smug etc I find his recipes for babies very good and from what I can grasp he had very humble beginnings and believes in himself a lot .
I think his take is quite refreshing , rather than “we just need to survive parenting & drink, drink , drink” he embraces it .
However I do agree that not running alongside the daily slog and routine must make life a whole lot more enjoyable ....

I personally wouldn’t take parenting advice from anyone whom it took eight weeks to work out that if their newborn is crying because he wants a cuddle, that the best thing to do is to cuddle him.

I also think he under feeds his little girl too. No snacks for a one year old seems daft advice to me, it’s just that his girl is easy company. My child would be screaming the house down if I made her go six/eight hours without any food like he does

@DesLynamsMoustache
That video is hilarious

Was Wendsleydale video an April Fool?

"I know my cheeses" seemed to be over egging it!

Some of the responses on here are so extreme.
So because he shares his life and his easy children he’s a “cunt” and a “bastard”

I was a follower but recently unfollowed. I can't get over the hypocrisy of the "making memories" shite and then posting an insane amount of content all day, every day.

Likely staring at his phone, recording all day.

I think he just comes across as incredibly naive... a 1.5 year old is very different to a 3 year old loosing their shite and resorting to a fireman's lift back to the car. Would love to see his Zen approach then, whilst simultaneously being smacked in the eyeballs with a fecking dinosaur.

As a parent of children a similar age I like parenting advice.... but from parents with years of experience, not months!

I hate it when celebrity parents are dubbed experts because they have one toddler or pre-schooler.

As a mum of 3 teens trust me- a child's temperament is majorly influenced by LUCK. You can reinforce good habits with routine but luck is a major factor. You can have a child who sleeps and eats well one week but is a fussy non-sleeper the next (until they are teens and they want to sleep in and eat everything in the fridge)

My children range from random daredevil who always ran in the opposite direction to me but ate and slept like a dream to so relaxed that I could take him to Costa and finish my cuppa but wouldn't eat anything more exciting than Cheerios for weeks. I didn't do anything different - it's the way that they were (and they are totally different as teens)

@Fantasiaa I haven’t called him any of those things but it isn’t so much that his children are easy, it’s that he implies all children would be easy if their parents would just relax.

“Indie is such an adventurous eater because I don’t offer her an alternative if she refuses my food, I just relax and give it to her later”

“Indie is so easy going because we are really relaxed and go with the flow”

It’s great he got lucky with an easy daughter and good luck to him but it’s the naive and arrogant suggestion that it’s because he is a good parent and if people have tricky children it’s because they’re doing it wrong.

I did all that, still have teenagers who think only beige dried food is edible.

Love the parenting experts less than 2 years in.

Fried

OP the kind of baby you get is a complete lottery. I am a wound up ball of stress. I literally have PNA & PND. Yet so far at 3 months DS is super chilled. I am not. If being anxious made a baby anxious then I would be in trouble. It's nothing you've done or haven't done. It's chance.

He's so smug

Following and will update tomorrow when I have had time to read the full thread bit I have watched the video..

Rich bloke taking his young dc’sout to bars/restaurant at night - going with the flow and saying we all should.
Poor bloke takes his dc’s to the pub on a night out - people shout that social services should be called for lax parenting......

All about perspectives...,....

@ClubfootMaestro

I get that. That doesn’t mean he needs to be name called some horrible things on a random thread on mumsnet.

A lot of parents are like him tbh. Not just him. Part of it to me seems to be a bit of jealously e.g. wishing they could go to Mexico with their children, wishing they were as in shape as him and his wife, wishing they had as much money etc. That would explain the nastiness.

He has a large following. Clearly, his message is helping some people out there.