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Gino D’Acampo has revealed that he blames David Beckham for the fact that working fathers are expected to spend time with their children.
The TV chef, 46, who has sons Luciano, 20, Rocco, 16, and daughter, Mia, nine, with wife Jessica, said the idea of being the cool dad to your kids, and the thought of having kids activities to do with them was all ‘cr*p’.
He said, ‘I don’t have the kind of regret that fathers or mothers have because they work and don’t spend enough time (with their children).
Honest: Gino D’Acampo has revealed he blames David Beckham for working dads being expected to spend time with their kids
‘I come from a generation where I saw my father in the evenings from Monday to Saturday, when we ate at the table, for about an hour. And then I saw him for a few hours on Sunday. He always took us to the park or something.
“I don’t believe in this thing where I have to feel like I have to do things, or society makes me feel like I have to do things with kids all the time.
“I think it’s crazy when I see a lot of working mothers and working fathers, they suffer a little because they wanted to spend more time with the kids, but probably not because they want to, but because they feel they have to.
“I blame David Beckham – not literally – because before David Beckham’s dads, they went to work and saw the kids at night, then he came over, or people like him, and we started having social media, so everyone started seeing what other celebrities (were doing).
Family: David is the father of Brooklyn, 23, Romeo, 20, Cruz, 17, and Harper, 11, with wife Victoria Beckham
“They used to take their kids everywhere, they took the kids to school, they took the kids to work – it was like ‘that f**k ruined my life that man, now I have to do the same’ .
“We all thought we should keep up with this cool parenting where you do stuff.
‘Fathers taking their children to school? I never remember seeing fathers when I was a boy going to school.
“This cool dad and cool mom idea is cr*p. Why should you feel guilty?’
On the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast, he added, “I’m not saying I don’t like kids because it’s not true. I don’t like the kids when they’re kids.
“I love my girl Mia, she’s my princess, but when she says to me, ‘Will you do Lego with me for half an hour?’ the answer is no.
Family: The TV chef, 46, who has sons Luciano, 20, Rocco, 16, and daughter, Mia, nine, said the idea of being the cool dad to your kids, and the thought of doing kids activities with them doing it was all ‘cr*p’
“Would you like to watch Frozen II for another hour and 20 minutes?” No.
“And I don’t feel like I should just because she’s my princess. If I say to her, “Let’s go shopping,” I will.
“I don’t want to do any kid stuff—color, all that crap, glitter, not interested, never been interested, never, never, never.
“Cooking yeah, that’s probably all I’d say, ‘Come on, one of you lend me a hand.’
‘I have no patience for children. For me, after about 13 years, they can come to me and talk to me sensibly – they must be teenagers. I’m more present for my boys now than before.’
He added that if Mia asks to watch Frozen, he would say, ‘Why don’t we watch a David Attenborough documentary or Only Fools and Horses.’
Gino said: ‘I blame David Beckham – not literally – because for David Beckham’s dads, they went to work and saw the kids in the evenings, then he came over, or people like him, and we started social media ‘