Whether it’s the achievability of making his 15 Minute Meals in the timeframe or his ‘jerk rice’, there are plenty of things you might disagree with when it comes to Jamie Oliver.
The chef’s latest controversial remark has nothing to do with food, though; this time, he’s weighing in on parenting.
With five children aged between 22 and eight, it’s safe to say Jamie and wife Jools know all about raising kids. And something the couple hold firm on is ensuring their brood aren’t sheltered from the highs and lows of life.
Despite the fact the family live in a sprawling £6 million mansion and have a somewhat privileged existence, Jamie claims it’s important to him that his children are exposed to hardship.
In a recent interview with Psychologies Magazine, the MBE said: ‘Confidence, worry and anxiety are all part of a cauldron of emotions that challenge us.
‘When you’re young, they can present themselves as things that hold you back. But, as you get older, [they provide] a tension that makes you do your best work.
‘Life’s not supposed to be linear or easy. I want my kids to struggle as much as possible, in a safe and controlled way. If it’s too easy, it’s really vanilla.’
Some supported the dad, including @Orange67 who said ‘Well done Jamie… A lot of celebrities today raise their children to be lazy and entitled individuals.’
However, others argued the Olivers siblings are unlikely to truly struggle because of their background.
‘It’s all vanilla when your dad is a millionaire right?,’ commented Richie. ‘I really hate celebs trying to be normal.’
According to Dr Amanda Gummer, child development expert and play and parenting psychologist, however, there is benefit in giving children a rounded view of the world — within reason.
She tells Metro.co.uk: ‘It’s all about balance. Children need to get successes, and the younger they are, the more frequent and easier to achieve those successes should be.
‘But it’s absolutely vital that they are challenged and that they are able to struggle in order to achieve those successes on the way, because that helps develop perseverance and resilience, which are both really key for positive mental health.’
There’s a fine line between coddling your children and doing what’s best for them, just as there’s a fine line between allowing them to go through hardship and putting them into uncomfortable (or unsafe) situations.
For example, Richard Branson’s late mother Eve claimed that in an effort to stop her son growing up ‘all namby-pamby’, she put her the then four-year-old out of their car miles away from home and tasked him with finding his way back. And although the entrepreneur looks back on this incident positively, it could have ended very differently.
Amanda recommends creating a safe environment for kids to build strength of character, starting off by simply taking a step back when they’re struggling with something.
‘Don’t rush in to solve the problem for them,’ she says. ‘Wait for them to really struggle and ask for help before you go in. If children do ask for help at the first sign of a challenge, throw it back to them and ask them what they think they could do.’
When you ask them to come up with their own solution, it allows them to learn about problem-solving ‘without the consequences of potential failings being too severe.’
The psychologist adds: ‘If children are able to learn through mistakes, when the mistakes have minimal consequences, they’ll develop the skills so that they avoid making the big mistakes when the consequences are bigger.’
In terms of safety, things like holding their hand when they cross the road are still important. Just try to meet in the middle, like watching from a bench rather than hovering over them while they’re playing at the park.
‘Parents will know what they feel comfortable with,’ says Amanda.
‘We can be very responsive to children — which is lovely, but can also be over parenting.
‘So we do need to give children the space to make their own mistakes, to have their failures, to learn through those failures, while knowing that they have that secure safety net that their parents are there for them.’
Granted, our situations will be different from the likes of Jamie Oliver and his family. But the celebrity chef is right in his view that wrapping your kids up in cotton wool to the point they’re shielded from all negative emotions is a recipe for disaster.
Turkey Twizzlers, though, are still up for debate.
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