Martin Freeman says he smacks his children: ‘I’m not proud of it’
Sherlock actor said there is too much pressure for parenting to be ‘brilliant’ when actually it is ‘really hard’
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Your support makes all the difference.Martin Freeman has said he smacks his children and sometimes swears at them, calling them “little f***ers”.
The actor, who has two children aged 11 and 14 with his former partner Amanda Abbington, said: “One of the rules is, don’t smack your kids or call them little f******. But, you know, I’ve done both.”
He told The Times: “I’ve probably smacked twice, but I’ve called them little f***ers more than twice. I know I’m not supposed to do it, but there are so many images about how [parenting] all just has to be brilliant that it makes people feel bad.
“Because it’s not brilliant. I mean, it is – it’s the best thing I’ll do. But that doesn’t mean it’s not really hard. This idea you only ever rationalise with a toddler? Genuinely, good luck. If you can do that, God go with you. Amazing.”
Freeman added that the smacking and swearing has occasionally happened when he has struggled to “rationalise” with his children or when he was feeling “impatient” or at the “end of my rope”.
“Obviously, it’s a good idea not to hit your kids,” he said. “But at some point you’re going to do things wrong and, 20 years on, your kids are going to ask why you did that. It’s inevitable. And with smacking – I’m not proud I did that, but I have. I don’t think it’s a policy. And I’ll do it again!”
According to The Children Act 2004, it is illegal for a parent or carer to smack a child, except if it is “reasonable punishment”.
ChildLine charity founder, Dame Esther Rantzen, responded to Freeman’s comments, telling The Times: “I would say to Martin, ‘I’m sorry to hear that, because I know you care about children, but I don’t think this is your finest hour.’”
Freeman was discussing parenting in the context of his new sitcom Breeders, in which he plays an angry father.
Breeders begins on Sky1 on 12 March.
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