Christine McGuinness details co-parenting with ex-husband Paddy
Christine McGuinness has been opening up about her co-parenting experience with her ex-husband Paddy McGuinness.
The model and former Take Me Out presenter announced their split in 2022 after having tied the knot in 2011.
They share three children together – 11-year-old twins Leo and Penelope, and eight-year-old Felicity, whom they now co-parent together while still living in the same house.
In a new interview with OK!, Christine admitted how ‘hard’ co-parenting can be between her and Paddy, and explained why the pair haven’t told their children about their break-up yet.
Sharing an insight into co-parenting, she explained, “It’s hard, but it’s not that I can’t because we live in the same house. But it’s more just thinking ahead to when the time comes that we do actually have to share our children in separate houses”.
“I think I’m going to really struggle with that. I’m kind of preparing myself and them, so that when Daddy is home, I make sure they just have time together because, like I say, it’s not as often as when I’m there”.
Christine continued, “It’s taken me a while to get used to it, but I’ve got to because there is no point be staying at home with my ex-husband and children all day and then one day we live in separate houses and it’s a massive shock to all of us”.
“So to soften the blow for myself, I choose to have a couple of days in the sun, rather than seeing my ex-husband or staying in a hotel somewhere. I’d rather fully enjoy the break. That’s the only way I can mentally be OK with co-parenting”.
Christine was also asked if she and Paddy have explained to their children that they are no longer a couple, to which she replied, “No, we haven’t. The children are just so young and they don’t fully understand relationships yet”.
“I think if they did, we would have absolutely said, ‘Mummy and Daddy are really good friends and we’re still family forever and we absolutely love you and that will never change’”.
“But they don’t know any different and there are times when they see us when we’re in the house together and we’re chatting away and having a laugh and a cup of tea. It’s been like that for a while now. They wouldn’t understand it yet. All they know is that Mummy and Daddy are family and that’s it”.
