Three Kids Under 5: Is my parenting style working? - Dani Dyer
Strictly Come Dancing star Dani Dyer wants to be the perfect mum to 3 kids under 5. She learns the 3 parenting styles and how to make mealtimes less stressful. Part 1.
Dani Dyer has three children under five and is turning 30. The Strictly Come Dancing TV star (partnered with Nikita), also known for her time on Love Island and SAS: Who Dares Wins, wants to see what being a ‘perfect parent’ means. But is perfect even possible? Fascinated by how other families do it, Dani sets out to understand different parenting styles.
She meets parenting, child development and paediatric health expert Dr Martha Deiros Collado, and together they watch a group of parents with their children. Dr Martha explains the three key parenting styles to the group: authoritative, authoritarian and permissive. Authoritative parenting balances clear rules with warmth and open communication. Authoritarian parenting relies on strict rules and a "do as I say" approach. Permissive parenting is warm and nurturing but avoids setting firm limits. Dani realises she uses a mixture, leaning towards permissive, and resolves to be a little more authoritative.
Like most parents, Dani finds mealtimes a battle. To learn more about children's nutrition and how to make mealtimes less stressful, she takes her son Santi to an early years cookery class run by dietitian Lucy Wood. Lucy shows how cooking helps little ones get familiar with how food looks, feels and tastes, so even a fussy eater grows more confident trying something new. She champions responsive feeding: letting children choose from a selection on the table, within clear boundaries. Dani's son is thrilled with what he makes, and proudly takes it home for his sisters, Summer and Star, and husband Jarrod Bowen (West Ham footballer) to try.
Birthdays are always emotional in the Dyer household. Dani and her mum, Jo (wife of Danny Dyer) mark her 30th birthday with a mother and daughter spa and hotel trip, looking back on Dani's childhood and everything they have been through together. Jo reassures Dani about her parenting and tells her how proud she is. As they toast a new chapter, Dani asks, "Have I figured it all out?" Jo replies, "No, but you get wiser as you get older."
Part 1 of 2.
