The one lesson I’ve learned from life
PENNY LANCASTER, 45, is married to Rod Stewart, 71, and mother of his two youngest children, Alastair, ten, and five-year-old Aiden. The family divides its time between LA and their new house in Essex. A regular on Loose Women, Penny is also a VicePresident of the Royal National Institute for the Blind.
Mother really does know best
My MUM, sally, was someone who taught me how to be a good mother. she was always there for me and my brother when we came home from school. she encouraged me to sit down and chat about my day. she wanted to know what was going on in my life, the problems and issues that were concerning me.
As a result, i’ve made it my business to have the same relationship with my sons, Alastair and Aiden.
i learnt a lot from her even though, because of Rod’s crazy schedule, my life is very different from hers.
including our two, Rod has eight children and quite a few ex-wives and girlfriends. i’ve deliberately made it my business to keep all the plates spinning. i’ve turned into the wider family’s fixer and problem-solver, a sort of Mother Hen, if you like.
And i’m a planner. When we’re on tour, i make sure the kids go to a museum or do something educational. i also want to use the fact i have a public voice. Hence, being on Loose Women or banging the drum for a new RniB/ specsavers initiative to encourage people to get their eyes tested.
then there’s food. i remember my mother always making sure there was fresh fruit available which meant our snacks were healthy; we never turned to a packet of crisps.
i’m very strict with the children about sugar. And it seems to be working. When they go to a kids’ party, i’m told they scrape the icing off the tops of cakes. that’s not something i’ve taught them to do, but they obviously find it too sickly.
it dawned on me the other day that, in many ways, i’ve gone full circle. if you’ve had a good start in life and you emulate that example, you won’t go far wrong. Mother really did know best.
FOR more information about the Transforming Eye Health campaign, visit specsavers.co.uk or rnib.org.uk
Penny Lancaster