Daniel and Penny have received a lot of praise from their peers on Parental Guidance. With their relaxed nature and emphasis on embracing every opportunity, the couple from Newcastle in NSW say they were excited about being part of the show.
“For us, the show was about experience. We’re big on living brave and teaching our kids to have a go at everything,” Daniel, 37, tells TV WEEK.
“We were confident in our kids and parenting style, and we knew we were a tight family that could do the challenges well. But most importantly it sounded fun.”
Interestingly, Daniel’s parenting choices were influenced by his own upbringing, which was the opposite of the one he helps provide for his children.
The couple from Newcastle have received a lot of praise from their peers on Parental Guidance.
(Image: Nine)“I was raised by parents with an ethnic background, new to Australia, who were cautious of everything,” he says.
“I wasn’t allowed to do any of the things our kids are. I wanted my kids to experience everything, because I never got the opportunity.”
For Penny, the relaxed attitude took some time to come to terms with.
“When we had our first child, I was getting stressed about things like whether he should have a dummy, and I just realised that it [getting wound up] was really unhelpful,” Penny, 35, says.
“We came to the conclusion that whatever works works, and relaxed.”
Despite their confidence in the way they raise their kids, they accept that their style is by no means superior.
“We don’t want people thinking that we’re doing a better job than anyone else,” Daniel says. “We’re just a normal family trying to do our best.”
This week, the remaining four families – Daniel and Penny, “tiger parents” Kevin and Debbie, “routine parents” Brett and Tony and “strict parents” Andrew and Miriam – shack up together in one house with a dozen children.
This week, the remaining four families shack up together in one house with a dozen children.
(Image: Nine)While some parents struggled with the arrangement, it was perfect for Daniel and Penny – even with the difficult sleepover challenge putting all 12 kids in their care overnight.
“We weren’t stressed at all, but we did think at some point that the kids would go back to their parents,” Daniel says with a laugh.
“Everyone went to bed, the cameras disappeared and the kids were asleep on the floor. I looked at Penny like, ‘Well, this is going to be a legit sleepover then!'”
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