Jeff Brazier: 'I feel like I'm failing my sons'
Wednesday 26 September 2012
Jeff Brazier has admitted that he feels he is 'failing' his children with the late Jade Goody as they develop a 'rebellious streak' over the loss of their mother.
The TV presenter has admitted in his blog that 9-year-old Bobby and Freddy, 8, have recently been getting in trouble at school, for which he feels 'guilt'.
He wrote: 'Right now I am experiencing a feeling that I hope disappears rather quickly for I feel like I am somehow failing the children,'
'I must be, or why would they both be misbehaving so much at school? I have to look at what's going wrong at home in order to improve their situation in the classroom. Am I too soft, too strict? Do I mention mum enough? There are so many factors to consider in order to strike the right balance' he added.
‘I'm a big believer that we as parents are always responsible for our children's behavior.’
While older son Bobby has always been well behaved at school, Jeff revealed that he has since began to join his younger brother Freddie, by misbehaving in class.
A frustrated Jeff explained, 'I was shocked and upset that Bobby had behaved as badly as she (the teacher) stated, it's really not like him, and this is where I go back to my initial comment about failing him.
'Because if it is the anger and frustration of his loss that fuels this rebellious streak, which in my view is more of a cry for help than any long term intent to be disruptive, then I am not doing enough to disperse these emotions so that they don't affect him or hold him back elsewhere.'
Jeff admits he needs to work on remaining calm when it comes to his boys misbehaving. ‘My worst habit by far, I let Bobby get to me too easily. He can say some very cutting remarks and knows only too well how to get a reaction from me.’
'I put a lot of pressure on myself to steer these children through their education, managing their grief as we go so that they go on to great things as great people,' he said. 'Exclusion from the class as a whole isn't part of that blueprint.
'I stop myself from being too negative by reminding myself that love will prevail and as long as they know I'm there for them we will come through this okay.'
Jeff has been bringing up the boys as a single parent since ex-girlfriend Jade Goody lost her battle with cervical cancer in 2009. The bubbly blonde was only 27, her boys Bobby and Freddy just 4 and 5.
Jade met Jeff soon after finding fame in the Big Brother house in 2002.
After just 3 months of dating, she fell pregnant with their first child. But after a fiery relationship, the couple split when Bobby was 9 months old, and shortly after Jade discovered she was pregnant with Freddie.
The couple shared custody of the children, and their volatile relationship only improved when Jade was diagnosed with cancer 6 months before she passed away. Jeff now has sole custody of the boys.