Giovanna Fletcher on how she juggles work with three young boys

The author and actress on how she juggles work with three young boys

By Claire Muffett-Reece

Giovanna, how’s your youngest son Max getting on? We can’t believe he’ll be one in August!

‘Max is such a little dream. He’s literally just happy to be here. He has the biggest smile and bright blue eyes which twinkle beautifully. He sleeps and loves his food – just like his older brothers.’

What are his brothers Buzz and Buddy in to right now?

‘Buzz and Buddy love Star Wars, so we bought some child-friendly versions of the stories which they’re enjoying at bedtime. They also have an E.T. book they adore.’

Do they like playing outside?

‘The adore it – they’re not spending much time playing with their toys at the moment, as they much prefer being outside. They both ride their bikes without stabilisers, so love racing around while Tom [McFly singer Tom Fletcher] skates alongside them – or I try and sprint to keep up with them. Our leisurely strolls around the park are now quite speedy!’

Does one of you do the school run while the other works?

‘It completely depends on what we’re doing, as our schedules are so varied. The thing that we try to stick to – and succeed in 95% of the time – is having breakfast and dinner together. We all head upstairs for the bedtime routine, too.’

Is getting them all to bed a breeze?

‘We went through a phase where it took ages to get everyone to bed – not ideal when you then have to come downstairs and work. Thankfully that phase has passed.’

What’s the number one tip you have to keep your boys in check?

‘I’m looking for tips, so please do send some my way! Really I just think they need to sleep well, eat well and get plenty of exercise.’

What’s the best thing about being a mum to three boys?

‘There’s nothing quite like seeing them act with love towards one another, or just enjoying each other’s company.’

Talk us through how you coped with them on a plane all the way to Florida recently…

‘There was the odd hairy moment on the way over there, but I think that’s pretty good going when you’re asking little ones to sit still in a chair for that long. The way back we had night flights, so they all basically slept for most of it!’

When you go on holiday with the family what do you look for when it comes to booking your trip?

‘We look for places where we can all be together – whether that’s somewhere we can run around and explore or build a million sand castles. Villas have been amazing in the past, as it’s meant we can put the kids to bed in the evening and sit outside and enjoy a bit of time together, rather than having to stay silent in a hotel room. That’s always lovely. We’ve travelled far and we’ve stayed in England – both have been enjoyable and relaxing. If it’s in driving distance I will take almost every item we own with us though!’

One final but very important question. We need to know the secret to your roast potatoes – Tom regularly posts pics on his Instagram and they look amazing!

‘Hahaha! Simply wait. Give them a bit of a jiggle when draining the hot water away, make sure the oil is hot and don’t take them out too soon.’

Download Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast on acast.com