Peter Overton has admitted while parenting his two girls, Allegra 12, and Giselle, 10, poses its own unique challenges, he says it is the “purest” form of love.
The Nine newsreader says with his eldest daughter turning 13 next year, the “puberty freight train is knocking at the front door.”
“I just try to keep it even,” he told Essential Kids.
“As I learn to understand and manage the mood swings and ups and downs, I just try to keep it even as much as I can.
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“Love, communication and understanding is the bedrock to navigating this age and stage.”
However it is not the coming-of-age era that is fast approaching for his eldest that he is super focused on at the moment – it is negotiating social media and screen time limits.
“When you throw in social media at this age, and the dangers that can come with that, it can be a potent mix,” he admitted.
“As a dad, I just want to protect her. And in some ways, I think this age can be more difficult for a father than a mother.”
Thankfully however, his wife Jessica Rowe, who is a former co-host of Studio 10 and author, offers him a world of support and insightful advice and comments.
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“She says ‘Peter, think of it as a butterfly coming out of a cocoon. This is what is happening to Allegra. If you’re stressed about something that’s going on at 53-years-of-age, how do you think she feels at 12?’” the journalist recounted.
“I constantly say to Allegra; ‘I will always listen to you and I’ll always help you, I will never judge you’.”
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He says he finds it easiest to connect with his daughter by walking and talking together as “there is no direct eye contact.”
“That’s where I find you can have the best conversations… You are just walking and relaxed.”
It is not just Allegra he finds himself spending time with, as he divides it also with his youngest child, Giselle.
Bursting with pride and appreciation for his girls, he proudly said “just listening to her speeches and rehearsing brings me great joy.”
They too, like Giselle, share special bonding moments, and finds ” holding hands, chatting it up, reviewing a film” is to him, “the greatest day in the world.”
Despite Rowe resigning from her full-time TV gig on Studio 10 in March 2019, Overton admits the mother is still “incredibly busy” with her charity works.
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“Every parent is peddling hard with their kids, but we are very focused on trying to work a date night in at least once a month,” the father-of-two said.
“We are overdue, actually!”
The couple often reflect on their beautiful relationship with their two girls, with Overton explaining “we really invest in them and have worked hard.
“I describe it as ‘the purest love’ – I have never loved in such a pure way as the love I have for my daughters.”
