Countdown presenter Rachel Riley has revealed the difficulties of parenting during the summer holidays, admitting it is "really hard" as she prepares to handle childcare alone while her husband, Pasha Kovalev, embarks on a tour.
Tag-Teaming Schedules
Riley, 40, who met Kovalev on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013, explained that both parents are self-employed, making it tricky to coordinate schedules. Kovalev is set to tour from September to November, leaving Riley to manage their two children, Maven, six, and Noa, four, mostly by herself.
"Pasha's going to be going on tour from September through to November. So he's about to get really busy and disappear. So we're just at the moment, for the school holidays, we're tag-teaming who's around and who's not," she said.
No Pressure for Perfection
Despite the challenges, Riley emphasized that perfection isn't the goal. She believes children don't need both parents around all the time and that there's often more pressure on mothers than fathers.
"I think the secret is not to worry about being perfect. They don’t need both [parents] around all the time, either," she said.
Battery Safety Campaign
Riley is also fronting Energizer's Summer Safety Swap campaign, raising awareness about the dangers of lithium coin batteries, which can cause severe internal burns if swallowed. She highlighted that one in five parents wouldn't know what to do in such an emergency.
"With something like lithium coin batteries, it's a 999 emergency," she warned, urging parents to check for loose batteries and dispose of old ones properly.
