Jeff Brazier has opened up about the “struggles” he faces as a dad to his two teenage boys.
The 37-year-old dad to Freddie, 12, and Bobby, 13, said he is constantly facing new challenges as his kids grow up.
Brazier spoke out about being a dad as part of his support for a campaign calling for boys to receive the HPV vaccination, which is currently offered to girls on the NHS.
“It’s difficult, it’s more difficult and challenging now than it has ever been,” he told OK! Online on Wednesday 12 April.
Brazier continued: “They don’t idolise me anymore. Now I’m the bad guy, I’m the inconvenience, I’m the taxi and the bank.
“I’m all those things.”
He said that as soon as he manages to deal with one issue, something else creeps up.
“If I left Bobby to it at the moment, he would be happy to lay in bed all day looking at the internet and I don’t allow that,” he added.
Brazier has also spoken about discussing sex with his kids, as part of the campaign. He said he has always tried to weave sex education into conversations to make sure they’re aware of the risks.
“It’s absolutely our job as parents to inform our kids about the real world,” he told the Daily Mail on 10 April.
“Jade’s death may have been HPV-related so as a family we know first-hand how heart-breaking the consequences of the virus can be.
“Jade would want me to do all I can to protect our boys and I can’t lose them too.
“It’s essential that parents are fully educated on this and realise there are options for protecting their sons as well as daughters.”
In a previous interview with The Huffington Post UK, Brazier said he worried about how being a single dad would affect his children.
“The difficulty at that point was knowing you were responsible for everything,” Brazier recalled. “There was no one to share the important moments with anymore.
“If Bobby hurt himself I would always call Jade first, but when it’s just you, you don’t have anyone to tell.
“The pressure of responsibility was overwhelming - even during positive moments like when one of the boys played their first football game, I wanted to share them with her.
“It was lonely doing the most difficult yet rewarding job in the world as a single parent.”
Find out more about the HPV vaccine for boys here.
Before You Go
