Kirstie Allsopp is a mother and stepmother to four children, and is no stranger to controversy around her thoughts on parenting.
Last year she received backlash for saying she smashed her kids’ iPads after they flouted her rules on screen time. This caused her to quit Twitter – but not for long, because she’s back and has some more thoughts about children.
You know things are going to get heated when she tweets: “Today is one of those days when someone should take my phone off me,” followed by: “But they haven’t so here goes…”
So what did the 47-year-old TV presenter want to get off her chest? Mainly that, if you want kids, there’s no time like the present. She wrote: “When I’m faced with a couple in theit late 20s who ‘want a few more years of fun’ I want to say ‘kids are fun, kids are the best fun, nothing will ever be more fun, non-one will ever make your laugh more, or fill your heart with such joy IF YOU WANT THEM DON’T WAIT’.”
IF you WANT kids, IF you are in your late 20s AND IF you are in a solid relationship AND IF you can afford it have kids NOW. It does NOT get easier the later you leave it, buy a CHEAPER house, a bit further from the shops & restaurants and keep some money back for childcare.
— Kirstie Allsopp (@KirstieMAllsopp) June 25, 2019
DO NOT blow £20K on a wedding & spend two years planning it because when that baby arrives you will love it more than anything in the world & the money you spent on the dress/hen night/cars/posh hotel will be nothing compared to your longing to afford the best childcare you can.
— Kirstie Allsopp (@KirstieMAllsopp) June 25, 2019
When I’m faced with a couple in theit late 20s who “want a few more years of fun” I want to say “kids are fun, kids are the best fun, nothing will ever be more fun, non-one will ever make your laugh more, or fill your heart with such joy IF YOU WANT THEM DON’T WAIT”
— Kirstie Allsopp (@KirstieMAllsopp) June 25, 2019
The average age of new parents is steadily increasing, but Allsopp is intent on urging people who can afford it to “have kids NOW”.
And she’s prepared to defend her position. One Twitter user wrote: “Stop telling women in their late 20s they’re running out of time to have kids. It’s so damaging” to which Allsopp replied: “No it is NOT damaging, lying is damaging, the ‘kids aren’t fun, work is fun, booze is fun, fashion is fun but kids aren’t fun’ is what’s damaging.”
No it is NOT damaging, lying is damaging, the “kids aren’t fun, work is fun, booze is fun, fashion is fun but kids aren’t fun” is what’s damaging. https://t.co/qVWrkV2oW5
— Kirstie Allsopp (@KirstieMAllsopp) June 25, 2019
A lot of people strongly agreed with what Allsopp was saying…
totally agree! Never going to be a right time and you will always want to have saved more/have a bigger house but health is the most important thing and the older you are the tougher it gets. I think people underestimate how hard pregnancy and infancy is (or can be…)
— Mairi Thomson (@mairitee) June 25, 2019
Also if you have them when you're younger, when they're old enough to look after themselves a bit you're still young enough to get out and enjoy yourself – child free. Or we're starting to take our eldest two to gigs with us. I'll be 40 next year and my eldest will be 16 🙀
— Ruth (@PurpleBruce13) June 25, 2019
But others weren’t so convinced, and believe becoming a parent is different for everyone.
Not entirely sure why you think you're best placed to be dishing out so much advice. What worked for you won't work for everyone.
— Jemma Buntin (@buntin_jemma) June 25, 2019
What is certain? There is no perfect time. Life is a series of compromises, opportunities, challenges and it’s up to each woman to navigate their way through that unjudged – with children or child free xxx
— Back in Time West London (@OldLondonW14) June 25, 2019
Allsopp went on to add some thoughts on her own personal experiences…
1/2 In 2 weeks time both my boys leave the prep school I’ve been a step-parent & parent at since 2007. I’m in pieces about it. I can’t believe they have grown so fast. I was nearly 35 & 37 when I had the boys, I never had a third, too old. But very lucky to have had the 2 I did.
— Kirstie Allsopp (@KirstieMAllsopp) June 25, 2019
2/2 I had kids late because I hadn’t met anyone, this is the case for so many other women, but this isn’t a reason not be truthful. Loads of people say to me “we know…” but if everyone “knows” how come I’m faced with so many couples who “want more fun”?
— Kirstie Allsopp (@KirstieMAllsopp) June 25, 2019
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard Allsopp’s views on when women should have children. In 2014 she told the Telegraph: “I don’t have a girl, but if I did I’d be saying, ‘Darling, do you know what? Don’t go to university. Start work straight after school, stay at home, save up your deposit – I’ll help you, let’s get you into a flat. And then we can find you a nice boyfriend and you can have a baby by the time you’re 27.”
She suggests women should be told some hard truths about fertility, and should consider going to university after they’ve had children. Interestingly, she makes no real mention of what men should be doing in this situation.
The thing about Twitter is that however many ifs & ands and myriad caveats you put into your tweets someone will accuse you of being “judgy” or “preachy”. It’s the nature of the beast, if you say what you see someone will wish you haven’t.
— Kirstie Allsopp (@KirstieMAllsopp) June 25, 2019
Something tells us this won’t be the last time we hear from Allsopp on the topic of children…