As a doting father of four, Peter Andre& is a dab hand at dealing with toddler tantrums and sleepless nights, but since his baby son Theo was born in November, he admits that he has struggled with hearing him cry – and is looking for tips on how to stop the tears. "I'm not as tolerant with the screaming as I used to be," the 43-year-old singer and presenter tells HELLO!. "Perhaps it's because I'm older, but my patience is a little less these days. Having Theo is still a wonderful joy, although I may have to retract my earlier statement that I couldn't wait to have another baby by the end of 2017!"
© Photo: Getty ImagesPeter opened up about baby Theo
Praising his daughter Amelia when she was a baby, he explains: "As a baby, Millie was calm and relaxed; a dream child. My friend Carl, who never wanted kids, told us that he changed his mind after meeting her. And when Theo was born, I was like, 'Of course we're going to have another baby,' but now I’m thinking maybe we should hold on a second." Peter - who has four children, Junior, 11, nine-year-old Princess, and stepson Harvey, 14, from his marriage to Katie Price, and three-year-old Amelia by his wife Emily – continues: "I met Harvey when he was a year old and loved him so much; and when Junior was born, I had patience like I can't explain."
Emily with Amelia on her first day of school
But while baby Amelia was calm and relaxed, little Theo has a big voice on him, and even mum Emily admits their calm, quiet house has been turned upside down by his arrival. She said: "It's true, we led a harmonious life in our calm, quiet house, with everything sorted. Then Theo comes along and starts screaming constantly. The other kids are thinking, 'What's going on here?’ But whenever we look at his sweet little face, we know he's worth it. As soon as Pete starts taking him out and playing rough and tumble, I just know he'll want more kids."
Junior playing football with little Teddy
READ: Peter Andre posts rare video of son Theo showing off his new skill
Peter celebrated Amelia's birthday by dressing up as her favourite character, Winnie the Pooh, for her birthday party, but it all didn't go to plan! He explains: "She knew it was me straight away. Within ten seconds, she said, 'Dad, take it off.' I was devastated." He continued: "When Junior tried it on a few hours later, Millie was mesmerised; she really believed he was Winnie the Pooh. On top of all that, everyone assumed I'd organised the party because I’d posted a picture of me as Winnie on Instagram [ahead of the birthday]. But it was Emily who should take credit for it all. As a super wife and a super mum, she’s my super power. She takes on the caring role, doing the nappies and feeds, whereas I'm good at making the kids laugh and persuading them that it’s cool to eat vegetables."
READ: Peter Andre reveals pride for wife Emily after new discovery
Emily credits her parents as role models, telling HELLO!: "I'm one of five children and Mum and Dad are brilliant with kids. Dad has a special way of holding Theo that stops him crying every time he picks him up. As for my mum, I call her the baby whisperer. She’s a paediatrician, so spends her whole life around babies and when she holds Theo, he immediately stops crying. She says babies can sense when we're stressed and that we should try to stay calm, which is often easier said than done." Speaking about his own upbringing, Peter added: "My parents were loving but firm. When I told my dad, 'I'm not eating dinner,' he calmly replied, 'Okay, but when you're hungry in half an hour, there won’t be any food.' I ran off to play, but when I returned starving and asked if I could eat, he said, 'No.' Trust me, I never did it again. Now that I'm a dad, I use the same calm approach with Junior and Princess and they don't even question me. It's good to be part of a generation where you don’t rule your kids through smacking and fear. We talk to our kids and in doing so, earn their love and respect."
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