Despite having a rugby player father and equestrian mother, the children of Mike and Zara Tindall are taught how to lose. Former English rugby union player Mike, 43 appeared on the 'Loose Men' edition of Loose Women today, May 12, alongside Vernon Kay, Johannes Radebe, and Roman Kemp, where he revealed how he teaches his children to lose.
As the panel discussed competitiveness, and whether it's a good quality for children to possess, today's anchor, Vernon Kay called on Mike, given that he made a name for himself through sport. During his rugby career, Mike was part of the winning team on many occasions - including in the 2003 World Cup and the Six Nations Championship.
Speaking on Loose Women today, Mike said: "I think there needs to be competition. There is an art to learning how to lose as well and taking it the right way. In sport, you always want to win; you should always want to win. You should be driven to always win.
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"But if someone is better on the day, you should be able to take that. I always think, even from an early age, kids want to win, they want to chase, and they want to aspire."
With regards to his parenting style, Mike revealed that he chooses when to let his children win. He told Vernon, "It's a balance.
"I always let Mia win occasionally, we have races up the stairs and stuff. But I always make sure I beat her a few times because she absolutely goes mad - she's so competitive. But it's a part of making sure she also understands she has to be able to take losing every now and again."
Mike shares three children with Zara - eight-year-old Mia, three-year-old Lena, and Lucas, who is one. The couple married in July 2011, and live at the Gatcombe Park Estate in Gloucestershire, which is also home to Princess Anne and Peter Phillips.
Last year, Mike shared intimate details of his youngest child's birth, after Lucas Philip was born quickly at the family home in March 2021, shortly before his great-grandfather's death. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Mike said that the family had been sitting in the living room when his wife's waters broke.
Thankfully, Zara's best friend, Dolly, who is a maternity nurse, was present. Zara, the daughter of Princess Anne, went to have a bath, and was shaking when she came out - a sign that baby Lucas was very much on his way, and that there was no time to get to the hospital.
Mike said 'the immediate thoughts are panic' and then it was about figuring out where to have the baby. He said: “I thought ‘Let’s not do a bed', so I went to the gym and got lots of mats out and towels.
"Zara did her thing. All ladies who give birth are amazing - she did not disappoint.”
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