Kate Ferdinand has revealed she ‘butts heads’ with her step-daughter Tia and said she ‘so scared to get it wrong’ with her blended family.
The former TOWIE star, 34, is step-mum to her husband Rio Ferdinand’s children Lorenz, 19, and Tate, 17, and Tia, 14 – whose mother Rebecca Ellison tragically passed away from breast cancer aged 34 in 2009.
Kate and Rio also share two children, five-year-old Cree and two-year-old Shae.
The reality star has a very close relationship with her step-kids, but Kate has been candid about the difficulties that can come with it.
And on the most recent episode of her Blended podcast on Tuesday, Kate said that she and Tia sometimes ‘butt heads’ as she shared her fears over ‘getting it wrong’ as a step-parent.
She also opened up about how it can sometimes be challenging to remind yourself that you’re the adult who can emotionally regulate, admitting she can be ’emotional and erratic’.
Kate Ferdinand has revealed she ‘butts heads’ with her step-daughter Tia and said she ‘so scared to get it wrong’ with her blended family
On the most recent episode of her Blended podcast on Tuesday, Kate said that she and Tia sometimes ‘butt heads’ as she shared her fears over ‘getting it wrong’ as a step-parent
Kate said: ‘It’s hard when you’ve got young kids because they take up a lot of your time, so you’ve got to make sure you’ve got that time [for the older ones].
‘Kids go through phases. It’s okay to have one or two weeks where you’re at each other, you’re butting heads a bit.’
She continued: ‘Like me and Tia, she won’t mind me saying, but we have these moments where we just butt heads for three or four days and we both don’t know what’s going on.
‘Then it’s like “We’re alright now aren’t we” and we’re fine. But it’s just like emotions, different times of the month. There’s so much going on.’
Opening up about her own feellings, Kate said: ‘Even though you say you’re an emotionally regulated adult, it’s hard, you have to practice that as an adult as well. Because hormones are flying all over the place, you can’t always get it right.
‘Like I know I don’t always get it right. I’m not going to sit here and say “I’m always really emotionally regulated”. I am not. Sometimes they come to me and I’m A1 and I think “God I’m bloody good”.
‘And sometimes I’m emotional I’m erratic, and I think that is sometimes being a woman, but also I do acknowledge it if I’ve been a bit wild.’
She continued: ‘I am so scared to get it wrong, because I really have tried so hard, like you have, for so many years, and you don’t want to ruin anything.
She also opened up about how it can sometimes be challenging to remind yourself that you’re the adult who can emotionally regulate, admitting she can be ’emotional and erratic’
Kate said: ‘Like me and Tia, she won’t mind me saying, but we have these moments where we just butt heads for three or four days and we both don’t know what’s going on’ (Kate and Tia pictured)
Kate and her husband Rio, 47, moved their life to Dubai in August last year, along with their children, Shae, two, Cree, five, as well as Rio’s daughter Tia, 14
‘You just want to… ugh it’s so hard to articulate what I mean.’
During the chat, the group spoke about how film and television portrayals of stepmothers as being evil, manipulative, competitive and ugly can make it all the harder.
And asked if as a stepmum there is sometimes an instinct to worry the relationship with your stepkids is easier to sever without the biological link, she added: ‘It’s a massive fear for me as well.
‘That all of a sudden… you know because in this relationship, any step family, you have people that don’t love the step mum or have issues with you, that one day everyone thinks I’m the person they thought I was rather than the person.
‘What if one day I make one mistake and everyone says “We knew she was like that.” But Rio always says “one little thing will never erase everything you’ve done”.’
Kate recently broke down in tears as she admitted to struggling with her family’s move to Dubai and feeling homesick for the UK and her stepsons.
The influencer admitted she was finding it difficult being back after spending a cosy Christmas back in London, as well as missing home comforts.
While Kate has only been back home once during her stay so far, she was visited by an old friend a few months after relocating.
The former TOWIE star moved to the UAE last year with husband Rio and their children, documenting their glitzy new life on social media
After her pal left, she admitted it was hard to say goodbye after spending quality time together during their stay.
In a new episode of her Blended podcast, she said: ‘I feel like we’ve opened our eyes to a different world. But I love London, I love the UK. I love so many things about the UK. I do feel happy in Dubai, but I’m just missing a part of me.’
She continued: ‘I feel like we’ve opened our eyes to a different world. But I love London, I love the UK. I love so many things about the UK. I do feel happy in Dubai, but I’m just missing a part of me.’
Kate added that the move has also helped Rio be more ‘present’ with his family, after he stepped back from his role as a pundit for TNT Sports last year.
She added: ‘I think it’s an amazing place to live, I think it’s amazing for the children. The children are thriving and happy and living a life of just outside freedom.
‘Rio loves it so much. I am enjoying it, but I miss home quite a lot. I get upset. I miss the big boys a lot and I’m just struggling with that.
‘I know this decision is right for my younger children and as a family we are settled there, but the boys are following their football careers. So they’re doing what they want to do otherwise they’d be with us. But it’s very hard because we’ve been through so much as a family and we’ve always been together and that’s a huge adjustment.’
