[imagesource:instagram]

Sure, he’s got seven Super Bowl rings, but parenting? Let’s just say even Tom Brady fumbles.

In a refreshingly candid interview, the football icon—who co-parents his 17-year-old son, Jack, with ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan, and two younger kids, Benjamin and Vivian, with ex-wife Gisele Bündchen—didn’t hold back.

Reflecting on the rollercoaster of fatherhood, he confessed, “I screwed up a lot” as if being the G.O.A.T. on the field doesn’t guarantee MVP status at home.

Tom discussed the complexities of parenting, especially when navigating the legacy of his own success at the 2024 Fortune Global Forum in New York City, saying “All of the parents in the room know that being a parent is probably the hardest job all of us have”.

“And we screw up a lot. And I’ve screwed up a lot as a parent.” He added, “I don’t want to seem like I’m some sort of expert in parenting, because I’m certainly not that.”

Tom’s reflections come shortly after the news of his ex-wife’s pregnancy with her new partner, Jiu-Jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente.

Image: Instagram

Despite leaving her because he wouldn’t give up the game, Tom remains committed to supporting his children and being present in their lives. He shared that his parenting goal is to be “dependable and consistent” and to encourage his kids, even if the shadow of his career looms large.

“The blessing my parents gave me was when I was that long-shot kid, a backup quarterback on a freshman team, they never said, ‘Let’s do something different.’ They just said, ‘You know what? Go for it.’ That’s probably my parenting style,” Tom reflected, showing that his approach to fatherhood is as grounded as it is supportive.

Tom spoke fondly of his eldest son, Jack, who dreams of chasing basketball.

 “I tell him, ‘Dude, you’re gonna be a stud. Wait till you hit your growth spurt, you’ll be dunking in no time,'” he said with a smile. “And whether he does or not, who cares? I want him to know his dad’s got his back.”

For Tom, parenting is a never-ending game, one where he’s aiming to pass down the same pep talks he got growing up—minus the Super Bowl-sized pressure, of course.

“My kids are going to be faced with their own challenges, and they have to figure out how to overcome them too,” he continued. “I’ll be there to support them a lot, just like my parents did, and I’ll be learning along the way right there with them.”

For over 10 years, Bündchen and Brady were the picture-perfect celebrity couple. Then, in 2022, they announced they were divorcing after 13 years of marriage.

Gisele swiftly moved on, having been with Joaquim since June 2023 after first meeting when he was her jiu-jitsu instructor. They’re now expecting a child together, which will be the supermodel’s third.

[source:hellomag]