Jamie Oliver reveals his surprising parenting approach for kids

Jamie Oliver recently shared his unconventional parenting approach, revealing that he wants his children to face significant challenges.

In an interview with Psychologies magazine, the 49-year-old father of five discussed his personal struggles with ADHD and dyslexia, stating, "Confidence, worry, and anxiety are all part of a cauldron of emotions that challenge us."

Oliver hopes that by struggling, his children - Poppy, 22, Daisy, 21, Petal, 15, Buddy, 13, and River, 7 - will develop resilience and strength.

He added: "When you're young, they can present themselves as things that hold you back."

But he thinks these difficulties can create a tension that inspires people to produce their best work as they get older.

Jamie emphasised: "Life's not supposed to be linear or easy. I want my kids to struggle as much as possible, in a safe and controlled way. If it's too easy, it's really vanilla."

The celebrity chef also shared his approach to instilling a positive attitude in his children. He said: "Even today, I say to my girls, you have to brush your teeth, look in the mirror, and decide it's going to be a positive day decide to be glass half-full."

While he conceded that it's not always easy to stay positive, he emphasised the need to try and surround yourself with encouraging friends on the bad days. 

The Billy and the Epic Escape author, who spent his formative years in a pub, also shared his ambition to own his pub one day.

He concluded: "When I left for London at 16, my dream was to come back. I love my life. And I love my team. And I love the work that I have the opportunity to do." But I still haven't fulfilled my career goal, which was to open a beautiful pub and do my version of what I grew up in."