Joe Wicks defends removing five-year-old daughter Indie from school
Joe Wicks has defended his decision to remove his five-year-old daughter from school.
The much-loved fitness coach, 37, explained why he was pulling Indie out of school during a recent Q&A with fans on Instagram.
One of Joe’s followers wanted to know what the 'deciding factor(s)' had been behind his decision to pull her out of school and home-school her instead.
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Joe replied and said that one of the main reasons behind doing it was having the 'freedom to travel more and explore the world'.
The Body Coach has three children with wife Rosie Jones - Indie is the eldest and the couple also have three-year-old Marley and 10-month-old Leni.
Although, whether they'll all be home-schooled remains to be seen.
In his Instagram response, he said it might not be forever, or even a long term arrangement.
"There's really nothing more to the decision than we just love being together as a family and want to spend more with the kids while we can,” he shared.
"She had a great year in reception but we have always loved teaching the kids at home and want the freedom to travel more and explore the world.
"She might go to school next year. We have no idea long term but want to do at least a year of home educating."
In a new interview with The Times, Joe shared even more details about why he and Rosie decided to try their hand at homeschooling.
“It’s not like I’m saying, I’m going to homeschool my kids and go and live on a farm in the middle of nowhere. It’s really just about our lifestyle,” he said.
“I don’t want to be someone who isn’t present in my children’s life.
“What I try and give my children is stability and love, and I want them to know I’m always there for them.”
Joe was so popular thanks to his PE lessons during the Covid-19 lockdowns that there were calls for him to receive a knighthood in recognition of his efforts.
While he didn't quite get that knighthood, having to settle for an MBE instead, he’s still a very popular figure.
Lots of parents had to give home-schooling a shot during the pandemic and they found it really difficult, with many mums, dads and carers gaining a newfound appreciation for what teachers do each and every day.
With classrooms closed, there were households up and down the land which were glad to outsource the PE stuff to Wicks and figure out the rest themselves.
However, a lot of parents found that it was an uphill struggle to home school their children and take care of themselves at the same time so it's by no means an easy thing for a parent to do.
Gregory Robinson