Gemma Atkinson brushed off the backlash with a big smile in Manchester on Thursday after she was criticized for pinching her one-year-old son as punishment.
The former soap opera star, 39, recently responded to those who criticized her for biting her son Thiago “to teach him a lesson.”
MailOnline revealed on Tuesday that Gemma had told her two million followers that she had pinched Thiago in retaliation for the boy doing the same to her five-year-old daughter Mia.
Trying to overcome the pinch gate controversy, Gemma – who shares Mía and Thiago with her partner Gorka Márquez, 34 – appeared very animated when she arrived at the Hits Radio station.
Some parents felt that their actions were a bad form of punishment, with Jo Studholmeeditor of Parenting Expert, admitting that it is “harmful.”
Gemma Atkinson, 39, brushed off the backlash with a big smile in Manchester on Thursday after she was criticized for pinching her one-year-old son as punishment.
The former soap opera star recently responded to those who criticized her for biting her son Thiago “to teach him a lesson.”
MailOnline revealed on Tuesday that Gemma had told her two million followers that she had pinched Thiago in retaliation for the boy doing the same to her five-year-old daughter Mia.
Jo told MailOnline: ‘Pinching a child as a form of punishment is not only ineffective but can also be harmful.
‘Teach children that violence is an acceptable way to resolve conflict.
“Instead, try using positive discipline techniques, such as time-outs, loss of privileges, or calmly talking to the child about their behavior.”
Gemma defended her actions on Wednesday in an Instagram story after receiving a lot of backlash.
She said: ‘Thiago is going through that phase where he bites and bites.
“I said he really nibbled on Mia the other day, so I responded like this (making a pinching gesture) and said, ‘Yeah, we don’t nibble.’
‘Didn’t I ‘uuur’ (hinting pain while pretending to pinch his own arm), like I did?’
The former Hollyoaks and Emmerdale star, who also appeared on a reality show with Gorka and the couple’s two children on W Channel, posted her original message on Instagram Stories to highlight the differences in behavior between her children.
Some parents felt his actions were a bad form of punishment, with Jo Studholme, editor of Parenting Expert, admitting it is “harmful”.
Gemma defended her actions on Wednesday in an Instagram story after receiving a lot of backlash.
Gemma shares her two children, Thiago and Mia, with her partner Gorka (pictured together in 2023)
The actress posted her original message on Instagram Stories to highlight the differences in behavior between her children (Gemma pictured on Hey Duggee CBeebies Show)
Gemma regularly shares her ups and downs in life as a mother on social media.
The post read: ‘I really noticed the differences in how Mia was compared to Thiago. It’s fun to watch. The toys just get banged or slid on the floor and the tantrums are new since Mia didn’t have them.
‘He pretends to cry and falls to the ground. I stay and watch until he realizes that it’s getting him nowhere and that they’re slowly getting shorter.’
Regarding pinching, he adds: “He pinches when he gets frustrated. I did it to him again on Wednesday because he went hard on Mia. He hasn’t done it again since.
Gemma regularly shares her ups and downs in life as a mother on social media.
Last March, she revealed that Thiago had contracted an “ear infection”, while in December last year she responded to mother-shamers by accusing them of “spreading misinformation” for weaning her son when he was just four months old.
She wrote: ‘That’s why I always say people should do their own research.
“I spoke to a private baby physiotherapist who told me that sitting without support is due to the weight and size of the baby, not the food at all, which is why everyone does it at different stages.”
Gemma, who also hosts a show on Hits Radio, also responded to criticism from social media users after speaking out about her daughter Mia’s love of CrossFit, when she was just two years old.
She wrote: “I got this message about Mia loving CrossFit and the ‘she should be watching kids shows’ threw me a little.”
‘One of our friends is one of the best CrossFit athletes in the world and every time she stays with us, Mia looks at her in awe of her physical strength, her gymnastics abilities, etc…’
Gemma added: ‘We also go for ice cream and pizza every weekend and go to the cinema. Fabulous sweets after tea and pancakes on Sundays.
‘Personally, I am very happy that Mia likes sports and has strong role models and CHOOSE to watch the games. To be honest, I’m sick of seeing it.