Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington has expressed deep emotion as her eldest daughter, Summer, aged 11, completed primary school.
Adlington, who is also mother to four-year-old Albie and four-month-old Thea with husband Andy Parsons, shared her feelings on Instagram. She urged others to support parents whose children are transitioning from primary school, revealing she had been crying for a week.
"I cannot believe my baby girl is leaving primary school," Adlington wrote. "I remember her first day like it was only last year." She reflected on the significant events of the past seven years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, moving homes, a school change for Summer, and becoming a sibling twice over. "I am so proud of her," she added, sending solidarity to other parents experiencing similar milestones.
This emotional period follows Adlington's recent experience with maternal guilt. In March, she responded to a social media user who commented on her decision to have a third child, suggesting children should always come first and expressing mum guilt. Adlington shared the message, stating it made her sad and highlighting the unfairness of the "mum guilt" narrative often placed on mothers.
She clarified that the decision to have another child was a mutual one, emphasizing that guilt should be a shared parental experience. Adlington has been open about her journey to motherhood, including welcoming her third child, Thea Joy, in February after experiencing two miscarriages. She recently shared a moment of self-care where a kind stranger in a nail salon helped her with her crying newborn, allowing her a brief moment of pampering. This act of kindness, she noted, was the first thing she had done for herself in a long time.