Gemma Atkinson has opened up about one of her biggest parenting fears, ahead of giving birth to her second child.
The TV presenter is pregnant with a baby boy with partner Gorka Marquez, and the pair are already parents to daughter Mia. The couple met whilst filming Strictly Come Dancing in 2017.
Gemma opened up about her concerns for both her children on an Instagram post, where she showed off her fitness toned physique to her 1.8 million followers.
Mum Gemma shared two snaps of her impressive workouts in action with the caption: "I want my daughter to be kind. But I also want her to know that she can throat punch someone if she needs to."
Adding to her bold statement, Gemma joked: "If not, mum will do it for you."
She continued: "On a serious note it genuinely is one of my fears for both Mia and little man. So many stories of bullying & gangs & violence.
"Kindness first, but self defence when needed will be drilled into them and Mia will be starting her classes from age 5. Nothing better than martial arts to teach respect, focus & discipline. @dazthaiboxer Get ready for my little lady to come and kick you."
Fans of the TV star and actress revealed they too have concerns over gangs and violence for their little ones, as they shared their similar feelings in the comments on Gemma's post.
One fan wrote: "Absolutely, the bullying terrifies me."
Another shared: "Absolutely agree. My daughter is going through something awful at school at the moment and she’s only 12. Maybe I will look into martial arts for her.x"
A third added: "Totally agree its a sad world we have to live in with fear of someone hurting our children but they need to learn to fight back."
"My daughter has been getting bullied, not your average name calling, but just having digs at her all the time and just all over bing unkind it's not a girl, either it's a boy! She has started to do Judo and I can see her confidence growing again," said a fourth.
Another fan agreed with Gemma's logic of arming her children with self defence, as one wrote: "100% we should all be warriors. A true warriors presence means you will never need to fight but if you have to know how to do it well, it's all about balance."
Gemma is busy preparing for the birth of her second child, and has shared she isn't the only one excited in the Atkinson-Marquez household. In a sweet post, Gemma shared daughter Mia has been getting excited for her baby brother to arrive in the most adorable way.
Sharing a clip of three-year-old Mia holding a doll, Gemma explained: "Takes her doll everywhere now to 'practice carrying mi brotha.'"
In the short clip, Mia could be seen stroking the doll's face tenderly and cuddling the doll for the camera.
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