Like many dads facing COVID lockdown restrictions, former cricketer Michael Clarke is still learning the ropes, especially when it comes to homeschooling his daughter Kelsey Lee.
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Michael, who shares Kelsey Lee with ex-wife Kyly Clarke, has taken on the new role as teacher, and has admitted that it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing.
“I think I’m like, I’ll say, any parent, you have good days, you have bad days,” he told The Morning Show.
“My little girl, she’s a star, she loves school so that’s a good start, so she’s happy to get online in the mornings and listen to her teachers and see her friends,” he said.
One of the challenges he’s had to face is keeping Kelsey Lee’s attention after midday, where like most kids her age, she’s more than eager to get outside and have a bit of fun.
“I don’t know where she gets this from, she’s got until about 12.30pm, and then she’s, ‘right, get me out of the house dad, let me loose’,” he explained.
There has been a silver-lining to the experience however, and that is Michael’s respect for teachers.
“I think that’s probably one thing we can take from this, that teachers are so important and probably deserve to be paid a lot more money than they are,” he said.
Michael also revealed that he’s not the only one doing the teaching, where he has plenty to learn from five-year-old Kelsey Lee.
“She is learning French and saying ‘daddy, can you count to 20 in French?’ I’m like, ‘sweetie, no I can’t, can you teach me though?‘. So we go to bed at night and I get taught by my five-year-old daughter,” he said.
The dad-and-daughter duo also bond through the “physical education stuff”, where Michael will keep Kelsey Lee busy with activities like scooter rides, jumping on the trampoline, going fishing, and fun-filled excursions.
“So we do an excursion just about every day. The other day was the car wash, a week ago it was a haircut, she was cutting daddy’s hair, so I can handle that,” he said.
As for when Kelsey Lee is with her mum Kyly, well she has rather different experience you might say.
Over the weekend, Kyly treated her daughter to a Cinderella-themed slumber party while the pair were cooped up inside during lockdown.
“Creating as many beautiful moments as I can with Kelsey Lee and what better way, than to feel like Cinderella for the day,” Kyly shared on Instagram.
“It was a night full of teepees, treats, singalongs, great laughs and a slumber party together…”
