Maïa Dunphy: ‘I was terrified of becoming a single parent. Now I am one’

Maïa Dunphy came to motherhood a bit later in life. She had her, now nine-year-old, son Tom, when she was almost 40. But in spite of others’ perceptions of her as someone who didn’t want children, she explains that it was more a case of life just getting in the way.
“Suddenly I got to 39 and my husband said it’s time to ‘do something’ or get off the pot.”
In the latest episode of Conversations with Parents, writer and TV presenter Maïa Dunphy sits down with Jen Hogan to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of becoming a parent later in life. She explains why her parents were concerned as she broke the news to them. And how her “biggest fear in life”, became a reality, when her marriage to Johnny Vegas broke down and she became a single parent to Tom.
She discusses guilt and its all-consuming nature, and explains how she tried to change her mindset.
Maïa doesn’t believe in God. But she still decided to have her son Tom receive his First Holy Communion, and she tells Jen, in spite of the backlash she received on social media, why she made this decision.
She also discusses the loss of her beloved mother, who played such an important role in Tom’s upbringing, and shares how she navigated her own grief while trying to support her young son as he dealt with the loss of his granny. And she shares funny memories of her mother’s appearances in Maïa’s TV work – including that time she unsuspectingly received a box of porn!
Plus, she gives her take on some modern day parenting challenges, including the world of parenting influencers and explains why she thinks one particular online game is a “necessary evil”.
Listen to this episode on the player above, or search for Conversations with Parents wherever you get your podcasts.