Helen Flanagan has shared a candid post about the ‘mum guilt’ she feels over her youngest child Charlie as she opened up about life as a single mother.
In March, Helen revealed she suffered a psychotic breakdown at the beginning of the year after splitting from her ex of 13 years, Scott Sinclair.
And the former Coronation Street star, 33, took to Instagram on Sunday to share that she feels like a ‘horrible mummy’ being away from her kids – Charlie, six, and Matilda, eight – when they spend time with their father Scott.
Helen shared an adorable video with her son, as she admitted ‘not being as present with Charlie as I was with the girls’ due to splitting from Scott when her youngest was just one.
‘Not seen my babies for 11 days as they were in Dubai with their daddy x,’ Helen wrote. ‘I feel such a horrible mummy for not seeing them and guilty but I think it’s important for them to have a nice time with their daddy.
Helen Flanagan shared a candid post on Instagram on Sunday about the ‘mum guilt’ she feels over her youngest child Charlie as she opened up about life as a single mother
The former Coronation Street star, 33, took to Instagram on Sunday to share that she feels like a ‘horrible mummy’ being away from her kids – Charlie, six, and Matilda, eight – when they spend time with their father Scott
‘I suppose mum guilt never goes no matter what you do x They went on holiday with their lovely nanna too which helps me as I get lots of pictures of them looking really happy x.’
In the video shared by Helen, she looked angelic in a floaty white summer halterneck summer dress, as she curled her blonde locks and tied them up with a ribbon.
Her and Charlie shared a sweet moment as they cuddled on a picnic blanket and made funny faces together.
Of her own health following her breakdown earlier this year, Helen said in her post: ‘Feeling in such a better place then I did this time last year and I think it’s just time, it’s a massive healer and I look back at myself this time last year and I can give myself kindness and compassion for maybe looking for love in the wrong places and numbing how I felt x.
‘As mummys we just do our best at that time x. Maybe I’ve not always got it right but always had the right intentions x. I feel like I’ve changed so many times since Matilda was born and that we have grown together and our bond is really special x.’
Helen opened up about going through her separation from Scott while Charlie was a baby, saying: ‘Charlie was one when me and his dad split and I remember in the build up to us separating I was still breast feeding and I couldn’t get my baby boy off the boob and it made me feel quite trapped and stuck as I couldn’t do anything on my own independently as my baby needed to be stuck with me all the time and he would just cry for me and maybe because everything felt a lot emotionally when I finally got Charlie off the boob at 14months with help from a nanny.
In March, Helen revealed she suffered a psychotic breakdown at the beginning of the year after splitting from her ex of 13 years, Scott Sinclair (Pictured in 2019)
Helen shared an adorable video with her son, as she admitted ‘not being as present with Charlie as I was with the girls’ due to splitting from Scott when her youngest was just one
‘Not seen my babies for 11 days as they were in Dubai with their daddy x,’ Helen wrote
In the video shared by Helen, she looked angelic in a floaty white summer halterneck summer dress, as she curled her blonde locks and tied them up with a ribbon
Of her own health following her breakdown earlier this year, Helen said in her post: ‘ Feeling in such a better place then I did this time last year and I think it’s just time’
‘I needed my space to get my head together and to feel like my own person and not just a mother but a woman too x.
‘I do feel guilty for maybe not being as present with Charlie as I was with the girls. I struggled to sit and just play with him.’
She added: ‘To be honest I struggled to be in the house too much as it all felt a bit sad. Their daddy moved away for football and originally he surprised me with our family home that me and the kids live in and I suppose at the beginning I just didn’t want to take on the reality that it really was just me now and the three little ones.
‘That was just a bit much for me. The beginning of the year was tricky and I felt so guilty for not being my best.
‘I know I’ll have such a beautiful relationship with Charlie and the girls. Feel in such a happier place this summer and I’m so grateful ✨.’
The heartfelt post comes after she revealed the heartbreaking details of a psychotic breakdown she suffered earlier this year.
Taking to Instagram in March, Helen revealed that across January and February she was fighting a secret battle with her mental health after her split from Scott Sinclair.
Helen has admitted just how scary the breakdown was as she revealed she was seeing things and felt like she was in danger all the time after having a reaction to her ADHD medication (pictured her children Matilda, eight, Delilah, five, and Charlie, two)
The couple called it quits on their relationship back in 2022 after spending 13 years together but are in a better place to co-parent now
After suffering a bad reaction to her medication as she explained: ‘It was really sad and very scary. I was seeing things and I felt like I was in danger all the time’
And now she has admitted just how scary the breakdown was as she revealed she was seeing things and felt like she was in danger all the time after having a reaction to her ADHD medication.
Opening up the The Mirror, she confessed she struggled to deal with the split: ‘I don’t see it as a break-up, I see it as a divorce. We were together 13 years. But instead of processing it all, I threw myself into work and shut off my emotions.
‘I just went into survival mode. Then it all came to the surface earlier this year and I was mentally and physically breaking down.’
She then started medicating for her ADHD and suffered a bad reaction to her medication as she explained: ‘It was really sad and very scary. I was seeing things and I felt like I was in danger all the time.’
Whilst in the grasps of her episode, Helen jetted to Bali with her kids Matilda, eight, Delilah, five, and Charlie, two, who she shares with ex Scott.
Helen didn’t have her children over Christmas as they were with their father so she decided to take them to the sunny destination for a special New Years.
During the trip, she shared a slew of sweet snaps – with smiles hiding her hidden pain following the painful break-up from her ex and her new life as a single mum.
While she did not comment on her battle at the time, she was the grasp of a psychotic breakdown due to unresolved trauma surrounding her split.
Putting herself and her mental health first, Helen pulled out of playing Miss Scarlett in the theatre tour of Cluedo 2 as she wasn’t well enough to leave her family and commit to the show. She was replaced by Ellie Leach (pictured)
The couple called it quits on their relationship back in 2022 after spending 13 years together.
Helen’s children went to stay with her parents while she sought help as the mother made sure to put her family first.
Putting herself and her mental health first, Helen pulled out of playing Miss Scarlett in the theatre tour of Cluedo 2 as she wasn’t well enough to leave her family and commit to the show.
The actress was replaced by fellow former Coronation Street star Ellie Leach.
