Jamy Gourmaud’s children are perhaps the only ones in France who have never written in their textbook “Watching an episode of “C’est pas sorcier”” on volcanoes or the solar system. His are tall, they just turned 25 and 28. “But I’m still a dad”explains the educational journalist, host of the “World of Jamy” on France 3. His latest book, 365 days with Jamy (Nathan, 2022), which has already sold more than 40,000 copies, explains to other people’s children how the skate slides on ice and why dried beans make you fart.
The first time you felt like a father?
At the birth of the first, of course. His coming into the world had been a little complicated, especially in the hours preceding his birth, and he immediately left for an incubator. He was screaming, like all babies. During the pregnancy, I got into the habit, when he moved, of caressing his mother’s belly where his knee was. I made the same gesture, I caressed his knee and it was extraordinary. The baby fell silent all of a sudden and I saw his little blue marbles watching me. It was extraordinary. I felt like a dad.
Have you ever cried in front of your children?
Of course, one can cry of happiness, as of physical or moral pain. It happened to me after I caught a parasite on one of my trips, which caused me terrible pains to roll on the floor. My children witnessed these scenes, just as they saw me cry at the loss of very dear friends. I’m from a generation where parents tended to hide that kind of emotion. This was not my case, nor that of my wife for that matter. It’s part of life. When the pain is strong and it brings tears, we must not be afraid and hide them, we must explain them to give meaning.
I spent a lot of time trying to make sense of what we were doing, but I don’t think everything needs to be explained either. Before everything, you have to be attentive to know if an explanation is going to be necessary, to what extent, and not give everything away.
Worst thing you’ve said to your child?
“I don’t have time to play with you…” Just thinking about it makes me relive those moments. What can we regret later!
Worst thing your child has ever said to you?
When he was little, the second told me that he would like to be adopted by my wife’s sister. I think it was mostly because his cousin was his best friend. It kinda made me laugh. You shouldn’t take offense at these sentences… My children said things to me that made me think rather than things that pained me. For example, not long ago, to wish me a happy new year, one of them told me that he wished me fewer projects…
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