Felix and Miriam Neureuther are a rather reserved couple in public. At GALA, however, the two give a private insight into their marriage and everyday family life with their two children.
Felix (37) and Miriam Neureuther (30) have been two parents for over a year. The former winter sports enthusiasts have been a couple for eight years, almost half of them married, their daughter was born in 2017, their son in 2020. Of course, Felix and Miriam, as brand ambassadors of the baby and toddler food manufacturer “Milupa” (celebrates this Year its 100th anniversary) not only pay attention to the health of yourself, but especially of your children.
How difficult it is sometimes to keep the kids healthy and whether Felix and Miriam still have time as a couple in everyday family life, the two of them tell us in an interview.
Miriam Neureuther: Our days have become longer (laughs). Our two children wake up in the morning and are – zack – there immediately. That is the case with most children. They want to be entertained and employed right away. But thank God they are very straightforward. They both like to be outside. For them, walking through the forest is just as nice as eating ice cream.
Felix Neureuther: Two children are something else, no question about it. But it’s something beautiful. The children are healthy and nothing more is really needed.
What are your basic health principles?
Miriam: We want to keep everything as natural as possible, in terms of nutrition but also in other areas. Neither of us are big fans of plastic toys, nor do we have a huge children’s playground in the garden. Sure we have a few things, but the children are also encouraged to be creative. It doesn’t take that much for the children to be happy: a few stones, a little sand – they prefer to muddle around with it.
When it comes to nutrition, both of us, as former competitive athletes, of course know how important healthy nutrition is. We cook a lot fresh. What I struggle with, however, are the sweet things in the supermarket. Our daughter’s desire for it is a little stronger, but not yet so with our son. I prefer to bake myself and then I can decide how much sugar to use. I try to keep the things that I can still control very healthy. But especially when they go to children’s birthday parties, this cannot always be implemented, of course. But it also made me much more relaxed and here, as with other parenting questions, I listen very closely to my gut feeling. I would say that 80 percent of the children eat healthy, the remaining 20 percent are other things.
As soon as the children get to the age at which smartphones also play a role, everything is no longer so easy to control, right?
Felix: It’s incredibly difficult. But in the end you can only exemplify it for the children. If, as an adult, you spend a lot of time on your cell phone, the children are naturally also interested in it. But when you are out in nature a lot, they are interested in nature. It is important to us to do a lot as a family outside and not just give the children a smartphone.
Lately it rained heavily when the four of us were out on our bikes – we were the only ones, of course – but the kids had such fun riding through the puddles. Then they just get wet and then have to go into the bathtub, but so what, that’s something great!
How do you deal with it if one of your children is sick? Are you parents who run to the doctor quickly or are you trying the tried and tested home remedies first?
Miriam: We are deeply relaxed in that regard. We trust that the child’s body is strong enough to take a cough. We rarely go to the doctor. Of course, if something is serious, yes. But I think we feel that as parents quite well. But our children are rarely sick, they are very robust.
Felix: You have to let the children be children too. If you want to climb a tree, that’s what you do. People are way too over-cautious these days. I was born in 1984. When I think back to what we’ve done and we survived it (laughs).
How is the distribution of tasks at home? It seems as if you are living the “traditional” family model that the man works and the woman takes care of the children and the house, doesn’t it?
Miriam: Yes, we live the classic family model. I love being a mom and I’m proud to be able to fully fulfill this role. I do a few things on the side that also fulfill me apart from being a mom and at the end of the day give me the feeling that I have also done something other than the household (laughs).
But let’s be honest, when Felix travels a lot for work, especially in winter, there is a lot to do in the house. We have decided not to put the children in a crèche so early. I enjoy it and it is a great luxury for me that we can afford it, that I can stay at home so consistently. I am very grateful for that.
Felix: During the Corona period I was of course at home a lot …
Miriam: That’s right. But it is like this: Either you are gone and then you are also heavily involved in your job, or you are there, but then you also take the time for the children. It’s not as if you’re still in the office at home and also work. Then dad is the cool one with the kids … and I am the strict one (laughs).
Do you still have time for two as a couple?
Felix: Yes, absolutely. The time together of course changes, but we are a family and the four of us spend a lot of time. Right now the little one is with grandma and the big one in daycare and we are already missing her (laughs).
Miriam: But sometimes we do something for two. Of course, it is no longer the case that you can spontaneously go on a weekend trip. But we’re lucky that Felix’s parents live right next to us. They also like to just drop by in the evening when the children are in bed, and Felix and I then go for a jog or something. So, even with two children, we always have the opportunity to spend time together.
This article originally appeared on GALA.de.
Sources used: own interview