Erin Napier Admits She Struggles Being a ‘Solo Mom’ Without Husband Ben

HGTV stars Erin and Ben Napier have been married for over 15 years and have hosted Home Town for the past nine years, so they’re used to doing most things together, including raising their two children.

However, Erin has admitted that the times when Ben isn’t around at home can become a struggle as she has a hard time being a “solo mom” to daughters Helen (6) and Mae (3).

Appearing on the latest episode of Dave Barnes’ and John McLaughlin’s Dadville podcast, Erin joked of her kids, “We messed them up.”

On a more serious note, Erin said that because their children are so used to having both parents around, they can start to misbehave after just an hour or two of their dad being gone.

“I feel like all of my friends are incredibly good at solo momming because their husbands work in a different location from them and so they are used to doing things on their own,” Erin shared, per Heavy.com. “But if I have to solo mom without [Ben] for even an hour or two hours, the girls really misbehave and are different.”

“It’s just exhausting,” Ben added.

“As long as Daddy is there,” Erin continued, “they stay balanced and really sweet.”

Ben noted that “it’s the same” for him “if [Erin’s] not there,” noting, “They don’t like it to have just one of us.”

Erin Napier Instagram

Erin blamed this behavior on the rigid routines they’ve created, including doing almost everything as a foursome. She even admitted to dropping Helen off at school as an entire family. This has now made it difficult when one of them isn’t around for a while.

“It’s just a weird challenge that most families, I think, probably don’t have,” Erin stated. “You can make it with just mom or just dad for a day or two, but we — ugh, just, everything falls apart.”

Ben Napier Instagram

The couple also revealed how the girls won’t do certain activities with Erin that they would do with Ben, particularly outdoor things. Erin said this leads to the kids “roaring through the house.”

Related

HGTV Stars Erin & Ben Napier Send Fans Wild With Heartwarming Family Photos

“For some reason, they go to the garden with me, they go to the pond with me, they play in the trees with me, but they will not do it with her,” Ben added, noting how it “doesn’t feel normal” for the kids to do those activities with their mom because they’re so used to doing them with him.

However, he said if it’s a brand new activity, Helen and Mae will be more willing to participate. As an example, he said Erin recently got the girls to go outside with her and dance in the rain.

“That was something they’ve never done before,” he continued. “And so that was okay. That was exciting and new and fun, and they were doing it with mom, and it was great. But if mama says, ‘Hey, why don’t we go down and water the garden,’ [they say], ‘No, Daddy’s not here.’”