Channing Tatum opens up about his parenting fears

Channing Tatum has opened up about life as a single dad. Photo / Getty

Channing Tatum says being a single dad is "scary".

The 39-year-old actor co-parents his six-year-old daughter Everly with his ex-wife Jenna Dewan, and has said he "never thought" he would be a single parent who has to "show boundaries" and set up a "structure".

He said: "I never in a million years thought I would be a single dad. It's a different dynamic when you have a daughter, it's scary. I thought it would just be playing, have a wrestle and just do craziness.

"Then you realise you have to show boundaries, and it's fun to do things inside a structure."

And the Magic Mike star says he's most worried about teaching Everly how to deal with "fear".

Speaking during an appearance on Running Wild with Bear Grylls - which will air on National Geographic on January 26 - he added: "Relationships have fear, whether they are with your daughter or with a wife, a girlfriend.

"The biggest fear I have with Everly is teaching her how to manage fear."

Channing has recently been giving his daughter boxing lessons, so she can "defend herself" and feel "safe".

View this post on Instagram

This is only 1/16 how long this went for hahaha she an animal. We love wrestling and boxing. And we keep it fun. I heard once that martial arts was only created to take the mystery out of fight. So people started to practiced it. So if ever there came a time they had to defend themselves they wouldn’t be as afraid. In my experience fear most times leads to bad decisions. Being calm and secure with your mind and body...Make great opportunity for good decisions. Violence is 100% never the answer. But having a daughter i always want her to feel safe in her being. And god help the person that ever poke the beast inside this little angel.

A post shared by Channing Tatum (@channingtatum) on Dec 10, 2019 at 11:12pm PST

The actor posted a clip to Instagram which showed Everly throwing some punches his way wearing gloves and a protection helmet, and quipped that he fears for the person who tries to "poke the beast inside [his] little angel".

He wrote alongside the video: "She loves punching dad!

"This is only 1/16 how long this went for hahaha she an animal. We love wrestling and boxing. And we keep it fun.

"I heard once that martial arts was only created to take the mystery out of fight. So people started to practiced it.

"So if ever there came a time they had to defend themselves they wouldn't be as afraid.
"In my experience fear most times leads to bad decisions.

"Being calm and secure with your mind and body...Make great opportunity for good decisions.

"Violence is 100% never the answer. But having a daughter i always want her to feel safe in her being.

"And god help the person that ever poke the beast inside this little angel. (sic)"