By India McCarty
Tim Allen shared his parenting regrets — and admitted he never pictured himself as a father.
“I never really wanted to be a dad,” he told Us Weekly. “I joke about it on stage. I’ve just never been a real fan of children. Once that started, as people have said many times about parenting, there’s no — you gotta get a driver’s license, you gotta go through all this to get a passport. There’s nothing about children.”
Allen is father to Kate, 36, and Elizabeth, 17. The HOME IMPROVEMENT star has been open about his substance abuse battle, as well as how it impacted him as a parent.
“I look back, I’d been sober for quite a while [when Elizabeth was born]. I was not sober come of [Kate’s] formative years. I could act like I was there, but I wasn’t really there,” he explained. “I don’t like any of that…having this younger one, I see how much different it is when you’re…this one never knew any of that guy.”
Related: Tim Allen Reveals How Sobriety Changed His Relationship With His Daughters
Speaking to OK!, Allen said has “made amends” to his eldest daughter, adding, “I’ve thought about it many times, and I’ve talked to Kate, and she doesn’t hold it against me.”
He has also spoken about his sobriety journey, telling Closer Weekly, “I have nothing but gratitude. Somebody said if you’re going to do things that you have to say you’re sorry for tomorrow, don’t do it. So I don’t do things like that. It’s been a struggle because not being able to hide behind drugs and alcohol was difficult for me. Now I deal with stuff. It’s moment by moment.”
Allen has also been open about his struggles to be a good dad onscreen as well.
“When it was easy to be a TV parent, it’s easy. When it’s difficult to be a TV parent, you really are of no value,” he said, via Entertainment Weekly. “[With the] HOME IMPROVEMENT kids, it was so long ago, and I was brand new, and it was very difficult for me to be anywhere near a mentor. It wasn’t until later that I became more of a mentor. But they all had great parents.”
He continued, “It was new to me, and it took a while for me to be that [father figure]. I felt like more of a funny, mischievous older brother for quite a while — especially to the boys on HOME IMPROVEMENT.”
Like any parent, Allen has regrets, but he has made changes in his life, making his daughters his top priority.
Read Next: Tim Allen and Daughter Co-Star in THE SANTA CLAUSES: ‘Amazing Experience’
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