Paul McCartney Reveals How Fatherhood Changed Once His Five Children Grew Up — ‘Now That They Are Older, They’re Guiding Me!’

Paul McCartney spent decades trying to offer his children guidance as they grew up.

These days, the roles have sometimes reversed.

The Beatles legend opened up about his life as a father of five and explained how his relationship with his children has evolved now that they are adults.

McCartney said that when they were young, he tried to be there whenever they needed advice.

But adulthood has brought a surprising change.

“Now that they are older, they’re guiding me!”

For one of the world’s most famous musicians, fatherhood today appears to be less about giving instructions and more about simply being available.

‘I’m very happy to be the guy they come to’

McCartney reflected on fatherhood while answering a question shared through his official website.

“As far as being a dad is concerned, I’ve always just tried to give my kids a bit of guidance if they seem to need it,” he explained.

That was particularly true when his children were younger.

Today, he recognizes that they don’t require the same kind of guidance.

But one part of his job as a father hasn’t changed.

If one of his children encounters a problem, McCartney still wants to be somebody they know they can turn to.

“I’m very happy to be the guy they come to,” he said.

For McCartney, that captures much of what being a father now means.

“You’re just there to help,” he explained.

And there is another important part of their relationship: having fun together.

“Now they’re older, we can have a drink together, for instance!”

Family remained central through extraordinary fame

McCartney is a father of five.

He shares daughters Mary and Stella and son James with his late wife Linda McCartney. He also became a father to Linda’s daughter Heather from her previous relationship.

His youngest daughter, Beatrice, was born during his marriage to Heather Mills.

While McCartney’s career placed him at the center of one of the biggest cultural phenomena in music history, his comments reveal a much more ordinary side of his life away from the stage.

The man who spent decades being followed by generations of Beatles fans now finds himself receiving advice from the children he once guided.

And his family has grown far beyond those five children.

Paul McCartney became ‘Grandude’

McCartney is also a grandfather to eight grandchildren through daughters Stella and Mary.

But “Grandpa” isn’t necessarily the name associated with him inside the family.

He’s known as “Grandude.”

McCartney has previously said he calls his grandchildren his “chillers,” and that relationship eventually inspired another unexpected chapter in his career.

He became a children’s author.

McCartney wrote Hey Grandude!, a picture book inspired by grandfathers and the adventures they share with their grandchildren.

He followed it with Grandude’s Green Submarine.

For McCartney, the first book was particularly personal.

He said he loved seeing a story inspired by his own experience become something grandparents could share with children around the world.

“I love that it has become a book read to grandkids at bedtime all around the world,” he previously said.

From Beatle to dad to Grandude

McCartney’s family has grown up alongside a career that has stretched across generations.

Mary became a photographer, filmmaker and author, while Stella built an internationally recognized career in fashion. James followed his father into music.

Yet McCartney’s description of his role in their lives is remarkably uncomplicated.

He isn’t trying to have every answer.

His children no longer need him to guide every decision, and sometimes they are now the ones teaching him.

But when something goes wrong, he still wants them to know where they can turn.

After decades spent being Sir Paul McCartney to the rest of the world, his philosophy at home comes down to something much simpler:

Be there when your children need you — and enjoy the time you have together.