Helen Flanagan is praised for showing the struggles of motherhood as she tries to calm down her son, 4, while he runs around the house at 11:30pm

Helen Flanagan has been praised after showing her struggles in getting her four-year-old son Charlie to bed.

The actress, 35, took to Instagram on Wednesday and shared a video of her hectic nighttime routine with her son. 

In the video, the former Coronation Street star said: ‘Charlie I love you, can you come over to mummy please.’ 

Charlie then sprinted across the screen as Helen added: ‘Charlie can you listen please because I love you and want to give you a cuddle?’ 

She then suggested he go to bed in the cot and he then went over for a hug.  

‘Do you love your mummy?’ she asked. ‘Yes,’ he replied. 

Helen then put Charlie’s hand on her heart and said: ‘I am calm, I love my mummy,’ which Charlie repeated.

The actress said the pair could watch a film but needed to relax and they could ‘go crazy’ again in the morning. 

In a legnthy video caption, Helen admitted she struggles with how much energy her son has when she tries to put him to bed.

She wrote: ‘Look this video a few weeks ago of me trying to get Charlie to bed and I think it’s cute ❤️x.

‘Think it was about 11.30pm and he’s still bouncing around the room. Love my little boy to death he’s so beautiful, he just has SO much energy.’

Helen shares Charlie and her two daughters Matilda and Delilah with her ex-fiancé Scott Sinclair. 

The star told how she notices a change in Charlie’s behaviour when he’s with his father and she thinks having a ‘male presence’ helps boys.

She wrote: ‘Charlie’s pulled down these curtains before and smashed my window with a football. He’s a different boy for his dad than he is with me. 

‘I do feel like with a boy having a constant male presence really helps. When he’s naughty I get too tired and he’s too heavy for me to carry and too fast to catch.

‘I also really struggle with car journeys with Charlie, he thinks it’s a game to unbuckle his car seat, so I try and drive when he’s sleeping. 

‘I think reception and starting school for Charlie will be really good for him, I haven’t done phonics or practised writing his name, it will be a task in itself to get him sitting on his bottom ❤️x’. 

Helen was praised by her celebrity pals and other followers who told her she is a great mother. 

Tanya Bardsley wrote: ‘He reminds me of my Ralphi, a beautiful [ball] of energy.’

Charlotte Dawon added: ‘This is so cute and chaotic at the same time, wouldn’t have it any other way.’ 

Others wrote: ‘You are the best mama’ and ‘He goes to the same soft play as my son and he’s honestly the cutest.’