Ben Napier, Star of HGTV’s ‘Home Town,’ Shares Challenges of Raising Young Girls

Ben Napier and Erin Napier speak onstage at the 56th Annual CMA Awards in Nashville, Tenn., on Nov. 9, 2022. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

“Home Town” star Ben Napier is opening up about his challenges raising young daughters.

During a joint interview with Fox News, the 41-year-old sat alongside his wife and co-host Erin Napier as they discussed the differences between dealing with boys in comparison to girls.

“Growing up, I had three brothers, and I know exactly how to handle boys,” Ben said. “I am in a constant state of fear with two little girls and wanting to discipline, but how far?”

“But not crush their spirit,” Erin added before Ben continued, “and also not make them terrified of me.”

For the couple, who share daughters Helen, 6, and Mae, 3, parenting two young girls is not easy.

“I feel like with boys, it’s OK to have a healthy amount of fear of your father,” Ben said. “With girls it’s like, I need them to know that they can call on me with anything.”

“I’m just not used to being around little girls ... it is really hard,” he said.

Despite having intrinsic knowledge of what it’s like to be a girl, Erin agreed.

“Parenting is the hardest job in the world. Everybody knows that,” she said.

“We’ve never been parents before,” she added. “We’re still learning every single day. Learning how to do our jobs well and be the best parents possible is always the biggest challenge.”

Through a series of Instagram posts, Erin recalled her introduction to Ben as a 19-year-old college sophomore in December 2004, and according to her, it only took six days for them to decide they would get married.

“By December 13, [Ben] had met both my parents. He had no money, no prospects, and they knew that and they both loved him instantly anyway and said so—they’d never even pretended to tolerate any boys before that. We’d been inseparable for 6 days,” Erin wrote.

“We haven’t really ever spent any time apart since then.”

‘Home Town’

In 2016, Ben and Erin launched HGTV’s “Home Town,” which follows the couple as they restore homes in their hometown Laurel, Mississippi. However, before the show’s conception, they were newlyweds on a mission to construct their dream house.

“We didn’t have a dime to waste,” Erin told People magazine of their project in 2020. The couple completed their home, which was featured across several magazines and websites before catching the attention of an HGTV producer.

“She sent us an email and said, ‘This might sound crazy, but I’ve been stalking you on social media, and I’d like to put you guys on TV,’” Ben recalled. “I was like, ‘Really? Why?’”

“We never expected this,” Erin said. “Getting a TV show never even crossed our minds.”

With no formal training or experience in construction or home design before “Home Town,” Ben and Erin were surprised to end up where they are now.

“The way it all happened was crazy,” Ben said. “It was never something we thought would turn into a career.”

Season 9 of “Home Town” premieres on Dec. 29.