Liam Payne shares how becoming a young father was very challenging and extremely scary.

Former One Direction singer, Liam Payne, opens up about how he has left his boy band life behind him. He opened up about how much he has changed since he became a father to his son Bear Gray. Bear was born in March 2017. Payne and his then girlfriend, Cheryl, became parents when Payne was 23 years old and he said that it was very hard to become a father at such a young age. It was difficult to have children when he was trying to establish himself as an adult. “At first it is the most scary thing in the world, ’cause you’re like, ‘Oh my God, I got to take care of this tiny thing,’ ” the singer says about new fatherhood. “I was so young when I became a dad, as well. So it’s a learning curve the whole time.”

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Payne admits that it was incredibly difficult to be a father and really scary. He was trying to figure out things about himself because he didn't really know who he was yet and then he was also trying to figure the out his son as well. He has been very grateful for the opportunity to be Bear's father. “I think [raising a child] gives you the opportunity to be a better person and you’d be stupid not to take that chance.” Payne and Cheryl had since broke up and he is dating his new girlfriend Maya Henry. He said, “With love, I think you don’t really understand it until it gives you that sting. It took a long time with me. Something really hurt me and it kind of made me appreciate love and people a lot more,” he says. “For the longest time, living such an exposed life made dating really hard.”

“Now that I’ve found someone who’s genuinely my best friend as well as my partner, it’s massively changed things for me,” the star tells MTV News. “She’s just so relaxed about everything. Someone who’s completely got your back with everything is just the wildest thing. I don’t think I’ve really experienced that before in someone, so it’s quite a wonder to watch.”

Payne seems to be very happy right now where he is at with his career as a solo artist, a father to his son, and in his new relationship. He has been through a lot of challenges and tribulations the past few years but he believes that he is a much better person because of all of the trials. He is grateful that he has been able to grow right alongside his son.

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