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The Yorkshire shepherdess and the snowflake generation

507 replies

Marcia1989 · 06/04/2021 17:19

www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9438725/Our-Yorkshire-Farm-star-Amanda-Owen-gave-birth-eighth-child-husband-ASLEEP-upstairs.html

Sorry for link to the Daily Mail. It was the only non-paywalled article but her comments are also reported in The Times and The Telegraph.

She runs a sheep farm in a remote part of Yorkshire and has 9 kids. She thinks that parents do not raise their children to be sufficiently independent, to look after themselves. She didn't really do home-schooling with them because she doesn't want to be a helicopter parent - she expects them to just get on with it. She expects all the kids to help on the farm and they don't really do devices/TV etc. Having watched her TV series, I agree that her kids seem admirably self-sufficient and mature and I do think generally it's really good for children to have some responsibility. But, I do also wonder whether a lack of individual attention is detrimental to them. And there will be some kids who don't get on with it, and is it really right to just leave them to it?

What does everyone think?

OP posts:
GappyValley · 06/04/2021 20:19

@MovingtoEssex

The eldest daughter is studying medicine at York university.
No she isn’t She is studying a biology subject at York St John
SimonJT · 06/04/2021 20:21

She didn’t homeschool her children because Raven is her live in 24/7 nanny.

Veterinari · 06/04/2021 20:22

@MiddleParking

Ah well, congratulations on learning something about the limitations of your experience.
And you continue to be rude and unpleasant. Nice

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Families
Veterinari · 06/04/2021 20:23

@SimonJT

She didn’t homeschool her children because Raven is her live in 24/7 nanny.
Raven is at Uni
cerealgamechanger · 06/04/2021 20:28

She must have nannies and private tutors for the children. There is no way, she could manage all that on her own. Or maybe this is Yorkshire and the children's 'hard as nails' genes are seeing them through.

Haffdonga · 06/04/2021 20:28

@MovingtoEssex

The eldest daughter is studying medicine at York university.
I don't think she is because we saw her going to York St John in the latest series (different uni which doesn't teach medicine). Her A level grades which were announced on screen (poor girl) were not medicine level.

Remember everything we see is heavily edited. If you want to give the impression of delightful happy children leading a wholesome existence you easily can by cutting out the normal perfectly natural grumbles, tantrums and arguments that a family of 9 would have.

You can also edit out Amanda's lucrative media career and imply that the family survive on sheep farming and Yorkshire grit.

They're probably a perfectly nice family but they just aren't what we see on TV.

cerealgamechanger · 06/04/2021 20:29

@LunaNorth please tell us more...

SimonJT · 06/04/2021 20:33

@Veterinari She has been at home through lockdown as her degree course does not have practical elements. Also multiple scenes of Raven teaching the children who are studying using ipads.

lljkk · 06/04/2021 20:33

So she had her youngest when she was age 44 & her husband age 65.
Didn't we have a snippy thread on MN recently about older parents being selfish etc. to the offspring?

I just think it's funny the article is in the Mail, most the readers are probably town softies who took every form of pain relief available to birth their own babes.

mermaidsariel · 06/04/2021 20:34

@cerealgamechanger

She must have nannies and private tutors for the children. There is no way, she could manage all that on her own. Or maybe this is Yorkshire and the children's 'hard as nails' genes are seeing them through.
You see them go to school on the school bus!! Why on earth do you think she has nannies and tutors?
Veterinari · 06/04/2021 20:35

@cerealgamechanger

She must have nannies and private tutors for the children. There is no way, she could manage all that on her own. Or maybe this is Yorkshire and the children's 'hard as nails' genes are seeing them through.
She doesn't have nannies and private tutors Confused She raises her DC and sends them to school. Like many other mums of large families
mermaidsariel · 06/04/2021 20:36

I did read it’s York Uni and it’s Biomedicine

dementedma · 06/04/2021 20:37

I think she's great tbh. Good luck to her

madroid · 06/04/2021 20:37

Ah poor Amanda - the internet and social media are bound to turn against her eventually.

I love watching the tv series. It's so refreshing. The children aren't glued to screens, they're nice to each other, speak nicely and seem very genuine.

Amanda and Clive are great parents in my opinion (although I do think give birth completely unattended is a bit irresponsible (as well as actually illegal))

Veterinari · 06/04/2021 20:38

[quote SimonJT]@Veterinari She has been at home through lockdown as her degree course does not have practical elements. Also multiple scenes of Raven teaching the children who are studying using ipads.[/quote]
And that makes her a live in nanny? Confused

lydia2021 · 06/04/2021 20:38

Time will tell how her kids cope in the real world. It's not all about farming. I think she might have a shock coming when they are all late teens

C8H10N4O2 · 06/04/2021 20:40

She has a new series or book out doesn't she? So comments about snowflakes, freebirthing and not bothering with home schooling whilst posing for pictures in miniskirts with her photogenic children will generate lots of media coverage and column inches.

She has made a career of being a reality star with spin off books, an influencer career, a tourist business and rental properties. Good luck to her if people want to pay for it.

I'm a lot less keen on people bringing their kids into these shows - they are not able to give informed consent.

MrsClatterbuck · 06/04/2021 20:42

@Inanun2

I did comment that not many children would be that independent at that age and they have the freedom that lots of us had when we were younger but children no longer have.
I used to play in shallow streams / woodland etc with friends and no parents but nowadays most of us would just not let our children do that without an adult present. Unless we lived somewhere so remote

I also played in streams and woods as a child. I would have come home filthy much to my dm dismay. She was a bit of a clean freak. But me and my friends had a ball. I also lived on my bike and rode it a lot.

AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 06/04/2021 20:43

She gets a lot right - but I'm really not sure that never attending a parent's evening is something to boast about. Nor is choosing to give birth unassisted, given how badly wrong things can go (though tbf I can easily see baby number 8 + being a long way from hospital meaning there's no time)

Veterinari · 06/04/2021 20:43

@madroid

Ah poor Amanda - the internet and social media are bound to turn against her eventually.

I love watching the tv series. It's so refreshing. The children aren't glued to screens, they're nice to each other, speak nicely and seem very genuine.

Amanda and Clive are great parents in my opinion (although I do think give birth completely unattended is a bit irresponsible (as well as actually illegal))

Unassisted childbirth isn't illegal in the UK.

Have you read any of her books? Her labours are generally very short - she says she doesn't experience contractions so only knows she's giving birth when in active labour at which point it's too late. I think she only managed to make it to hospital for 1 labour. In another she gave birth in a layby
I can't see how she could realistically access prompt medical support unless she left the farm and holed up in a hotel or similar for the last month of her pregnancies. Which isn't terribly practical

MiddleParking · 06/04/2021 20:47

Always the way with people who perpetuate the snowflake narrative. All for rudeness and unpleasantness, as long as they like the direction it’s going in.

ikeairgin · 06/04/2021 20:53

@madroid

Ah poor Amanda - the internet and social media are bound to turn against her eventually.

I love watching the tv series. It's so refreshing. The children aren't glued to screens, they're nice to each other, speak nicely and seem very genuine.

Amanda and Clive are great parents in my opinion (although I do think give birth completely unattended is a bit irresponsible (as well as actually illegal))

Giving birth unassisted is not illegal
MiddleParking · 06/04/2021 20:56

They could hardly criminalise unassisted birth. Surely it usually happens by accident.

Toilenstripes · 06/04/2021 20:57

Nine kids is too many in this day and age.

Dobbyafreeelf · 06/04/2021 20:59

@lydia2021

Time will tell how her kids cope in the real world. It's not all about farming. I think she might have a shock coming when they are all late teens
@lydia2021 what makes you say that? Her eldest is currently studying Biomedicine at York and her second has got himself a really competitive mechanical apprenticeship working on agricultural machinery. Something he has had a real interest and talent in for a long time.

So why would they have any problems?!!