To wonder if this is what people mean by gentle parenting

[pleasemothermay1]

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3699191/Outrage-parents-allow-child-toilet-Morning-floor.html

Not sure why a one year old wouldn't have a nappy on as she clearly is not Notts trained at that age my one year old would be become destressed to be constantly wet

And what's the no medication about surely social service would become involved if they got very ill and parents did noting

Very odd

I found it bizarre that they are into all this 'natural', 'unschooling' stuff but yet she still lets the kids go on computer tablets

As for the no medication stuff, my dd is a type 1 diabetic and my first thought was how they would 'heal' that naturally they wouldn't

The video on the go fund me page is gold!

I also suspect (though obviously don't know) that she never registered as pregnant with her GP either, given her distrust of conventional obstetric care + ultrasounds etc. So she could literally do what she liked without interference.

I found it bizarre that they are into all this 'natural', 'unschooling' stuff but yet she still lets the kids go on computer tablets

I don't find it bizarre at all.

I don't find it bizarre at all

Cool.

Not following a curriculum doesn't mean she won't facilitate learning, nor that he will never learn to read.

Autonomous learning may be a more appropriate description but that is just me making assumptions!!

I suspect autonomous learning works well for some children, and not for others. Prescribing only one way to do it without taking into account your individual child, does not seem helpful.

Ahhhhh the sweet ironies of an online fundraising page for self-sustainability for an off-grid family

Well, I could have a nice smallholding in Costa Rica too, if other people paid for it.

I'm also wondering about the logistics of immersing yourself in nature daily while living in a one bedroom flat in the city

Using 'fasting' as a treatment technique? Should have used that when my step father was dying of a brain tumour! Who knew!

Can't stand fucktards like this - we're so off the grid man, but bung us a few quid for our relocation cause we spent all our yoga money on iPads - fcuk offffff!

I found her insight into autism being caused by mercury in fillings quite worrying, apparently it can be treated with some herbal tea

Her FB community is under The Unconventional Parent.

Batshit doesn't even come close...

I was reading mama naturally....
Must check out the fb!

I found her insight into autism being caused by mercury in fillings quite worrying, apparently it can be treated with some herbal tea

Seriously?! Fucking hell. That's horrendous.

Moving to Costa Rica isn't that easy! They have strict immigration rules and I doubt two flaky bloggers will meet them.
I'm pretty crunchy myself but shinning vacs, medicine and having unassisted births is just crazy!

Felt very sorry for children in this situation. Neglect comes to mind. The 5 year old s going to be restricted if not taught to read. Hope they start schooling soon even if it is at home. Surprised ss havent picked this up!

Meh. Elim comm? Crack on. The presenters will have known child didn't have a nappy on so can't have been overly surprised. Home educating? Very sensible. We do it too. Full term breastfeeding? Totally natural. Mine stopped by 3.5yrs but would have carried on until they stopped anyway. Unschooling? Totally fine. All children learn differently. They seem the type to have done their research far more than many who school their children traditionally but go no further than checking distance and maybe Ofsted at a push for their local school.

But non-vaxxing? Nah. I know a few who don't and they are genuine, intelligent, reasoned people. But not a decision I agree with, and not one I would ever make.

I fully agree that natural Medicines have their role, but would never rely on them to the exclusion of doctors etc, more as a complement to.

I know plenty of children who can't read at 5...5 is actually unnaturally early. I also know plenty who teach themselves, they tend to learn quicker when left to do it at the 'right' time.

It's the Daily Mail.

Undoubtedly totally invented and exaggerated to stir up outrage.

Load of bollocks. Can't believe people fall for it

So much ignorance about home ed. You don't have to follow any curriculum at all, because it isn't mass education. You tailor what you do and how you do it to your child and set up. So some may do 'formal' style teaching, some may unschool, some may do a mixture. But all are ok, and 'legal'. My daughter is 'in the system', but they have no involvement with what we teach or how we teach it. We don't 'teach' her anything. Doesn't mean she isn't learning a lot.

If my son doesn't start school, he won't be in the system. However he will be treated the same.

Felt very sorry for children in this situation. Neglect comes to mind. The 5 year old s going to be restricted if not taught to read. Hope they start schooling soon even if it is at home. Surprised ss havent picked this up!

I truly don't know where to start with this post.

Have nc'd for this as it's outing when compared to my other posts.

Back in the 90s, I was heavily involved in the squat/free party scene and met a lot of parents like this and a lot of adults who had been brought up like this in the 70s.

There are a number of ways it goes ... you end up with uncontrollable kids who have no idea about boundaries or social behaviour (we had a lot of problems with theft, damage, and antisocial behaviour by children under 16), you end up with children that do not understand where they fit in the world or how to operate in it (these end up being very troubled souls), or you end up with adult children that resent you because they have to spend their 20s and 30s trying to get up to speed with everyone else in their age group.

It's probably worth pointing out that if people in the squat party scene found these parents' kids unbearable, it really says something.

The only way it works is if you go properly off-grid and bring your children up in a "homesteading" style, which, of course, involves them learning a lot of practical skills from a very early age a bit like the Amish but without the whole Christian aspect or you incorporate free-thinking attitudes with the existing state and cultural structure (so you do "hippy" but your kids go to school, get GP check-ups and are expected to adhere to social conventions), or you are fairly strict about behaviour, attitude and learning etc while outside of the existing state and cultural structure.

What you can't do is do "hippy", pull out of all existing social, cultural and state conventions and structures, and not replace them with the acquisition of any "hard" skills, while living in a fairly urban environment.

It made me laugh though when I read about their goal to go to Costa Rica and become self-sustainable. Do they realise how much work it is to go self-sustainable outside of a larger community context and access to a significant acreage of land? I know people that started it in the 70s and persevered for years, with livestock, chickens, orchards ... it's unbelievably hard work and even then, you still need to buy bread, soap, fabric and oil etc, which means someone has to earn money somehow.

These two are very delusional.

This is beyond vanity.

So, they doesn't want to 'harm' thier children by exposing them to foreign substances and 'neglectful' harsh parenting techniques, but are quite happy to parade them on national television like some f**king circus freakshow to be ridiculed by the masses in order to promote their own particular brand of woo.

...and a self-sustaining lifestyle funded by handouts from the capitalist meat-eaters that they so despise.

I've seen it all now.

Poor kids.

I've no issue at all with breastfeeding for ages, or generally letting kids be wild, or living sustainably... but the no medical care thing is dreadful
I would support a system like they have in Oz. No vaccines no benefits (with of course genuine medical exceptions for the small minority of kids who can't have them.)
Not giving your kids access to medical care is neglect, pure and simple.

But of course, the meeja focus is on breastfeeding. Sigh.

The lotus birth thing is bollocks too. And potentially dangerous. Placentae are wonderful things but once you've given birth they're effectively rotting meat attached to your vulnerable baby by a direct blood connection. You would have to be staggeringly thick to think leaving it attached is in any way beneficial or natural. Most mammals gnaw the cord and get rid of it in short order.

Natural parenting is being loving, responsive and caring, and making sure your kids grow up as functional members of society to whatever degree they're able. This is just twattery.

I predict their kids will rebel by joining the army, civil service etc ;)

Ulysses changes his name to Dave and joins the civil service, marries a lovely woman called Miriam and insists on his children being tutored for the local grammer. He is known to everyone as a solid dependable family man with an aversion to mint in any form