Alternative parenting? Not for me.

[Alex]

Ok, so this happened a few years ago but someone reminded me of it recently and I thought I'd put it up here.

ADELE and Matt Allen were in the news earlier this week after they spoke about their "off-grid" parenting style.

The couple, who live in Brighton in the UK, don't believe in doctors or conventional schooling and Adele still breastfeeds their five-year-old-son.

The family made headlines again today, after they appeared on British TV show This Morning.

The couple were invited to speak about their alternative lifestyle, and explain why they have opted to raise their two kids outside of the mainstream education system.

But viewers were left shocked when their youngest child tottered off to wee on the studio floor — live on air.

Adele, 32, told hosts Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford that son Ulysses, 5, was still breastfeeding, and would stop only when he was ready.

She said: "We prefer to go the more free-range, natural route."

And it seems they have a similar approach to toilet training, as their flaxen-haired toddler sauntered off for a cheeky wee as her parents were quizzed.

As one-year-old Ostara stood and stared defiantly in to the camera, a small puddle of urine began to form around her feet.

"Urgh!" yelled Ulysees, as his dad told him to quieten down.

As the restless child, and his baby sister continued to clamber over the sofa, Ruth asked if there were any rules or discipline at home.

Adele said: "We do have rules, he would do as we ask.

"We speak to him respectfully knowing he's an equal human being to us.

"He is a highly sensitive child in nature and gets overwhelmed very easily.

"It's important to him to not have strong, authoritative discipline as he doesn't react well to that."

She grinned that the children don't go to school.

"We do unschooling. It's home education away from the curriculum.

"Whatever he's interested in, we provide the opportunities for him to learn about it at that time."

Ulysees can use an iPad, but can't read or write, although Adele was proud to announce he can count up to 20.

They explained that their children usually run about barefoot.

"It makes the feet stronger. It's actually the shoes that make them softer."

Ulysees and Ostara aren't vaccinated, and instead are left to battle diseases and "self-fast" until their little bodies have healed.

Ulysees — who like his sister is not vaccinated — had scarlet fever and chickenpox, but was aided through medicinal foods and herbs rather than taken to see a doctor.

Viewers were quick to slam the children as badly behaved and in need of some discipline.

One commented: "These children are already proving they need boundaries #offgridparenting seems dangerous to me."

Another said: "#OffGridParenting clearly isn't all that. They're the worst behaved kids I've seen on the show in a while."

Sarah Capps @nightflower2001

These are the kids you see smashing things & the parents are like 'oh they're just expressing themselves' #offgridparenting #thismorning
16
10:20 AM - Jul 20, 2016

Amy McEwan @AmyMcEwan25

Mixed reviews on #offgridparenting think them children where a bad example & need a few rules but would be interested in seeing the outcome
10:15 AM - Jul 20, 2016

Janeymode @Janeymode

@itvthismorning #offgridparenting unbelievable, they live in cloud cuckoo land, it's totally dangerous, their children appear feral,

Following their appearance on the show, the couple asked strangers to donate £100,000 ($177,000) to help fund their sustainable lifestyle.

They want the money to buy plane tickets to Costa Rica and a patch of land in the Central American country so they can live their ideal lifestyle.

A plea made on website Fund My Travel see the couple, who share a one bedroom flat with their kids, plead with the public to make their dreams of living sustainably in Central America come true.

Their manifesto for strangers' funds reads: "We firmly believe that there are alternative parenting ways and you don't have to conform to what's expected.

"We have an all natural approach to parenting and are reaping the benefits.

"Our ultimate goal is to become self-sufficient, the way of making that happen is by moving to Costa Rica and buying a big plot of land where we can grow food, and have access to wildlife and nature in it's natural state.

"That's where we need YOUR help, we would love if you could donate any amount and help us achieve our dreams.

[Trevor]

I'm not a parent but that is not how parenting actually should be. Discipline, love, stability, rules, caring, education etc, that's how it should be.

[ER]

That's more extreme than the self-described "free-range parents" I have known, but one thing I've noticed is the children in most cases of that lifestyle seem to become absolute tyrants over their parents.

I know a couple who say they won't make their son wear clothes at home if he doesn't want to, and that's still their policy even though he'll be thirteen this fall. Not long ago I had to drop something off at their place and when they invited us to come up I had to tell them that my daughter didn't want to be in their house if it meant seeing their son naked. They laughed and laughed about that, not offended, just acted like she was being silly.

PS Slightly on the bad parents topic, I wrote this down in my diary on Friday January 8, 2016:

And that email led to the strangest day at Chucky Cheese's! Met Clare and my godson there, and while Clare and I were sitting in a booth debating the reality of Hobbes, of Calvin and Hobbes fame, this silent toddler wandered over to us in a state of partial undress, wearing a shirt and absolutely nothing else on him, and a search ensued for a parent or employee. The crazy hippie mother finally explained she's been letting her two-year-old "free range" and didn't even seem concerned her kid had shed his pants and diaper and was wandering through a restaurant.

[BoyScoutKevin]

I must admit this bothers me, but, I must also admit I am not sure why it does. I guess it is just a matter of time whether the children will grow up to be well-adjusted or maladjusted. I'd also be interested in knowing whether anybody donates money to support the family's move to Costa Rica.

[Alex]

They received a pledge of $5 which is turned out was from themselves.

[FatFreddysCat]

Letting your kids walk around naked, crapping/peeing on the floor at will, isn't "parenting." It's raising farm animals.

[Trevor]

Letting your kids walk around naked, crapping/peeing on the floor at will, isn't "parenting." It's raising farm animals.

My folks did that with me 

[chainsaw midget]

Letting your kids walk around naked, crapping/peeing on the floor at will, isn't "parenting." It's raising farm animals.

My folks did that with me 

And just look how you turned out!