THIS off-grid mum-of-four lets her kids shun school, pick their own bedtimes and never tells them off – and insists they’re more hard working because of it.
Author Dayna Martin, 46, insists her “radical unschooling” method, where her kids only learn what they want to, is raising a brood of budding entrepreneurs.
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Vegans Orion, 11, Ivy, 14, Tiffany, 18, and Devin, 20, wake up whenever they want to, choose what they eat and and how much screentime they get.
Dayna, of New Hampshire, said: “If they misbehave, I just ask them, ‘What can I do to help?’ It makes them think.
“My children have never been to school, and don’t do any formal schoolwork or any exams – and that is completely their choice.
“They also don’t have a set bedtime and there are no limits on their technology use or what food they eat.”
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Single mum Dayna has separated from her kids’ dad Leif, who lives in the UK, but says he fully supports her unconventional parenting methods.
But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t faced some backlash. She said: “People think my approach may be hands-off, or even neglectful.
“I’ve even been told my children won’t do anything in life – but none of that is the case.
“My philosophy isn’t anti-school – it’s anti-force.
“So much parenting advice out there focuses on punishment, compliance and rules, but I want my children to be free to make their own decisions.
Of course, my children act up like anybody else’s – but I don’t yell, or ground or punish them
Dayna Martin
“Of course, my children act up like anybody else’s – but I don’t yell, or ground or punish them.
“Because my kids live without punishment, they don’t live in fear of me.
“Instead, they trust me and see me as a guiding resource.
“It’s no different to how we, as adults, could, in theory, sit there and eat an entire box of cookies right now. We have the freedom to but choose not to.”
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Devin works as a computer programmer while Tiffany has her own cleaning business, and also makes money as an Instagram model, VSCO girl and YouTuber.
Unlike her kids, Dayna did go to mainstream school – where she worked hard and got good grades.
But she didn’t agree with all the rules and says she felt “very misunderstood” as a child.
Dayna uses a mixture of textbooks and internet resources to help her kids, but they also learn by going out into nature.
Rather than becoming lazy with their freedom, she insists they’ve “taught themselves so many skills”.
People think my approach may be hands-off, or even neglectful
Dayna Martin
She said: “Devin is a self-taught blacksmith. He really loves science, too, whereas Tiffany is very into music.
“Ivy runs a small animal rescue centre and is hugely into animal rights. Not going to school means she has the time to go and do things like that.
“Orion loves hiking, as well as computers and gaming. I see their interests as an extension of their learning.”
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Dayna’s kids have never taken a test, aside from when Orion chose to do his high school diploma – in which he got “above average” results.
She said: “I am compassionate to schools and understand that they need exams in order to rate teachers and so on, but they aren’t a measure of a child’s intelligence.”
Meanwhile, this off-grid benefits couple accused Stacey Dooley of being “lazy” and “insensitive” after they starred in her new TV show.
