A mother-of-three has revealed her controversial parenting quirks and said she doesn’t care if “lazy parents” don’t like them.
Rosie Graham, 29, from Bedfordshire, gives her children extra homework because she doesn’t think she can trust schools to give them a full education.
The mother insists that the extra workload works wonders for her three children, Hunter, six, Dakota, five, and Saint, two.
This includes doing worksheets over the weekend, as well as learning various life skills, such as helping around the house.
The busy mother is not afraid to penalize her children if they do not follow her rules, claiming that she is preparing them for the real world where actions have consequences.
Rosie Graham, 29, from Bedfordshire, chooses to give her children extra homework because she doesn’t think she can trust schools to give them a well-rounded education.
Rosie said: ‘I don’t rely solely on the school system to educate my children because teachers are under a lot of pressure to teach well with a mountain of paperwork.
‘They don’t have time to work individually with the children and give my children their full attention when it comes to teaching.
‘The UK school system is underfunded and it is unfair to expect teachers to teach an entire class with different needs to an exceptional standard.
‘I see the school system as supporting my children’s education; It is a luxury that so many people around the world do not have access to an education.
‘It’s not a teacher’s job to raise our children, it’s our job. My kids’ school has fantastic teachers, but that doesn’t mean I have to rely solely on them.
‘As a parent, it is my responsibility to ensure that my children receive an education, the school system is a luxury.
‘We do maths, English and science every weekend, in the form of worksheets, experiments and daily life.
‘Saint also does additional activities to practice their fine motor skills, flash cards, and educational games.
The mum insists the extra workload works wonders for her three children, Hunter, six, Dakota, five, and Saint, two (pictured).
“I also teach them life, cooking, cleaning and survival skills, such as building shelters, staying safe in the water and identifying plants.”
Rosie, who shares her ideas on the TikTok account @liferaisingtresShe also has strict eating and bedtimes that her children follow.
She said: ‘Children between these ages need between 10 and 14 hours of sleep a night.
‘When they sleep, their heart rate and blood pressure decrease, allowing their heart to replenish and rest.
‘Children need a good amount of sleep for good development, especially brain development.
‘They often tell me that they go to sleep too early, between 6 and 6:30, but they fall asleep within minutes and sleep 12 hours a night.
‘I don’t care if Jane, who lives down the street, lets her kids stay up until 10pm because she can’t be bothered to establish a bedtime routine.
‘It doesn’t affect me. I have been doing this routine with my children for years so it is normal for them.”
Before putting the children to bed, Rosie makes sure they have dinner, play and relax together, take a bath, and read them a bedtime story.
The busy mother makes sure to prepare dinner before her children return from school, to avoid overwhelming them with snacks that would discourage them from eating dinner later.
‘It doesn’t make sense for me to give them a snack when they come in only to have them tell me they are full and not eating dinner.
“There are currently no exceptions to this – after-school clubs run from 4.30 onwards, so they eat before they leave.”
The busy mother is not afraid to penalize her children if they do not follow her rules, claiming that she is preparing them for the real world where actions have consequences.
Rosie, who also doesn’t allow her kids to have sleepovers with anyone other than immediate family, is also cautious about excessive screen time and places an emphasis on outdoor play.
She explained: “I’m not trying to raise kids who live life through a screen. As long as they have the right clothes and shoes, there’s no reason kids shouldn’t be outside exploring in any weather.”
‘It encourages them to use their imagination, social skills, teamwork and improves their physical health.
‘My children love being outdoors and are only allowed to use their tablets at weekends. We don’t use technology during the week and we can spend quality time together.
‘They don’t spend time sitting inside in front of consoles: we go out together to enjoy nature.
“They’re also early risers, so we spend two or three hours together before school.”
Rosie also chooses to pay her children pocket money, which she believes helps teach them discipline and budgeting skills.
She said: ‘The children receive £8 pocket money a week.
‘They have to save £3 and get £5 to spend over the weekend if they have been respectful and done things like making their bed all week.
‘If they haven’t, they will be deducted £1 for each time they have been disrespectful to us or each other.
‘It is important that this consequence is established because otherwise they will not learn cause and effect.
Rosie also chooses to pay her children pocket money, which she believes helps teach them discipline and budgeting skills, but she is trolled on social media for being a helicopter mother.
‘They will grow up thinking that it is okay to act disrespectfully because there will be no consequences and that doesn’t happen in the real world.
“My family and friends are aware that I’m a self-confessed control freak, so they’re used to it.”
She said she has faced criticism online for the way she raises her children.
Rosie said: ‘I often get comments online saying “poor kids”, “they don’t have fun” and “when do you spend time with them?”
‘But these are comments often from lazy parents who lack the discipline to implement and maintain that routine. I often receive hateful and abusive comments on my social media.
“But if that’s what it takes to raise respectful, intelligent, resilient, kind, caring children, then I’m fine with that.”
