As a former teacher, I'd never send my children to a traditional school

Taylor Moran and her children Hudson, Thompson and Gus (Picture: Jam Press/@leafandlearn)

A 32-year-old mother of three has sparked debate after sharing her controversial methods of ‘unschooling’ her children.

Taylor Moran, a former teacher, argues that traditional schooling methods like classes and homework ‘kills kids’ spirits’, and prefers to encourage her students to ‘take risks.’

‘It’s important for them to take on risks, like climbing trees, running barefoot or playing in mud,’ she explained. As well as homeschooling Hudson, five, Thompson, three, and Gus, one, Moran is also a TikToker; sharing her alternative schooling methods with 73,000 followers.

In one viral video, Gus can be seen crawling and playing with mud in the forest, with Taylor captioning the clip with, ‘If you want your children to be comfortable in nature, don’t be afraid to let your babies explore nature.’

‘It’s through these small challenges that they develop confidence and a strong mind-body connection,’ she explained. ‘Taking physical risks, and succeeding, not only helps the brain function better but also increases self-esteem, which pours into every other aspect of life.’

The off-grid Moran family value time outdoors (Picture: Jam Press/@leafandlearn)

And it seems like one-year-old Gus is the most adventurous, as Tayor describes how he ‘crawls around the property, though supervised of course, and loves to climb logs, play with leaves, dig in the dirt, or throw rocks.’

‘He explores ant hills and when he gets bitten, he cries, I console him, show the hill, and say ‘ouch,’’ she said. ‘If you’re wanting to raise the happiest, healthiest kids possible, then this is a must.’

Taylor, who is originally from Arkansas, said that ‘letting [her] kids explore nature is important on many levels.’

‘Children are designed to be barefoot, balance on logs, climb trees and hang from limbs,’ she argued. ‘Plastic and metal playgrounds are actually just replicas of what children should be naturally finding in nature.’

‘If you’re wanting to raise the happiest, healthiest kids possible, then this is a must.’ (Picture: Jam Press/@leafandlearn)

The former teacher says she’ll never put her kids in school (Picture: Jam Press/Taryn Lynn Photography)

Out on the water (Picture: Jam Press/@leafandlearn)

According to Taylor, its importance for bodies to be ‘in contact with soil, rocks, and trees’ because they ‘synchronise with the natural frequencies of the earth.’ This synchronicity, Taylor added, ‘has been proven to improve sleep, calm the nervous system and so much more.’

Ultimately, Taylor is unconcerned about her methods because ‘the easiest way to avoid risks is to be knowledgeable, strong, and skilled.’

“We’ve made sure they know about ants, spiders, insects, snakes, and plants – they know what will hurt them and what won’t.’

She added: ‘A few things my children have learned that they would not have in a traditional schooling environment, include how to butcher chickens for meat and use a knife safely.’

‘They’ve also learnt how to incubate eggs and hatch baby chicks, and how to brood and care for them, as well as how to identify poison ivy and treat a rash with herbs, how to plant a garden, sow seeds and how to cut down trees.’

‘Other skills include how to make sourdough bread and yogurt from scratch, how to catch and boil wild crawfish.’

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