Mother With Seven 'Feral' Kids Says They Don't Have To Abide By Strict Rules Or Go To School

Sep 13, 2020

Gemma and Lewis Rawnsley live with their seven young children in northern England and are raising them with "no rules." The youngest child is just four years old while the oldest is now 16-years-old.

According to The Sun, the Rawnsley children do not go to school. While this isn’t unusual, what is unusual is that they are not homeschooled, either. Gemma and Lewis firmly believe that their children shouldn’t have to follow the rules that are created by adults. The family has a show on the UK's Channel 4 called "Feral Families."

Instead, their “feral” children are basically allowed to make all of their own decisions. They can choose what they want to eat, how they dress, what they want to do during the day, and when their bedtime is.

Gemma stated in the series that she does not want to see her children grow up too fast. The then 35-year-old mother of seven said that she loves that they get to be children for as long as possible. This means not setting any strict boundaries.

The children are also permitted to do things that most kids would never be allowed to do. They can swear, get piercings and tattoos, and cut and dye their own hair. They are allowed to do many activities that are considered to be “adult.”

If you visit the house, you may find one child cutting their own hair with hair clippers. Another one may be chopping away at some sticks with an ax outside. It is quite common to see the kids of the Rawnsley home doing activities that most parents would highly disapprove of. 

That is because Gemma and Lewis believe that kids only have so long to act like kids. They don’t wish to impose any rules on them. Gemma explained that while she does make decisions based on whether an activity is dangerous or not, she wants the children to learn responsibility on their own.

She is also aware that others do not approve of the way she is raising their children. She said on the show that they hope that the children will grow up knowing how to make their own decisions. 

Gemma went on to say that she wants her children to have happy, interesting lives. The children spend their days at the local park or at home. She will weigh the pros and cons when it comes to something her kids want to do and will allow them to proceed if she thinks they can learn from it.

You can learn more about her parenting style in the video below:

What do you think of this family? Do you like the idea of letting your kids decide for themselves or do you think children need at least some rules? We would love to hear your opinion! Tell us in the comments and be sure to get the opinions of other parents.