A mum has revealed that she still breastfeeds her four-year-old son and has no plans to change her mind – despite what other people say.
Saskia, from Kent, has a range of unusual parenting methods including using cloth nappies and refusing to buy her children light-up battery-powered toys.
But the opinion that causes the most stir online is that the 24-year-old still breastfeeds her son, Ezra.
In a TikTok video, the teacher (@university mum) shared her opinions with her 2,000 followers, documenting the ways she and her partner Benjamin, 23 parent their kids.
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“I intend to breastfeed for as long as my children choose to,” Saskia, who is also mum to five-month-old Octavia, told What’s The Jam.
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“[In my opinion], the breastfeeding rates in our country [Britain] are very low.
“Within other cultures, there is a different view.
“In the UK, it’s considered controversial.
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“I’ve had people comment to say my son is too old or that it’s wrong for him to be breastfed at his age, but I have no plans to stop.”
The mum also shared more insight on her choice to only use cloth nappies and ditch light-up toys.
She said: “I wanted to use cloth nappies with my first baby.
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“[Back then] I wasn’t as clued up on the chemicals in disposable nappies and felt overwhelmed by the many other choices.
“I started at 10 months and it was actually fine.
“My son (Ezra) was out of nappies a week after he turned two.”
On the topic of light-up toys, she added: “The noisy, flashy lights are overstimulating and overwhelming for the brain and can actually reduce the attention span.
“There is no imagination or use for the toy outside of its purpose.
“They can reduce social interaction and problem-solving skills because most of these toys are independently played with.
“Many people may disagree with this view or think I’m denying the children of ‘fun’.”
Although her parenting opinions differ from the norm, Saskia says her friends support her.
She’s also found a community of parents online who share the same views.
Saskia added: “All of my friends are supportive I think because they are either not parents themselves or they know my background in child development and education.
“They know I make choices that consider this knowledge and further research.
“Online there is a bigger community of parents who are like-minded so I actually see the most positivity here.
“Overall nothing we do is particularly out there, it may be a bit unusual and in some ways controversial.
“But it’s just how we live our lives.
