Unconventional: Get ready to meet the mother who lets her 'free range' kids drink coffee, go outside barefoot, eat sand and sticks, and bathe in puddles
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A ‘free range’ mother who lets her kids drink coffee, go outside barefoot, eat sand and sticks, and bathe in puddles has furiously defending her unconventional parenting style – insisting that her methods actually make for healthier, happier children. 

Mara Doemland, 29, from Corpus Christi, Texas, who has four kids under the age of 10, says she ‘doesn’t want her children to be restricted’ in life.

So, she and her partner, Christopher Mareth, 36, who works as a reseller, let their kids Emmy, nine, Murphy, seven, Ripley, five, and Indy, two, pretty much do – and eat – whatever they want.

Critics have been quick to slam Mara, warning that allowing children to do things like eat sand, drink coffee, or run around outside with no shoes on can be detrimental to their health. 

However, the mother-of-four is undeterred – and even claims that her ‘no rules’ approach to food has helped her kids to be healthier.  

By not ‘categorizing certain food as special or a treat,’ she explained that her children don’t ‘crave sweet things’ and often choose vegetables and fruits on their own.

Unconventional: Get ready to meet the mother who lets her 'free range' kids drink coffee, go outside barefoot, eat sand and sticks, and bathe in puddles

Unconventional: Get ready to meet the mother who lets her 'free range' kids drink coffee, go outside barefoot, eat sand and sticks, and bathe in puddles

Unconventional: Get ready to meet the mother who lets her 'free range' kids drink coffee, go outside barefoot, eat sand and sticks, and bathe in puddles

Unconventional: Get ready to meet the mother who lets her 'free range' kids drink coffee, go outside barefoot, eat sand and sticks, and bathe in puddles

Unconventional: Get ready to meet the mother who lets her ‘free range’ kids drink coffee, go outside barefoot, eat sand and sticks, and bathe in puddles

Mara Doemland, 29, and her partner, Christopher Mareth, 36, lets their kids Emmy, nine, Murphy, seven, Ripley, five, and Indy, two, pretty much do - and eat - whatever they want

Mara Doemland, 29, and her partner, Christopher Mareth, 36, lets their kids Emmy, nine, Murphy, seven, Ripley, five, and Indy, two, pretty much do - and eat - whatever they want

Mara Doemland, 29, and her partner, Christopher Mareth, 36, lets their kids Emmy, nine, Murphy, seven, Ripley, five, and Indy, two, pretty much do – and eat – whatever they want

But Mara has insisted that not 'restricting' what her kids eat has actually made their diets more balanced in the end, and has resulted in them not having a 'negative relationship with food'

But Mara has insisted that not 'restricting' what her kids eat has actually made their diets more balanced in the end, and has resulted in them not having a 'negative relationship with food'

But Mara has insisted that not ‘restricting’ what her kids eat has actually made their diets more balanced in the end, and has resulted in them not having a ‘negative relationship with food’

By not 'categorizing certain food as special or a treat,' Mara explained that her children don't 'crave sweet things' and often choose vegetables and fruits on their own

By not 'categorizing certain food as special or a treat,' Mara explained that her children don't 'crave sweet things' and often choose vegetables and fruits on their own

By not 'categorizing certain food as special or a treat,' Mara explained that her children don't 'crave sweet things' and often choose vegetables and fruits on their own

By not 'categorizing certain food as special or a treat,' Mara explained that her children don't 'crave sweet things' and often choose vegetables and fruits on their own

By not ‘categorizing certain food as special or a treat,’ Mara explained that her children don’t ‘crave sweet things’ and often choose vegetables and fruits on their own

She also lets her four kids drink coffee, despite medical professionals recommending that children under 12 avoid caffeine

She also lets her four kids drink coffee, despite medical professionals recommending that children under 12 avoid caffeine

She also lets her four kids drink coffee, despite medical professionals recommending that children under 12 avoid caffeine

‘I don’t agree with restricting food for my kids,’ she told SWNS recently. ‘I don’t want them to have a negative relationship with food.

Things Mara lets her kids do that others find controversial 

  • Drink coffee
  • Go outside barefoot
  • Eat whatever they want 
  • Put sand and sticks in their mouths
  • Bathe in rain puddles
  • Play with marbles 
  • Dress however they want
  • Shave their hair off
  • Don’t have to share with one another

‘I make sure all food is available for them which doesn’t categorize certain food as “special” or a treat. It actually stops them craving sweet things if it is all available to them.’

She also lets her four kids drink coffee, despite medical professionals recommending that children under 12 avoid caffeine.

‘I let them drink coffee if they want to try it but they don’t drink it like adults do,’ the mother-of-four said. ‘They’re not doing shots of espresso all day.’

According to Cleveland Clinic, no amount of caffeine is proven safe for kids 12 and under. The organization reported that it can cause abnormal heart rhythm, anxiety, dehydration, diarrhea, headaches, high blood pressure, moodiness, restlessness, seizures, sleep disruptions, tremors, and an upset stomach.

Mara is also a fan of embracing the dirtier side of things, and lets her kids go outside barefoot and play in the rain. She herself loves to walk around without shoes, and she said it has strengthened her feet in the long run.

‘I’m a barefoot person and have strong feet. I let my kids go barefoot if they want unless the pavement is too hot,’ she said. ‘Emmy and Indy love to be barefoot.

Mara is also a fan of embracing the dirtier side of things, and lets her kids go outside barefoot and play in the rain

Mara is also a fan of embracing the dirtier side of things, and lets her kids go outside barefoot and play in the rain

Mara is also a fan of embracing the dirtier side of things, and lets her kids go outside barefoot and play in the rain

Mara is also a fan of embracing the dirtier side of things, and lets her kids go outside barefoot and play in the rain

Mara is also a fan of embracing the dirtier side of things, and lets her kids go outside barefoot and play in the rain

She herself loves to walk around without shoes, and she said it has strengthened her feet in the long run

She herself loves to walk around without shoes, and she said it has strengthened her feet in the long run

She herself loves to walk around without shoes, and she said it has strengthened her feet in the long run

'I'm a barefoot person and have strong feet. I let my kids go barefoot if they want unless the pavement is too hot,' she said. 'Emmy and Indy love to be barefoot'

'I'm a barefoot person and have strong feet. I let my kids go barefoot if they want unless the pavement is too hot,' she said. 'Emmy and Indy love to be barefoot'

‘I’m a barefoot person and have strong feet. I let my kids go barefoot if they want unless the pavement is too hot,’ she said. ‘Emmy and Indy love to be barefoot’

‘When it rains, I make sure we all get out in it and just have fun. It’s freeing but it is a mess.’

Mara even allowed her nine-year-old daughter, Emmy, shave her hair off, and encourages all of her kids to wear whatever they want, even if it goes against the grain.

Mara even allowed her nine-year-old daughter, Emmy, shave her hair off, and encourages all of her kids to wear whatever they want, even if it goes against the grain

Mara even allowed her nine-year-old daughter, Emmy, shave her hair off, and encourages all of her kids to wear whatever they want, even if it goes against the grain

Mara even allowed her nine-year-old daughter, Emmy, shave her hair off, and encourages all of her kids to wear whatever they want, even if it goes against the grain

‘We want them to be comfortable and wear what makes them happy,’ Mara continued.

‘Emmy has her head shaved and is only wearing black and oversized clothes at the moment. We let our boys wear dresses if they want to. It’s what they like.’

Stay-at-home mom Mara explained that she gradually built her ‘free range’ style of parenting after having Emmy at just 19.

‘I was mean and had no patience when I first had Emmy,’ she recalled. 

She also doesn’t force her kids to share, and thinks it’s important for them to have time to themselves if they want it. 

‘If one of my kids is playing with something and another other wants to play too, we don’t make them share if they don’t want to,’ she said. 

‘We have taught them phrases such as “give me space.” As adults, we don’t always want to share things so I don’t think it’s something that kids should have to do.’

Mara doesn’t stop her kids from eating things like sand and sticks when they’re playing outside because she believes allowing them to try different things will eventually lead to them learning what’s safe and what isn’t the hard way.

Embracing their differences: 'We want them to be comfortable and wear what makes them happy,' Mara continued. 'We let our boys wear dresses if they want to. It's what they like'

Embracing their differences: 'We want them to be comfortable and wear what makes them happy,' Mara continued. 'We let our boys wear dresses if they want to. It's what they like'

Embracing their differences: ‘We want them to be comfortable and wear what makes them happy,’ Mara continued. ‘We let our boys wear dresses if they want to. It’s what they like’

Stay-at-home mom Mara explained that she gradually built her 'free range' style of parenting after having her first child, Emmy, at just 19. Two of her kids are seen above

Stay-at-home mom Mara explained that she gradually built her 'free range' style of parenting after having her first child, Emmy, at just 19. Two of her kids are seen above

Stay-at-home mom Mara explained that she gradually built her 'free range' style of parenting after having her first child, Emmy, at just 19. Emmy and her youngest child, Indy, are seen above

Stay-at-home mom Mara explained that she gradually built her 'free range' style of parenting after having her first child, Emmy, at just 19. Emmy and her youngest child, Indy, are seen above

Stay-at-home mom Mara explained that she gradually built her ‘free range’ style of parenting after having her first child, Emmy, at just 19. Her kids are seen above

She also doesn't force her kids to share, and thinks it's important for them to have time to themselves if they want it

She also doesn't force her kids to share, and thinks it's important for them to have time to themselves if they want it

She also doesn’t force her kids to share, and thinks it’s important for them to have time to themselves if they want it

'We have taught them phrases such as "give me space,"' she continued. 'As adults, we don't always want to share things so I don't think it's something that kids should have to do'

'We have taught them phrases such as "give me space,"' she continued. 'As adults, we don't always want to share things so I don't think it's something that kids should have to do'

'We have taught them phrases such as "give me space,"' she continued. 'As adults, we don't always want to share things so I don't think it's something that kids should have to do'

'We have taught them phrases such as "give me space,"' she continued. 'As adults, we don't always want to share things so I don't think it's something that kids should have to do'

‘We have taught them phrases such as “give me space,”‘ she continued. ‘As adults, we don’t always want to share things so I don’t think it’s something that kids should have to do’

‘Kids always put things in their mouth so I don’t stop them eating sand so they can work out for themselves that it’s not something to eat,’ she explained.

‘They’ll spit it out again and say “yucky.” They’ll probably do it a few times before they learn. I’d rather they learn rather than be fearful and scared of it.’

Mara doesn't stop her kids from eating things like sand and sticks when they're playing outside because she believes allowing them to try different things will eventually lead to them learning what's safe and what isn't the hard way

Mara doesn't stop her kids from eating things like sand and sticks when they're playing outside because she believes allowing them to try different things will eventually lead to them learning what's safe and what isn't the hard way

Mara doesn’t stop her kids from eating things like sand and sticks when they’re playing outside because she believes allowing them to try different things will eventually lead to them learning what’s safe and what isn’t the hard way

In addition, she lets her young children play with marbles, despite them being labeled by professionals as a choking hazard.

‘Avoid marbles, coins, balls, and games with balls that are 1.75 inches in diameter or less because they can get stuck in the throat above the windpipe and make breathing difficult,’ KidsHealth.org reported in regards to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Mara has opened up about her unusual parenting style on TikTok, where she has gained more than 114,000 followers and eight million likes across her videos – and her actions have left many people on the web divided.

While some have said they agree with her and think her methods are great, others have slammed her for allowing her kids to do ‘unsafe things.’

‘Barefoot in public? Germs aside the broken glass and medal would concern me,’ one person wrote. 

Another added: ‘Ah yes giving little children large amounts of caffeine is so safe.’ 

‘Many of those are safety concerns,’ someone else said, while a fourth comment read, ‘Where is child services at this point?’ 

In addition, she lets her young children play with marbles, despite them being labeled by professionals as a choking hazard

In addition, she lets her young children play with marbles, despite them being labeled by professionals as a choking hazard

In addition, she lets her young children play with marbles, despite them being labeled by professionals as a choking hazard

Mara has opened up about her unusual parenting style on TikTok, where she has gained more than 114,000 followers - and her actions have left many people on the web divided

Mara has opened up about her unusual parenting style on TikTok, where she has gained more than 114,000 followers - and her actions have left many people on the web divided

Mara has opened up about her unusual parenting style on TikTok, where she has gained more than 114,000 followers – and her actions have left many people on the web divided

While some have said they agree with her and think her methods are great, others have slammed her for allowing her kids to do 'unsafe things'

While some have said they agree with her and think her methods are great, others have slammed her for allowing her kids to do 'unsafe things'

While some have said they agree with her and think her methods are great, others have slammed her for allowing her kids to do ‘unsafe things’

But Mara seems unbothered by her haters. She often replies to negative comments by sharing clips of herself and her kids enjoying life.

‘I have always liked being barefoot and it’s something the kids are starting to enjoy as well,’ she explained in one TikTok, while answering someone who slammed her for letting them walk around with no shoes.

On TikTok, Mara said that only once has one of her kids stepped on an 'itty bitty' piece of glass, explaining that he was 'completely unfazed by it'

On TikTok, Mara said that only once has one of her kids stepped on an 'itty bitty' piece of glass, explaining that he was 'completely unfazed by it'

On TikTok, Mara said that only once has one of her kids stepped on an ‘itty bitty’ piece of glass, explaining that he was ‘completely unfazed by it’

‘I always leave it up to the kids if they want to wear shoes or not. Really, it’s just personal preference. Being barefoot is better for your foot health.’

She added that only once has one of her kids stepped on an ‘itty bitty’ piece of glass, explaining that he was ‘completely unfazed by it.’

When it comes to her sharing rule, she told her followers, ‘Just think about it from your perspective. How does it feel when you have to share an item that maybe you just got? Or it’s your favorite item?

‘[Imagine] you always have someone saying, “Can I see it?” Can I use it?” And you want to say no but then someone is saying, “No you have to share. That’s the nice thing to do.”

‘As the adult, you say, “This is mine and I don’t want to share.” So why do we force kids to share when we ourselves don’t always like sharing our stuff? 

‘We just expect kids to give up their ball, give up their favorite thing? No. And that’s why I don’t force my kids to share.’

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