A former teacher, Taylor was on the receiving end of backlash for “unschooling” her children – but she argues children do more learning when you let them be children.
She told NeedToKnow.co.uk: “It’s important for them to take on risks, like climbing trees, running barefoot or playing in mud.
“It’s through these small challenges that they develop confidence and a strong mind-body connection.
“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.”
She noted how her one-year-old Gus “crawls around the property, though supervised of course, and loves to climb logs, play with leaves, dig in the dirt, or throw rocks”.
Taylor continued: “He explores ant hills and when he gets bitten, he cries, I console him, show the hill, and say ‘ouch.’
“If you’re wanting to raise the happiest, healthiest kids possible, then this is a must.”
The mother-of-three from Arkansas shared a clip on TikTok of Gus playing in the forest dirt – a video which has so far been viewed more than 78,000 times.
It is captioned: “If you want your children to be comfortable in nature, don’t be afraid to let your babies explore nature.”
But the comments section was alive with fury at Taylor’s choice of schooling.
One said: “How do you stop them from eating whatever they find?”
This was replied back to by Taylor who simply said: “You don’t.”
Another added: “Yeah and now all my kids have had Lyme disease. Not fun.”
Meanwhile, a third concluded: “All those micro-bacterias and diseases in the dirt feel and taste so good.”
