A ‘super-strict’ mother boasts how she rules the roost in her household by having her children live under a tight set of rules.
Elena Leeming from York only allows her children to watch television once a week and even throws away their toys if they are left out – no matter how expensive.
Clive, six, and Violet, five have been completing chores since the tender age of three – and they still haven’t ‘eaten a Haribo in their lives’.
The two youngsters are only permitted to watch television on Sundays and are limited in the amount of sugary treats they can have.
But the 39-year-old mother of two thinks her firm parenting style is the best way to ‘prepare kids for life’.
‘Super-strict’ Elena Leeming has boasted about her children completing chores from the tender age of three (left to right: Clive, Elena and Violet Leeming)
Clive, six, and Violet, five (pictured) are only allowed to watch television once a week and even throws out their toys if they are left out – no matter how expensive
Explaining that they will be better off in the long run, Elena insisted that her children are ‘happy and healthy’.
‘I like to see the children learning in everything they do. It’s important for them to understand what they need to eat and do,’ she said.
‘They are healthy, happy, and have a good sleep routine as a result.
‘I think parents become a bit loose and don’t really discipline their children now – but this way I’m preparing them for life.’
Divulging the reasoning behind her strict parenting, Elena said that neither she nor her husband Darren Leeming, 54, grew up with any life skills.
Elena wanted to make sure her children understood how to cook and do household chores to become independent – so she started teaching them at a young age.
From the age of just three, they have been loading the washing machine and doing the gardening.
Elena confessed that her son has breakfast ready by the time she comes down in the morning.
The 39-year-old mother believes her stern parenting style is the best way to ‘prepare kids for life’.
Divulging the reasoning behind her strict parenting, Elena said that neither she nor her husband Darren Leeming, 54, grew up with any life skills
Elena confessed that her son has breakfast ready before she even comes down in the morning
‘Rather than sitting there screaming waiting for breakfast, they can do it themselves,’ she said.
As well as undertaking household chores, Elena is also keen for her children to be informed about healthy eating.
Clive and Violet must eat at least five portions of fruit and veg a day, as well as drinking at least a litre of water.
The two are also banned from eating heavily processed foods or artificially flavoured snacks such as sweets and crisps.
The youngsters are permitted one high-sugar food a day from a list of approved ones – such as yoghurt, ice cream, and biscuits.
However, when push comes to shove no fizzy drinks are allowed for the pair – not even sugar-free ones.
‘When they’re given sweets they say “no thanks, they’re not good for me” and they put them in the bin,’ she said.
Television viewing is only permitted for Sundays, whilst tablets are only to be used for ‘educational games’ such as spelling challenges.
‘With screentime, it’s like an addiction. I don’t want them to develop that addiction,’ Elena said.
The primary school children are also required to pack away and finish off one activity before moving on to the next.
If they fail to abide by this strict rules, their toys will be gone forever because their mother isn’t shy about following through with her threats.
‘One time I was on a call and they turned the house inside out. I gave them five minutes to tidy up and they didn’t get it done in time,’ she revealed.
‘So I put the toys in a black bag and took them to the charity shop the next day regardless of how new or expensive they were.
‘For the weeks after, the books were on the shelf and the toys were tidied up – they learnt from it and I never had to do that again.’
Elena is willing to go to any lengths to teach discipline so her kids learn not to do ‘silly things’.
Clive and Violet also must eat at least five portions of fruit and veg a day, as well as drinking at least a litre of water
Elena is willing to go to any lengths to teach discipline her children, even making her daughter violet untie a difficult knot in her rucksack outside in the rain
‘My daughter tied a knot on her rucksack that was really hard to untie, so I made her untie it standing outside in the rain so she wouldn’t do it again,’ she added.
‘We have reward charts and they lose stars if they don’t go to the toilet before leaving the house and then need it while we’re out.’
While many parents might see this as overly strict, Elena feels it’s the best thing for children, who she hopes will be ‘strong leaders’.
‘Everyone is allowed their own opinion and they can raise children how they want,’ she explained.
‘But mental health is on the rise, and people have no resilience skills nowadays. I want my children to grow up strong leaders.’