Mom criticized for making homework ‘optional’ for her young sons

When it comes to virtual vitriol, this “lazy” mom hits the nail on the head.

For deeming homework “optional,” turning on unlimited screen time, and encouraging her kids to fight their bullies, mom Danielle Gallacher is practically getting punched by social media.

“Things we do as parents that not everyone agrees with,” Gallacher, 32, an engaged mother of two from Glasgow, wrote in the caption of her clip controversial TikTok. “Homework is optional.”

“We don’t force them to do it,” she added. “Who needs stress? »

The Scottish maverick’s laissez-faire stance toward her sons Caiden, 9, and Oliver, 5,’s schoolwork is just one of her many permissive parenting strategies that are now dispatching her detractors of digital technology in a spiral of shame for mothers.

“The (optional) homework (rule) is a recipe for disaster,” said one keyboard critic under Gallacher’s post, which has garnered more than 1.7 million views.

“You would have to take an IQ test before being allowed to breed,” added one mean-spirited commenter.

“Basically, the kids rule you and do what they want,” said another cynic.

“Lazy parenting disguised as ‘progressive parenting,’” wrote one equally unimpressed reviewer. “You describe it as ‘cool’ or ‘hip’ to make yourself feel better about doing a crappy job. Not difficult to see.

But Gallacher is by far the only outraged mom to attract a cyber black eye for her atypical tactics.

Mami Onami, a spiritual influencer and mother of two, also found herself the target of the internet’s wrath over “unschooling” – an educational philosophy that encourages toddlers to learn through self-teaching rather than by a program – its offspring.

Arizona mom Cayley was recently spit-roasted on TikTok after admitting to letting her five-year-old son “refuse” to do his homework.

“I just sent my son’s preschool teacher a cutesy little email saying I’m sorry, given the stress, mental and physical anxiety this is causing my child, it’s over ” said the brunette, whose little one felt overwhelmed by a 15-page pack full of lessons. “No more homework.”

Gallacher, a civil servant, and her fiancé Jordan O’Donnell, 32, agree the pressures of learning at home are too much to bear.

“I think kids today are under a lot of stress and there are way too many expectations,” she told Kennedy News. “So we are parenting the old school way we were raised in, without any stress. »

Aside from being a cool mom, Gallacher denies being anti-academic.

“People say I don’t value education. But I do it,” she insisted.

“You have to find a balance between education and being a child,” the rebel continued, “parents and children don’t have much time between going home and going to bed .”

“I wanted (this) message to show that there are all different ways to raise children and no one way is right or wrong.”

But Gallacher wasn’t always so easy going when it came to ensuring his sons mastered their ABCs and 123s.

“Before, we were quite different with homework and (requiring) Caiden to do it before doing anything else,” she confessed. “But it just caused chaos and he didn’t want to do it – he didn’t benefit from it.”

Since moving from strict to loose parenting five years ago, Gallacher says her older son manages his home, school and social schedules with ease.

“He has a week to do his homework. So if he’s too tired to do it and wants to play with his friends, that’s no problem,” she said. “It’s a school (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.), so it’s basically a full-time job.”

“If he wants to do (his homework), then great,” added the sweet mother. “But if he doesn’t do it, then he’ll have to go to school and probably get in trouble for not doing it.”

“So he learned.”

And Gallacher says she’s more than willing to help her babies with their lessons if needed.

“My path is not lazy,” she said. “Just because it’s optional doesn’t mean we won’t help him with something.”

“Most of the time he doesn’t need any help,” the blonde explained. “If he makes mistakes, it should be handed out to show a teacher he’s doing something wrong.”

For Gallacher, being a parent isn’t just about making sure your kids get the right grade.

“There’s a lot more to life than just doing well in school,” she said. “There are social skills to learn and there is the world to see.”

“As long as my children are raised well and do their best, I don’t think we can ask for much more.”

Online, Gallacher was also criticized for giving her boys as much time as they wanted on their iPads, phones and televisions. She was also criticized for encouraging her Rugrats to “fight back” at thugs looking for a fight.

“I understand that you need to limit screen time for some children, but I don’t think mine spend too much time in front of screens to do that,” she explained. “As adults, we don’t limit screen time: we use our phones all day, then watch TV in the evening. So it’s a bit hypocritical.

And so, when it comes to the backlash she’s faced for encouraging child abuse, the unapologetic mom isn’t turning the other cheek.

“(With) the amount of bullying in kids’ lives,” Gallacher said unflinchingly, “I think it’s good for them to be able to stand up for themselves, too.”