A young mother has shocked TikTok users with her unconventional parenting methods, which involve allowing her infant to eat sticks, rocks, sand, and dirt.
The 22-year-old, who goes by @comingupfern on the video-sharing app, told her followers in one particular post that she lets her one-year-old son eat sand and rocks in order to boost his immune system.
In the video, @comingupfern, who refers to herself as a "vegan free birth VBAC mama", said she is happy to let her little one eat what most would consider inedible items - as long as they are vegan.
She said in the clip: "Why I let my exclusively breastfed baby eat sticks, rock, sand, dirt, and unsanitized shopping carts. In the last couple hundred years, the allopathic industry has taken the world by storm.
"This did not happen by accident. It happened after a series of billion-dollar campaigns intended to shift the public’s perception on health.
"I do not fear bacteria. In fact, I welcome it. I trust nature and my baby. It is not a coincidence babies have this instinct while they are breastfeeding."
The video, in which the comments are switched off, also contains footage of her infant putting sand-covered fingers in his mouth as well as rocks, and a wood chip given to him by his mother.
A ton of people on TikTok and on other social media platforms have shared their thoughts on her unusual parenting techniques.
One person wrote: “Yes.. and I let my baby play with knives and screws, cause I trust my baby...
“WHAT Maybe the soil is contaminated, or people and animals might have pissed or spit there, parasites, poisonous plants.. A crazy idea: kids should play outdoors, but maybe not put everything they find in their mouths.”
Another said: “I think we’re all aware of natural immunity, kids need to get dirty and whatnot. I probably wouldn’t let my kid EAT dirt and rocks and wood.
“But I’m also not gonna make them sanitize their hands after touching every surface. Somewhere in between is a happy medium. But shopping carts? I dunno that doesn’t fit the narrative to me.”
A third wrote: “Very dangerous and extremely unwise! There are leaves and flowers that are deadly.
“Some cause rashes. Many things are contaminated with pesticides or animal excrement. If she wouldn’t put it in her mouth she shouldn’t let it go in her baby’s mouth.”
.jpg_klhOkr?tr=h-40&config=JTdCJTIybmFtZSUyMiUzQSUyMm51cnNpbmclMjBob21lJTIwKDEpLmpwZyUyMiUyQyUyMmRlc2NyaXB0aW9uJTIyJTNBJTIyRmVhdHVyZWQlMjBpbWFnZSUyMGNyZWRpdCUzQSUyME1BU1RFUiUyMCUyRiUyMEdldHR5JTIyJTJDJTIyYWx0ZXJuYXRpdmVfdGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMm51cnNpbmclMjBob21lJTIwKDEpLmpwZyUyMiUyQyUyMmNhcHRpb24lMjIlM0ElMjJGZWF0dXJlZCUyMGltYWdlJTIwY3JlZGl0JTNBJTIwTUFTVEVSJTIwJTJGJTIwR2V0dHklMjIlMkMlMjJjb29yZGluYXRlcyUyMiUzQSU3QiUyMmRlc2t0b3AlMjIlM0ElN0IlMjJsZWZ0JTIyJTNBMCUyQyUyMnRvcCUyMiUzQTAlMkMlMjJyaWdodCUyMiUzQTElMkMlMjJib3R0b20lMjIlM0EwLjUyJTdEJTJDJTIydGFibGV0JTIyJTNBJTdCJTIybGVmdCUyMiUzQW51bGwlMkMlMjJ0b3AlMjIlM0FudWxsJTJDJTIycmlnaHQlMjIlM0FudWxsJTJDJTIyYm90dG9tJTIyJTNBbnVsbCU3RCUyQyUyMm1vYmlsZSUyMiUzQSU3QiUyMmxlZnQlMjIlM0FudWxsJTJDJTIydG9wJTIyJTNBbnVsbCUyQyUyMnJpZ2h0JTIyJTNBbnVsbCUyQyUyMmJvdHRvbSUyMiUzQW51bGwlN0QlN0QlMkMlMjJ3aWR0aCUyMiUzQTE1MzUlMkMlMjJoZWlnaHQlMjIlM0E4MDAlMkMlMjJ1dWlkJTIyJTNBJTIyOGFkN2ZlYjMtYzNiMC00YzI2LTkzMTgtY2ZmYzBhY2IwNTYxX193cC1jb250ZW50JTJGdXBsb2FkcyUyRm51cnNpbmdob21lKDEpLmpwZ19rbGhPa3IlMjIlN0Q=)
.jpg_klhOkr?tr=h-184&config=JTdCJTIybmFtZSUyMiUzQSUyMm51cnNpbmclMjBob21lJTIwKDEpLmpwZyUyMiUyQyUyMmRlc2NyaXB0aW9uJTIyJTNBJTIyRmVhdHVyZWQlMjBpbWFnZSUyMGNyZWRpdCUzQSUyME1BU1RFUiUyMCUyRiUyMEdldHR5JTIyJTJDJTIyYWx0ZXJuYXRpdmVfdGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMm51cnNpbmclMjBob21lJTIwKDEpLmpwZyUyMiUyQyUyMmNhcHRpb24lMjIlM0ElMjJGZWF0dXJlZCUyMGltYWdlJTIwY3JlZGl0JTNBJTIwTUFTVEVSJTIwJTJGJTIwR2V0dHklMjIlMkMlMjJjb29yZGluYXRlcyUyMiUzQSU3QiUyMmRlc2t0b3AlMjIlM0ElN0IlMjJsZWZ0JTIyJTNBMCUyQyUyMnRvcCUyMiUzQTAlMkMlMjJyaWdodCUyMiUzQTElMkMlMjJib3R0b20lMjIlM0EwLjUyJTdEJTJDJTIydGFibGV0JTIyJTNBJTdCJTIybGVmdCUyMiUzQW51bGwlMkMlMjJ0b3AlMjIlM0FudWxsJTJDJTIycmlnaHQlMjIlM0FudWxsJTJDJTIyYm90dG9tJTIyJTNBbnVsbCU3RCUyQyUyMm1vYmlsZSUyMiUzQSU3QiUyMmxlZnQlMjIlM0FudWxsJTJDJTIydG9wJTIyJTNBbnVsbCUyQyUyMnJpZ2h0JTIyJTNBbnVsbCUyQyUyMmJvdHRvbSUyMiUzQW51bGwlN0QlN0QlMkMlMjJ3aWR0aCUyMiUzQTE1MzUlMkMlMjJoZWlnaHQlMjIlM0E4MDAlMkMlMjJ1dWlkJTIyJTNBJTIyOGFkN2ZlYjMtYzNiMC00YzI2LTkzMTgtY2ZmYzBhY2IwNTYxX193cC1jb250ZW50JTJGdXBsb2FkcyUyRm51cnNpbmdob21lKDEpLmpwZ19rbGhPa3IlMjIlN0Q=)
